Environmental and occupational exposures to mercury among indigenous people in Dunkwa-On-Offin, a small scale gold mining area in the South-West of Ghana.

PubMed

Kwaansa-Ansah, E E; Basu, N; Nriagu, J O

2010-11-01

Total mercury concentrations in human hair and urine samples were determined to ascertain the extent of environmental and occupational mercury exposure in Dunkwa-On-Offin, a small scale gold mining area of the central-west region of Ghana. In all ninety-four (94) hair and urine samples comprising of forty (40) small scale miners and fifty-four (54) farmers were collected and analyzed for their total mercury levels using the cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry. The hair total mercury concentrations ranged from 0.63 to 7.19 ug/g with a mean of 2.35 ± 1.58 ug/g for the farmers and 0.57-6.07 ug/g with a mean of 2.14 ± 1.53 ug/g for the small scale gold miners. There was no significant correlation between the total mercury concentration and the average weekly fish diet. The total mercury concentrations in urine of the miners were higher than those of the farmers and ranged from 0.32 to 3.62 ug/L with a mean of 1.23 ± 0.86 ug/L. The urine concentrations of farmers ranged from 0.075 to 2.31 ug/L with a mean of 0.69 ± 0.39 ug/L. Although the results indicate elevated internal dose of mercury the current levels of exposures do not appear to pose a significant health threat to the people.

Comparison of conceptually based and regression rainfall-runoff models, Denver Metropolitan area, Colorado, and potential applications in urban areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lindner-Lunsford, J. B.; Ellis, S.R.

1987-01-01

Multievent, conceptually based models and a single-event, multiple linear-regression model for estimating storm-runoff quantity and quality from urban areas were calibrated and verified for four small (57 to 167 acres) basins in the Denver metropolitan area, Colorado. The basins represented different land-use types - light commercial, single-family housing, and multi-family housing. Both types of models were calibrated using the same data set for each basin. A comparison was made between the storm-runoff volume, peak flow, and storm-runoff loads of seven water quality constituents simulated by each of the models by use of identical verification data sets. The models studied were the U.S. Geological Survey 's Distributed Routing Rainfall-Runoff Model-Version II (DR3M-II) (a runoff-quantity model designed for urban areas), and a multievent urban runoff quality model (DR3M-QUAL). Water quality constituents modeled were chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total lead, total manganese, and total zinc. (USGS)

Human Factors Guidelines for Command and Control Systems: Battlefield and Decision Graphics Guidelines

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-03-01

detail in a small area, use achromatic colors ( black , white, and grey) and use chromatic colors for larger panels or for attracting attention. b. Blues...purposes (e.g., to draw the users attention to a total, a broken bar or other important data element). b. Black and white should be used with caution. They...enough to set the bars or columns off from the background and define figure and ground relationships. (2) Use black in small areas and for certain

Forestry in Tanzania

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

Dykstra, D.P.

1983-01-01

Forest types and plantations, and associated forest industries are described. Forests occupy 47% of the total land area, mostly open miombo woodland dominated by Julbernardia and Brachystegia, with small areas of tropical high forest, mangroves and plantations. About 97% of the total roundwood consumed is used as fuelwood or for charcoal. Early results from village forestry programmes (partially financed by SIDA), the less successful communal village plantations, and agroforestry practices are described briefly. Education, training and the importance of wildlife are discussed.

Effect of small versus large clusters of fish school on the yield of a purse-seine small pelagic fishery including a marine protected area.

PubMed

Hieu, Nguyen Trong; Brochier, Timothée; Tri, Nguyen-Huu; Auger, Pierre; Brehmer, Patrice

2014-09-01

We consider a fishery model with two sites: (1) a marine protected area (MPA) where fishing is prohibited and (2) an area where the fish population is harvested. We assume that fish can migrate from MPA to fishing area at a very fast time scale and fish spatial organisation can change from small to large clusters of school at a fast time scale. The growth of the fish population and the catch are assumed to occur at a slow time scale. The complete model is a system of five ordinary differential equations with three time scales. We take advantage of the time scales using aggregation of variables methods to derive a reduced model governing the total fish density and fishing effort at the slow time scale. We analyze this aggregated model and show that under some conditions, there exists an equilibrium corresponding to a sustainable fishery. Our results suggest that in small pelagic fisheries the yield is maximum for a fish population distributed among both small and large clusters of school.

Small-Molecule Organic Photovoltaic Modules Fabricated via Halogen-Free Solvent System with Roll-to-Roll Compatible Scalable Printing Method.

PubMed

Heo, Youn-Jung; Jung, Yen-Sook; Hwang, Kyeongil; Kim, Jueng-Eun; Yeo, Jun-Seok; Lee, Sehyun; Jeon, Ye-Jin; Lee, Donmin; Kim, Dong-Yu

2017-11-15

For the first time, the photovoltaic modules composed of small molecule were successfully fabricated by using roll-to-roll compatible printing techniques. In this study, blend films of small molecules, BTR and PC 71 BM were slot-die coated using a halogen-free solvent system. As a result, high efficiencies of 7.46% and 6.56% were achieved from time-consuming solvent vapor annealing (SVA) treatment and roll-to-roll compatible solvent additive approaches, respectively. After successful verification of our roll-to-roll compatible method on small-area devices, we further fabricated large-area photovoltaic modules with a total active area of 10 cm 2 , achieving a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.83%. This demonstration of large-area photovoltaic modules through roll-to-roll compatible printing methods, even based on a halogen-free solvent, suggests the great potential for the industrial-scale production of organic solar cells (OSCs).

Degradation of surfactant-associated protein B (SP-B) during in vitro conversion of large to small surfactant aggregates.

PubMed Central

Veldhuizen, R A; Inchley, K; Hearn, S A; Lewis, J F; Possmayer, F

1993-01-01

Pulmonary surfactant obtained from lung lavages can be separated by differential centrifugation into two distinct subfractions known as large surfactant aggregates and small surfactant aggregates. The large-aggregate fraction is the precursor of the small-aggregate fraction. The ratio of the small non-surface-active to large surface-active surfactant aggregates increases after birth and in several types of lung injury. We have utilized an in vitro system, surface area cycling, to study the conversion of large into small aggregates. Small aggregates generated by surface area cycling were separated from large aggregates by centrifugation at 40,000 g for 15 min rather than by the normal sucrose gradient centrifugation. This new separation method was validated by morphological studies. Surface-tension-reducing activity of total surfactant extracts, as measured with a pulsating-bubble surfactometer, was impaired after surface area cycling. This impairment was related to the generation of small aggregates. Immunoblot analysis of large and small aggregates separated by sucrose gradient centrifugation revealed the presence of detectable amounts of surfactant-associated protein B (SP-B) in large aggregates but not in small aggregates. SP-A was detectable in both large and small aggregates. PAGE of cycled and non-cycled surfactant showed a reduction in SP-B after surface area cycling. We conclude that SP-B is degraded during the formation of small aggregates in vitro and that a change in surface area appears to be necessary for exposing SP-B to protease activity. Images Figure 2 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 PMID:8216208

Total Phosphorus Loads for Selected Tributaries to Sebago Lake, Maine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hodgkins, Glenn A.

2001-01-01

The streamflow and water-quality datacollection networks of the Portland Water District (PWD) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as of February 2000 were analyzed in terms of their applicability for estimating total phosphorus loads for selected tributaries to Sebago Lake in southern Maine. The long-term unit-area mean annual flows for the Songo River and for small, ungaged tributaries are similar to the long-term unit-area mean annual flows for the Crooked River and other gaged tributaries to Sebago Lake, based on a regression equation that estimates mean annual streamflows in Maine. Unit-area peak streamflows of Sebago Lake tributaries can be quite different, based on a regression equation that estimates peak streamflows for Maine. Crooked River had a statistically significant positive relation (Kendall's Tau test, p=0.0004) between streamflow and total phosphorus concentration. Panther Run had a statistically significant negative relation (p=0.0015). Significant positive relations may indicate contributions from nonpoint sources or sediment resuspension, whereas significant negative relations may indicate dilution of point sources. Total phosphorus concentrations were significantly larger in the Crooked River than in the Songo River (Wilcoxon rank-sum test, p<0.0001). Evidence was insufficient, however, to indicate that phosphorus concentrations from medium-sized drainage basins, at a significance level of 0.05, were different from each other or that concentrations in small-sized drainage basins were different from each other (Kruskal-Wallis test, p= 0.0980, 0.1265). All large- and medium-sized drainage basins were sampled for total phosphorus approximately monthly. Although not all small drainage basins were sampled, they may be well represented by the small drainage basins that were sampled. If the tributaries gaged by PWD had adequate streamflow data, the current PWD tributary monitoring program would probably produce total phosphorus loading data that would represent all gaged and ungaged tributaries to Sebago Lake. Outside the PWD tributary-monitoring program, the largest ungaged tributary to Sebago Lake contains 1.5 percent of the area draining to the lake. In the absence of unique point or nonpoint sources of phosphorus, ungaged tributaries are unlikely to have total phosphorus concentrations that differ significantly from those in the small tributaries that have concentration data. The regression method, also known as the rating-curve method, was used to estimate the annual total phosphorus load for Crooked River, Northwest River, and Rich Mill Pond Outlet for water years 1996-98. The MOVE.1 method was used to estimate daily streamflows for the regression method at Northwest River and Rich Mill Pond Outlet, where streamflows were not continuously monitored. An averaging method also was used to compute annual loads at the three sites. The difference between the regression estimate and the averaging estimate for each of the three tributaries was consistent with what was expected from previous studies.

Exploring the Linkage between Urban Flood Risk and Spatial Patterns in Small Urbanized Catchments of Beijing, China

PubMed Central

Yao, Lei; Chen, Liding; Wei, Wei

2017-01-01

In the context of global urbanization, urban flood risk in many cities has become a serious environmental issue, threatening the health of residents and the environment. A number of hydrological studies have linked urban flooding issues closely to the spectrum of spatial patterns of urbanization, but relatively little attention has been given to small-scale catchments within the realm of urban systems. This study aims to explore the hydrological effects of small-scaled urbanized catchments assigned with various landscape patterns. Twelve typical residential catchments in Beijing were selected as the study areas. Total Impervious Area (TIA), Directly Connected Impervious Area (DCIA), and a drainage index were used as the catchment spatial metrics. Three scenarios were designed as different spatial arrangement of catchment imperviousness. Runoff variables including total and peak runoff depth (Qt and Qp) were simulated by using Strom Water Management Model (SWMM). The relationship between catchment spatial patterns and runoff variables were determined, and the results demonstrated that, spatial patterns have inherent influences on flood risks in small urbanized catchments. Specifically: (1) imperviousness acts as an effective indicator in affecting both Qt and Qp; (2) reducing the number of rainwater inlets appropriately will benefit the catchment peak flow mitigation; (3) different spatial concentrations of impervious surfaces have inherent influences on Qp. These findings provide insights into the role of urban spatial patterns in driving rainfall-runoff processes in small urbanized catchments, which is essential for urban planning and flood management. PMID:28264521

Exploring the Linkage between Urban Flood Risk and Spatial Patterns in Small Urbanized Catchments of Beijing, China.

PubMed

Yao, Lei; Chen, Liding; Wei, Wei

2017-02-28

In the context of global urbanization, urban flood risk in many cities has become a serious environmental issue, threatening the health of residents and the environment. A number of hydrological studies have linked urban flooding issues closely to the spectrum of spatial patterns of urbanization, but relatively little attention has been given to small-scale catchments within the realm of urban systems. This study aims to explore the hydrological effects of small-scaled urbanized catchments assigned with various landscape patterns. Twelve typical residential catchments in Beijing were selected as the study areas. Total Impervious Area ( TIA ), Directly Connected Impervious Area ( DCIA ), and a drainage index were used as the catchment spatial metrics. Three scenarios were designed as different spatial arrangement of catchment imperviousness. Runoff variables including total and peak runoff depth ( Q t and Q p ) were simulated by using Strom Water Management Model (SWMM). The relationship between catchment spatial patterns and runoff variables were determined, and the results demonstrated that, spatial patterns have inherent influences on flood risks in small urbanized catchments. Specifically: (1) imperviousness acts as an effective indicator in affecting both Q t and Q p ; (2) reducing the number of rainwater inlets appropriately will benefit the catchment peak flow mitigation; (3) different spatial concentrations of impervious surfaces have inherent influences on Q p . These findings provide insights into the role of urban spatial patterns in driving rainfall-runoff processes in small urbanized catchments, which is essential for urban planning and flood management.

Modelling changes in small area disability free life expectancy: trends in London wards between 2001 and 2011.

PubMed

Congdon, Peter

2014-12-20

Existing analyses of trends in disability free life expectancy (DFLE) are mainly at aggregate level (national or broad regional). However, major differences in DFLE, and trends in these expectancies, exist between different neighbourhoods within regions, so supporting a small area perspective. However, this raises issues regarding the stability of conventional life table estimation methods at small area scales. This paper advocates a Bayesian borrowing strength technique to model trends in mortality and disability differences across 625 small areas in London, using illness data from the 2001 and 2011 population Censuses, and deaths data for two periods centred on the Census years. From this analysis, estimates of total life expectancy and DFLE are obtained. The spatio-temporal modelling perspective allows assessment of whether significant compression or expansion of morbidity has occurred in each small area. Appropriate models involve random effects that recognise correlation and interaction effects over relevant dimensions of the observed deaths and illness data (areas, ages), as well as major spatial trends (e.g. gradients in health and mortality according to area deprivation category). Whilst borrowing strength is a primary consideration (and demonstrated by raised precision for estimated life expectancies), so also is model parsimony. Therefore, pure borrowing strength models are compared with models allowing selection of random age-area interaction effects using a spike-slab prior, and in fact borrowing strength combined with random effects selection provides better fit. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Protection of mammal diversity in Central America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jenkins, Clinton N.; Giri, Chandra

2008-01-01

Central America is exceptionally rich in biodiversity, but varies widely in the attention its countries devote to conservation. Protected areas, widely considered the cornerstone of conservation, were not always created with the intent of conserving that biodiversity. We assessed how well the protected-area system of Central America includes the region's mammal diversity. This first required a refinement of existing range maps to reduce their extensive errors of commission (i.e., predicted presences in places where species do not occur). For this refinement, we used the ecological limits of each species to identify and remove unsuitable areas from the range. We then compared these maps with the locations of protected areas to measure the habitat protected for each of the region's 250 endemic mammals. The species most vulnerable to extinction—those with small ranges—were largely outside protected areas. Nevertheless, the most strictly protected areas tended toward areas with many small-ranged species. To improve the protection coverage of mammal diversity in the region, we identified a set of priority sites that would best complement the existing protected areas. Protecting these new sites would require a relatively small increase in the total area protected, but could greatly enhance mammal conservation.

Impact of small-scale structures on estuarine circulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zhuo; Zhang, Yinglong J.; Wang, Harry V.; Huang, Hai; Wang, Zhengui; Ye, Fei; Sisson, Mac

2018-05-01

We present a novel and challenging application of a 3D estuary-shelf model to the study of the collective impact of many small-scale structures (bridge pilings of 1 m × 2 m in size) on larger-scale circulation in a tributary (James River) of Chesapeake Bay. We first demonstrate that the model is capable of effectively transitioning grid resolution from 400 m down to 1 m near the pilings without introducing undue numerical artifact. We then show that despite their small sizes and collectively small area as compared to the total channel cross-sectional area, the pilings exert a noticeable impact on the large-scale circulation, and also create a rich structure of vortices and wakes around the pilings. As a result, the water quality and local sedimentation patterns near the bridge piling area are likely to be affected as well. However, when evaluating over the entire waterbody of the project area, the near field effects are weighed with the areal percentage which is small compared to that for the larger unaffected area, and therefore the impact on the lower James River as a whole becomes relatively insignificant. The study highlights the importance of the use of high resolution in assessing the near-field impact of structures.

Statistically extracted fundamental watershed variables for estimating the loads of total nitrogen in small streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kronholm, Scott C.; Capel, Paul D.; Terziotti, Silvia

2016-01-01

Accurate estimation of total nitrogen loads is essential for evaluating conditions in the aquatic environment. Extrapolation of estimates beyond measured streams will greatly expand our understanding of total nitrogen loading to streams. Recursive partitioning and random forest regression were used to assess 85 geospatial, environmental, and watershed variables across 636 small (<585 km2) watersheds to determine which variables are fundamentally important to the estimation of annual loads of total nitrogen. Initial analysis led to the splitting of watersheds into three groups based on predominant land use (agricultural, developed, and undeveloped). Nitrogen application, agricultural and developed land area, and impervious or developed land in the 100-m stream buffer were commonly extracted variables by both recursive partitioning and random forest regression. A series of multiple linear regression equations utilizing the extracted variables were created and applied to the watersheds. As few as three variables explained as much as 76 % of the variability in total nitrogen loads for watersheds with predominantly agricultural land use. Catchment-scale national maps were generated to visualize the total nitrogen loads and yields across the USA. The estimates provided by these models can inform water managers and help identify areas where more in-depth monitoring may be beneficial.

The role of impoundments in the sediment budget of the conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Renwick, W.H.; Smith, S.V.; Bartley, J.D.; Buddemeier, R.W.

2005-01-01

Previous work on sediment budgets for U.S. agricultural regions has concluded that most sediment derived from accelerated erosion is still on the landscape, primarily in colluvial and alluvial deposits. Here we examine the role of small impoundments in the subcontinental sediment budget. A recent inventory based on a 30-m satellite imagery reveals approximately 2.6 million ponds, while extrapolation from a sample of 1:24,000 topographic quadrangles suggests the total may be as large as 8-9 million. These ponds capture an estimated 21% of the total drainage area of the conterminous U.S., representing 25% of total sheet and rill erosion. We estimate the total sedimentation in these small impoundments using three different methods; these estimates range from 0.43 to 1.78 ?? 109 m3 yr-1. Total sedimentation in ???43,000 reservoirs from the National Inventory of Dams is estimated at 1.67 ?? 109 m3 yr-1. Total USLE erosion in 1992 was 2.4 ?? 109 m3 yr-1, and export to coastal areas is estimated at 0.6 ?? 109 m3 yr-1. Total sedimentation in impoundments is large in relation to upland erosion, in apparent contradiction to previous studies that have identified colluvial and alluvial deposition as the primary sinks. Several alternative hypotheses that could help explain this result are proposed. Regardless of which of these alternatives may prove to be the most significant in any given setting, it is clear that most sedimentation is now taking place in subaqueous rather than subaerial environments, and that small impoundments are a major sediment sink. ?? 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Duckweed based wastewater stabilization ponds for wastewater treatment (a low cost technology for small urban areas in Zimbabwe)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalu, J. M.; Ndamba, J.

A three-year investigation into the potential use of duckweed based wastewater stabilizations ponds for wastewater treatment was carried out at two small urban areas in Zimbabwe. The study hoped to contribute towards improved environmental management through improving the quality of effluent being discharged into natural waterways. This was to be achieved through the development and facilitation of the use of duckweed based wastewater stabilizations ponds. The study was carried out at Nemanwa and Gutu Growth Points both with a total population of 23 000. The two centers, like more than 70% of Zimbabwe’s small urban areas, relied on algae based ponds for domestic wastewater treatment. The final effluent is used to irrigate gum plantations before finding its way into the nearest streams. Baseline wastewater quality information was collected on a monthly basis for three months after which duckweed ( Lemna minor) was introduced into the maturation ponds to at least 50% pond surface cover. The influent and effluent was then monitored on a monthly basis for chemical, physical and bacteriological parameters as stipulated in the Zimbabwe Water (Waste and Effluent Disposal) regulations of 2000. After five months, the range of parameters tested for was narrowed to include only those that sometimes surpassed the limits. These included: phosphates, nitrates, pH, biological oxygen demand, iron, conductivity, chemical oxygen demand, turbidity, total dissolved solids and total suspended solids. Significant reductions to within permissible limits were obtained for most of the above-mentioned parameters except for phosphates, chemical and biological oxygen demand and turbidity. However, in these cases, more than 60% reductions were observed when the influent and effluent levels were compared. It is our belief that duckweed based waste stabilization ponds can now be used successfully for the treatment of domestic wastewater in small urban areas of Zimbabwe.

Total Catch of a Red-Listed Marine Species Is an Order of Magnitude Higher than Official Data

PubMed Central

Kleiven, Alf Ring; Olsen, Esben Moland; Vølstad, Jon Helge

2012-01-01

Accurate information on total catch and effort is essential for successful fisheries management. Officially reported landings, however, may be underestimates of total catch in many fisheries. We investigated the fishery for the nationally red-listed European lobster (Homarus gammarus) in south-eastern Norway. Probability-based strip transect surveys were used to count buoys in the study area in combination with catch per unit effort data obtained independently from volunteer catch diaries, phone interviews, and questionnaires. We estimate that recreational catch accounts for 65% of total catch in the study area. Moreover, our results indicate that only a small proportion (24%) of lobsters landed commercially were sold through the legal market and documented. Total estimated lobster catch was nearly 14 times higher than reported officially. Our study highlights the need for adequate catch monitoring and data collection efforts in coastal areas, presents a clear warning to resource managers that illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fisheries in coastal areas should not be ignored, and shows the potential impact of recreational fisheries. PMID:22363583

Fire history reconstruction in grassland ecosystems: amount of charcoal reflects local area burned

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leys, Bérangère; Brewer, Simon C.; McConaghy, Scott; Mueller, Joshua; McLauchlan, Kendra K.

2015-11-01

Fire is one of the most prevalent disturbances in the Earth system, and its past characteristics can be reconstructed using charcoal particles preserved in depositional environments. Although researchers know that fires produce charcoal particles, interpretation of the quantity or composition of charcoal particles in terms of fire source remains poorly understood. In this study, we used a unique four-year dataset of charcoal deposited in traps from a native tallgrass prairie in mid-North America to test which environmental factors were linked to charcoal measurements on three spatial scales. We investigated small and large charcoal particles commonly used as a proxy of fire activity at different spatial scales, and charcoal morphotypes representing different types of fuel. We found that small (125-250 μm) and large (250 μm-1 mm) particles of charcoal are well-correlated (Spearman correlation = 0.88) and likely reflect the same spatial scale of fire activity in a system with both herbaceous and woody fuels. There was no significant relationship between charcoal pieces and fire parameters <500 m from the traps. Moreover, local area burned (<5 km distance radius from traps) explained the total charcoal amount, and regional burning (200 km radius distance from traps) explained the ratio of non arboreal to total charcoal (NA/T ratio). Charcoal variables, including total charcoal count and NA/T ratio, did not correlate with other fire parameters, vegetation cover, landscape, or climate variables. Thus, in long-term studies that involve fire history reconstructions, total charcoal particles, even of a small size (125-250 μm), could be an indicator of local area burned. Further studies may determine relationships among amount of charcoal recorded, fire intensity, vegetation cover, and climatic parameters.

A small scale survey of Leptospira in mammals from eastern Poland.

PubMed

Wójcik-Fatla, Angelina; Zając, Violetta; Sroka, Jacek; Piskorski, Michał; Cisak, Ewa; Sawczyn, Anna; Dutkiewicz, Jacek

2013-01-01

Samples of 30 dead small mammals each were collected on area 'A' located in eastern Poland and exposed to floods by the Vistula river, and on area 'B', also located in eastern Poland, but not exposed to floods. Kidneys and livers of the mammals were examined by the PCR and nested PCR methods for the presence of Leptospira DNA. From 7 species of small mammals examined, the presence of Leptospira DNA was detected in 2 of them. The prevalence of positive results was greatest in Apodemus agrarius which was the mostly numerous mammal species (14 out of total 39 specimens, 35.9%). The presence of Leptospira DNA was also found in Microtus arvalis (1 out of 1 specimen, 100%), whereas the remaining 5 species (Apodemus flavicollis , Apodemus sylvaticus, Microtus agrestis, Myodes glareolus, Sorex araneus) were negative. No significant difference in the prevalence of positive findings was found between the small mammals from areas 'A' exposed to flooding, compared to those from area 'B' not exposed to flooding (20.0% vs. 30.0%, p=0.3748). The overall positivity of the examined small mammals population from areas 'A' and 'B' was 25.0%. The prevalence of dual positivity (leptospiral DNA found both in kidney and liver) was greater in the mammals from areas exposed to flooding compared to those from areas not exposed to flooding (16.7% vs. 6.7%), but this dependence was also not significant (p=0.2382).

[Microbiological quality of the air in "small gastronomy point"].

PubMed

Wójcik-Stopczyńska, Barbara

2006-01-01

The aim of this work was the estimation of microbial contamination of the air in "small gastronomy point". The study included three places, which have been separated on the ground of their function: 1. area of subsidiaries, 2. area of distribution (sale and serving meal), 3. area of consumption. The total numbers of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, yeasts and moulds were determined by sedimentation method. Taxonomy units of fungal aerosol were also estimated. The samples of air were collected in 16 investigation points in the morning (8-8.30) and in the afternoon (14-14.30). Four series of measurements were carried out and in general 128 of air samples were tested. The results showed that numbers of bacteria, yeasts and moulds were variable and received respectively 30-3397, 0-254 and 0-138 cfu x m(-3). Microbial contamination of air changed depending on area character (the highest average count of bacteria occurred in the air of consumption area and fungi in subsidiaries area), time of a day (contamination of the air increased in the afternoon) and determination date. Only in single samples the numbers of bacteria and fungi were higher than recommended level. Pigmentary bacteria had high participation in total count of bacteria and filamentous fungi were represented mostly by Penicillium sp. and Cladosporium sp.

An area model for on-chip memories and its application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mulder, Johannes M.; Quach, Nhon T.; Flynn, Michael J.

1991-01-01

An area model suitable for comparing data buffers of different organizations and arbitrary sizes is described. The area model considers the supplied bandwidth of a memory cell and includes such buffer overhead as control logic, driver logic, and tag storage. The model gave less than 10 percent error when verified against real caches and register files. It is shown that, comparing caches and register files in terms of area for the same storage capacity, caches generally occupy more area per bit than register files for small caches because the overhead dominates the cache area at these sizes. For larger caches, the smaller storage cells in the cache provide a smaller total cache area per bit than the register set. Studying cache performance (traffic ratio) as a function of area, it is shown that, for small caches, direct-mapped caches perform significantly better than four-way set-associative caches and, for caches of medium areas, both direct-mapped and set-associative caches perform better than fully associative caches.

Stormwater quality processes for three land-use areas in Broward County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mattraw, H.C.; Miller, Robert A.

1981-01-01

Systematic collection and chemical analysis of stormwater runoff samples from three small urban areas in Broward County, Florida, were obtained between 1974 and 1977. Thirty or more runoff-constituent loads were computed for each of the homogeneous land-use areas. The areas sampled were single family residential, highway, and a commercial shopping center. Rainfall , runoff, and nutrient and metal analyses were stored in a data-management system. The data-management system permitted computation of loads, publication of basic-data reports and the interface of environmental and load information with a comprehensive statistical analysis system. Seven regression models relating water quality loads to characteristics of peak discharge, antecedent conditions, season, storm duration and rainfall intensity were constructed for each of the three sites. Total water-quality loads were computed for the collection period by summing loads for individual storms. Loads for unsampled storms were estimated by using regression models and records of storm precipitation. Loadings, pounds per day per acre of hydraulically effective impervious area, were computed for the three land-use types. Total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total residue loadings were highest in the residential area. Chemical oxygen demand and total lead loadings were highest in the commercial area. Loadings of atmospheric fallout on each watershed were estimated by bulk precipitation samples collected at the highway and commercial site. (USGS)

Numerical analysis of lateral illumination lightpipes using elliptical grooves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez-Guerrero, Guillermo E.; Viera-González, Perla M.; Martínez-Guerra, Edgar; Ceballos-Herrera, Daniel E.

2017-09-01

Lightpipes are used for illumination in applications such as back-lighting or solar cell concentrators due to the high irradiance uniformity, but its optimal design requires several parameters. This work presents a procedure to design a square lightpipe to control the light-extraction on its lateral face using commercial LEDs placed symmetrically in the lightpipe frontal face. We propose the use of grooves using total internal reflection placed successively in the same face of extraction to control the area of emission. The LED area of emission is small compared with the illuminated area, and, as expected, the lateral face total power is attenuated. These grooves reduce the optical elements in the system and can control areas of illumination. A mathematical and numerical analysis are presented to determine the dependencies on the light-extraction.

An advanced generation land mobile satellite system and its critical technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Naderi, F.

1982-01-01

A conceptual design for a Land Mobile Satellite System (LMSS) for the 1990s is presented. LMSS involves small tranceivers accessing satellites directly, with ground reception through small car-top antennas. The satellite would have a large antenna and blanket coverage areas in the UHF. The call may originate from a home, be carried by wire to a gateway, transmitted to satellite on the S-band, converted to UHF on the satellite, and transmitted to the vehicle. The system design is constrained by the number of users in an area during the busiest hours, Shuttle storage, controllability factors, and the total area served. A 55-m antenna has been selected, with 87 spot beams and two 10 MHz UHF bands in the 806-890 MHz band. A 17 dB interbeam isolation level is required, implying that sufficient sub-bands can be generated to assure 8265 total channels. The mobile satellite (MSAT) would have an 83 m mast lower segment, a 34 m upper segment, and a second, 10 m antenna made of a deployable mesh. Various antenna function modes are considered.

Land use, population dynamics, and land-cover change in Eastern Puerto Rico

Treesearch

W.A. Gould; S. Martinuzzi; I.K. Páres-Ramos

2012-01-01

We assessed current and historic land use and land cover in the Luquillo Mountains and surrounding area in eastern Puerto Rico, including four small subwatersheds that are study watersheds of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Water, Energy, and Biogeochemical Budgets (WEBB) program. This region occupies an area of 1,616 square kilometers, about 18 percent of the total land...

Carnivorous plants in Micronesia

Treesearch

Robert R. Ziemer

1988-01-01

Micronesia encompasses about 2,100 islands scattered over some 12 million sq km of the central Pacific between Hawaii and the Philippines. Only about 125 of these small islands are inhabited. The total land area of Micronesia is less than 3,200 sq km, about the size of the state of Rhode Island. The largest island is Guam, with an area of about 540 sq km. There are...

Assessing the influence of small fires on trends in fire regime features at mainland Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiménez-Ruano, Adrián; Rodrigues Mimbrero, Marcos; de la Riva Fernández, Juan

2017-04-01

Small fires, i.e. fires smaller than 1 Ha, represent a huge proportion of total wildfire occurrence in the Mediterranean region. In the case of Spain, around 53% of fires in the period 1988-2013 fall into this category according to the Spanish EGIF statistics. However, the proportion of small fires is not stationary over time. Small fires are usually excluded from most analysis, given the chance of introducing or falling into temporal bias, being almost mandatory in those assessments using data before the 90s. Inconsistences and inhomogeneity problems related to the diversity of criteria and/or registration procedures among Autonomous Regions are found before that date, although it is widely agreed that small fires are consistently registered starting from 1988. Nevertheless, in terms of fire regimen characterization it is important to know to what extent small fires contribute to the overall fire behaviour. The aim of this study is to analyse spatial-temporal trends of several fire features such as total number of fires and burned area, number and burned area of natural and human fires, and the proportion of natural/human cause in the period 1988-2013 at province level (NUTS3). The analysis is conducted at the mainland Spain at annual and seasonal time scales. We are mainly interested in exploring differences in spatial-temporal trends including or excluding small fires and dealing with them separately as well. This allows determining the extent to which small fires may affect fire regime characterization. We employed a Mann-Kendall test for trend detection and Sen's slope to evaluate the magnitude of the change. Both tests were applied for each fire feature aggregated at NUTS3 level for both autumn-winter and spring-summer seasons. Our results show significant changes in the evolution of annual wildfire frequency; especially strong when small fires are accounted for. A similar outcome was observed in natural and human number fires during the spring-summer season. The increase in number of fires seems to be reversed during autumn-winter. At seasonal scale, the inclusion of small fires allows to detect significant trends in all of fire frequency features, except natural fires. In turn, neither burned area features do not significantly affect the trends through incorporating small fires. Therefore, the inclusion/exclusion of small fires do influence observed trends mostly in terms of fire frequency.

Match-derived relative pitch area changes the physical and team tactical performance of elite soccer players in small-sided soccer games.

PubMed

Olthof, Sigrid B H; Frencken, Wouter G P; Lemmink, Koen A P M

2018-07-01

Small-sided games (SSGs) are used in training sessions to prepare for full-sized matches. For the same number of players, smaller pitch sizes result in decreased physical performance and shorter interpersonal distances. A relative pitch area derived from the full-sized match results in larger pitch sizes and this may increase the fit between SSGs and full-sized matches. This study aimed to investigate SSGs with a traditional small pitch and a match-derived relative pitch area in youth elite soccer players. Four age categories (under-13, under-15, under-17 and under-19) played 4 vs. 4 plus goalkeepers on a small (40x30m, 120m 2 relative pitch area) and large pitch (68x47m, 320m 2 relative pitch area). The number of games per age category ranged 15-30. Positional data (LPM-system) were collected to determine physical (total distance covered, high intensity distance and number of sprints) and team tactical (inter-team distance, LPW-ratio, surface area, stretch indices, goalkeeper-defender distance) performance measures and tactical variability. On a large pitch, physical performance significantly increased, inter-team and intra-team distances were significantly larger and tactical variability of intra-team distance measures significantly increased. The match-derived relative pitch area is an important training manipulation and leads to changes in physical and tactical performance 4 vs. 4 plus goalkeepers.

Floods of February-March 1961 in the southeastern States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barnes, Harry Hawthorne; Somers, William Philip

1961-01-01

Widespread, prolonged, disastrous floods struck parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida following heavy rains Feb. 17-26, 1961. Three distinct low-pressure systems recurred in essentially the same area. Precipitation totaled more than 18 inches in some areas. Multiple floods of small streams became superimposed in the large rivers to produce rare, record-breaking peaks and prolonged inundation. Four lives were lost; one in Louisiana and three in Mississippi. Highways, railroads, urban areas, and farms were heavily damaged.

A simple method for the generation of organ and vessel contours from roentgenographic or fluoroscopic images

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newell, J. D.; Keller, R. A.; Baily, N. A.

1974-01-01

A simple method for outlining or contouring any area defined by a change in film density or fluoroscopic screen intensity is described. The entire process, except for the positioning of an electronic window, is accomplished using a small computer having appropriate softwave. The electronic window is operator positioned over the area to be processed. The only requirement is that the window be large enough to encompass the total area to be considered.

Fish Habitat and Fish Populations in a Southern Appalachian Watershed before and after Hurricane Hugo

Treesearch

C. Andrew Dolloff; Patricia A. Flebbe; Michael D. Owen

1994-01-01

Habitat features and relative abundance of all fish species were estimated in 8.4 km of a small mountain stream system before and 11 months after Hurricane Hugo crossed the southern Appalachians in September 1989. There was no change in the total amount (area) of each habitat type but the total number of habitat units decreased and average size and depth of habitat...

BIG SCHOOL - SMALL SCHOOL. STUDIES OF THE EFFECTS OF HIGH SCHOOL SIZE UPON THE BEHAVIOR AND EXPERIENCES OF STUDENTS. FINAL REPORT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BARKER, ROGER G.; AND OTHERS

STUDIES WERE MADE IN KANSAS HIGH SCHOOLS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF SCHOOL SIZE UPON THE BEHAVIOR AND EXPERIENCES OF STUDENTS. THE FOLLOWING AREAS WERE CONSIDERED-- THE SCHOOL INVOLVED IN THE STUDY, THE DATA GATHERED FROM RECORDS AND RESEARCH, OUT-OF-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, AND THE PLACE OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE TOTAL LIFE OF FOUR SMALL TOWNS.…

Organic Carbon Storage in China's Urban Areas

PubMed Central

Zhao, Shuqing; Zhu, Chao; Zhou, Decheng; Huang, Dian; Werner, Jeremy

2013-01-01

China has been experiencing rapid urbanization in parallel with its economic boom over the past three decades. To date, the organic carbon storage in China's urban areas has not been quantified. Here, using data compiled from literature review and statistical yearbooks, we estimated that total carbon storage in China's urban areas was 577±60 Tg C (1 Tg  = 1012 g) in 2006. Soil was the largest contributor to total carbon storage (56%), followed by buildings (36%), and vegetation (7%), while carbon storage in humans was relatively small (1%). The carbon density in China's urban areas was 17.1±1.8 kg C m−2, about two times the national average of all lands. The most sensitive variable in estimating urban carbon storage was urban area. Examining urban carbon storages over a wide range of spatial extents in China and in the United States, we found a strong linear relationship between total urban carbon storage and total urban area, with a specific urban carbon storage of 16 Tg C for every 1,000 km2 urban area. This value might be useful for estimating urban carbon storage at regional to global scales. Our results also showed that the fraction of carbon storage in urban green spaces was still much lower in China relative to western countries, suggesting a great potential to mitigate climate change through urban greening and green spaces management in China. PMID:23991014

Maintenance of biodiversity on islands.

PubMed

Chisholm, Ryan A; Fung, Tak; Chimalakonda, Deepthi; O'Dwyer, James P

2016-04-27

MacArthur and Wilson's theory of island biogeography predicts that island species richness should increase with island area. This prediction generally holds among large islands, but among small islands species richness often varies independently of island area, producing the so-called 'small-island effect' and an overall biphasic species-area relationship (SAR). Here, we develop a unified theory that explains the biphasic island SAR. Our theory's key postulate is that as island area increases, the total number of immigrants increases faster than niche diversity. A parsimonious mechanistic model approximating these processes reproduces a biphasic SAR and provides excellent fits to 100 archipelago datasets. In the light of our theory, the biphasic island SAR can be interpreted as arising from a transition from a niche-structured regime on small islands to a colonization-extinction balance regime on large islands. The first regime is characteristic of classic deterministic niche theories; the second regime is characteristic of stochastic theories including the theory of island biogeography and neutral theory. The data furthermore confirm our theory's key prediction that the transition between the two SAR regimes should occur at smaller areas, where immigration is stronger (i.e. for taxa that are better dispersers and for archipelagos that are less isolated). © 2016 The Author(s).

Cancer mortality inequalities in urban areas: a Bayesian small area analysis in Spanish cities

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Intra-urban inequalities in mortality have been infrequently analysed in European contexts. The aim of the present study was to analyse patterns of cancer mortality and their relationship with socioeconomic deprivation in small areas in 11 Spanish cities. Methods It is a cross-sectional ecological design using mortality data (years 1996-2003). Units of analysis were the census tracts. A deprivation index was calculated for each census tract. In order to control the variability in estimating the risk of dying we used Bayesian models. We present the RR of the census tract with the highest deprivation vs. the census tract with the lowest deprivation. Results In the case of men, socioeconomic inequalities are observed in total cancer mortality in all cities, except in Castellon, Cordoba and Vigo, while Barcelona (RR = 1.53 95%CI 1.42-1.67), Madrid (RR = 1.57 95%CI 1.49-1.65) and Seville (RR = 1.53 95%CI 1.36-1.74) present the greatest inequalities. In general Barcelona and Madrid, present inequalities for most types of cancer. Among women for total cancer mortality, inequalities have only been found in Barcelona and Zaragoza. The excess number of cancer deaths due to socioeconomic deprivation was 16,413 for men and 1,142 for women. Conclusion This study has analysed inequalities in cancer mortality in small areas of cities in Spain, not only relating this mortality with socioeconomic deprivation, but also calculating the excess mortality which may be attributed to such deprivation. This knowledge is particularly useful to determine which geographical areas in each city need intersectorial policies in order to promote a healthy environment. PMID:21232096

Set size and culture influence children's attention to number.

PubMed

Cantrell, Lisa; Kuwabara, Megumi; Smith, Linda B

2015-03-01

Much research evidences a system in adults and young children for approximately representing quantity. Here we provide evidence that the bias to attend to discrete quantity versus other dimensions may be mediated by set size and culture. Preschool-age English-speaking children in the United States and Japanese-speaking children in Japan were tested in a match-to-sample task where number was pitted against cumulative surface area in both large and small numerical set comparisons. Results showed that children from both cultures were biased to attend to the number of items for small sets. Large set responses also showed a general attention to number when ratio difficulty was easy. However, relative to the responses for small sets, attention to number decreased for both groups; moreover, both U.S. and Japanese children showed a significant bias to attend to total amount for difficult numerical ratio distances, although Japanese children shifted attention to total area at relatively smaller set sizes than U.S. children. These results add to our growing understanding of how quantity is represented and how such representation is influenced by context--both cultural and perceptual. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Forage digestibility and intake by lesser snow geese: effects of dominance and resource heterogeneity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hupp, Jerry W.; White, Robert G.; Sedinger, James S.; Robertson, Donna G.

1996-01-01

We measured forage intake, digestibility, and retention time for 11 free-ranging, human-imprinted lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) as they consumed underground stembases of tall cotton-grass (Eriophorum angustifolium) on an arctic staging area in northeastern Alaska. Geese fed in small patches (x̄=21.5 m2) of forage that made up ≤3% of the study area and consisted of high-quality “aquatic graminoid” and intermediate-quality “wet sedge” vegetation types. Dominant geese spent more time feeding in aquatic graminoid areas (r=0.61), but less total time feeding and more time resting than subdominant geese. Subdominant geese were displaced to areas of wet sedge where cotton-grass was a smaller proportion of underground biomass. Geese metabolized an average of 48% of the organic matter in stembases and there was a positive correlation between dominance and organic matter metabolizability (r=0.61). Total mean retention time of forage was 1.37 h and dry matter intake was 14.3 g/h. Snow geese that stage on the coastal plain of the Beaufort Sea likely use an extensive area because they consume a large mass of forage and exploit habitats that are patchily distributed and make up a small percentage of the landscape. Individual variation in nutrient absorption may result from agonistic interactions in an environment where resources are heterogeneously distributed.

Validation of spatiodemographic estimates produced through data fusion of small area census records and household microdata

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

Rose, Amy N.; Nagle, Nicholas N.

Techniques such as Iterative Proportional Fitting have been previously suggested as a means to generate new data with the demographic granularity of individual surveys and the spatial granularity of small area tabulations of censuses and surveys. This article explores internal and external validation approaches for synthetic, small area, household- and individual-level microdata using a case study for Bangladesh. Using data from the Bangladesh Census 2011 and the Demographic and Health Survey, we produce estimates of infant mortality rate and other household attributes for small areas using a variation of an iterative proportional fitting method called P-MEDM. We conduct an internalmore » validation to determine: whether the model accurately recreates the spatial variation of the input data, how each of the variables performed overall, and how the estimates compare to the published population totals. We conduct an external validation by comparing the estimates with indicators from the 2009 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) for Bangladesh to benchmark how well the estimates compared to a known dataset which was not used in the original model. The results indicate that the estimation process is viable for regions that are better represented in the microdata sample, but also revealed the possibility of strong overfitting in sparsely sampled sub-populations.« less

Validation of spatiodemographic estimates produced through data fusion of small area census records and household microdata

DOE PAGES

Rose, Amy N.; Nagle, Nicholas N.

2016-08-01

Techniques such as Iterative Proportional Fitting have been previously suggested as a means to generate new data with the demographic granularity of individual surveys and the spatial granularity of small area tabulations of censuses and surveys. This article explores internal and external validation approaches for synthetic, small area, household- and individual-level microdata using a case study for Bangladesh. Using data from the Bangladesh Census 2011 and the Demographic and Health Survey, we produce estimates of infant mortality rate and other household attributes for small areas using a variation of an iterative proportional fitting method called P-MEDM. We conduct an internalmore » validation to determine: whether the model accurately recreates the spatial variation of the input data, how each of the variables performed overall, and how the estimates compare to the published population totals. We conduct an external validation by comparing the estimates with indicators from the 2009 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) for Bangladesh to benchmark how well the estimates compared to a known dataset which was not used in the original model. The results indicate that the estimation process is viable for regions that are better represented in the microdata sample, but also revealed the possibility of strong overfitting in sparsely sampled sub-populations.« less

Global Burned Area and Biomass Burning Emissions from Small Fires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Randerson, J. T.; Chen, Y.; vanderWerf, G. R.; Rogers, B. M.; Morton, D. C.

2012-01-01

In several biomes, including croplands, wooded savannas, and tropical forests, many small fires occur each year that are well below the detection limit of the current generation of global burned area products derived from moderate resolution surface reflectance imagery. Although these fires often generate thermal anomalies that can be detected by satellites, their contributions to burned area and carbon fluxes have not been systematically quantified across different regions and continents. Here we developed a preliminary method for combining 1-km thermal anomalies (active fires) and 500 m burned area observations from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to estimate the influence of these fires. In our approach, we calculated the number of active fires inside and outside of 500 m burn scars derived from reflectance data. We estimated small fire burned area by computing the difference normalized burn ratio (dNBR) for these two sets of active fires and then combining these observations with other information. In a final step, we used the Global Fire Emissions Database version 3 (GFED3) biogeochemical model to estimate the impact of these fires on biomass burning emissions. We found that the spatial distribution of active fires and 500 m burned areas were in close agreement in ecosystems that experience large fires, including savannas across southern Africa and Australia and boreal forests in North America and Eurasia. In other areas, however, we observed many active fires outside of burned area perimeters. Fire radiative power was lower for this class of active fires. Small fires substantially increased burned area in several continental-scale regions, including Equatorial Asia (157%), Central America (143%), and Southeast Asia (90%) during 2001-2010. Globally, accounting for small fires increased total burned area by approximately by 35%, from 345 Mha/yr to 464 Mha/yr. A formal quantification of uncertainties was not possible, but sensitivity analyses of key model parameters caused estimates of global burned area increases from small fires to vary between 24% and 54%. Biomass burning carbon emissions increased by 35% at a global scale when small fires were included in GFED3, from 1.9 Pg C/yr to 2.5 Pg C/yr. The contribution of tropical forest fires to year-to-year variability in carbon fluxes increased because small fires amplified emissions from Central America, South America and Southeast Asia-regions where drought stress and burned area varied considerably from year to year in response to El Nino-Southern Oscillation and other climate modes.

PAH EXPOSURES OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN AND THEIR ADULT CAREGIVERS

EPA Science Inventory

The results of four small studies of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposures of preschool children in low-income families from the Piedmont area of North Carolina were combined to allow comparisons of the total exposures of the children and their adult caregivers. I...

Diversity and Impacts of Mining on the Non-Volant Small Mammal Communities of Two Vegetation Types in the Brazilian Amazon.

PubMed

Ardente, Natália Carneiro; Ferreguetti, Átilla Colombo; Gettinger, Donald; Leal, Pricila; Mendes-Oliveira, Ana Cristina; Martins-Hatano, Fernanda; Bergallo, Helena Godoy

2016-01-01

The Carajás National Forest contains some of the largest iron ore deposits in the world. The majority of the minerals are found below a plant community known as Savana Metalófila, or "Canga", which represents only 3% of the landscape within the Carajás National Forest (CNF). The aim of our study was to understand the diversity of community of non-volant small mammals in the two predominant vegetation types: Ombrophilous Forest and Canga, and to examine how mining impacts these communities. Sampling was conducted from January 2010 to August 2011 in 11 sampling sites divided by the total area of Canga and 12 sampling sites in the forest, totalizing 23 sites. Of these, 12 sites (Canga and Forest) were considered impacted areas located close to the mine (< 900 meters) and 11 sites (Canga and Forest), serving as controls, which were at least 7,000 meters from the mine. We recorded 28 species, 11 from the Order Didelphimorphia and 17 from the Order Rodentia. The two forest types shared 68.42% of the species found in the CNF. A gradient analysis (Non-metric multidimensional scaling) revealed that the first axis clearly separated the non-flying small mammal communities by vegetation type. Occupancy models showed that the detectability of species was affected by the distance from the mining activities. Of all the small mammals analyzed, 10 species were positively affected by the distance from mining in areas impacted (e.g. more likely to be detected farther from mining areas) and detectability was lower in impacted areas. However, three species were negatively affected by the distance from mining, with higher detectability in the impacted areas, and seven species showed no effect of their proximity to mining operations. To date, there are no studies in Brazil about the impact of mining on mammals or other vertebrates. This study reveals that the effect of mining may go beyond the forest destruction caused by the opening of the mining pits, but also may negatively affect sensitive wildlife species.

Diversity and Impacts of Mining on the Non-Volant Small Mammal Communities of Two Vegetation Types in the Brazilian Amazon

PubMed Central

Ardente, Natália Carneiro; Ferreguetti, Átilla Colombo; Gettinger, Donald; Leal, Pricila; Mendes-Oliveira, Ana Cristina; Martins-Hatano, Fernanda; Bergallo, Helena Godoy

2016-01-01

The Carajás National Forest contains some of the largest iron ore deposits in the world. The majority of the minerals are found below a plant community known as Savana Metalófila, or “Canga”, which represents only 3% of the landscape within the Carajás National Forest (CNF). The aim of our study was to understand the diversity of community of non-volant small mammals in the two predominant vegetation types: Ombrophilous Forest and Canga, and to examine how mining impacts these communities. Sampling was conducted from January 2010 to August 2011 in 11 sampling sites divided by the total area of Canga and 12 sampling sites in the forest, totalizing 23 sites. Of these, 12 sites (Canga and Forest) were considered impacted areas located close to the mine (<< 900 meters) and 11 sites (Canga and Forest), serving as controls, which were at least 7,000 meters from the mine. We recorded 28 species, 11 from the Order Didelphimorphia and 17 from the Order Rodentia. The two forest types shared 68.42% of the species found in the CNF. A gradient analysis (Non-metric multidimensional scaling) revealed that the first axis clearly separated the non-flying small mammal communities by vegetation type. Occupancy models showed that the detectability of species was affected by the distance from the mining activities. Of all the small mammals analyzed, 10 species were positively affected by the distance from mining in areas impacted (e.g. more likely to be detected farther from mining areas) and detectability was lower in impacted areas. However, three species were negatively affected by the distance from mining, with higher detectability in the impacted areas, and seven species showed no effect of their proximity to mining operations. To date, there are no studies in Brazil about the impact of mining on mammals or other vertebrates. This study reveals that the effect of mining may go beyond the forest destruction caused by the opening of the mining pits, but also may negatively affect sensitive wildlife species. PMID:27893798

Small farmers and deforestation in Amazonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brondízio, Eduardo S.; Cak, Anthony; Caldas, Marcellus M.; Mena, Carlos; Bilsborrow, Richard; Futemma, Celia T.; Ludewigs, Thomas; Moran, Emilio F.; Batistella, Mateus

This chapter discusses the relationship between small farmers' land use and deforestation, with particular attention paid to the past 30 years of Amazonian colonization in Brazil and Ecuador. Our analysis calls attention to common features uniting different social groups as small farmers (e.g., social identity, access to land and resources, technology, market, and credit), as well as the variability between small farmers in terms of time in the region (from native populations to recent colonists), contribution to regional deforestation, types of land use systems. At a regional level, small farmers contribute to the majority of deforestation events, but are responsible for only a fraction of the total deforested area in Amazonia. We discuss three misconceptions that have been used to define small farmers and their contribution to the regional economy, development, and deforestation: (1) small farmers have backward land use systems associated with low productivity and extensive deforestation and subsistence production, (2) small farmers contribute to Amazonian deforestation as much as large farmers, and (3) small farmers, particularly colonist farmers, follow an inexorable path of deforestation unless curbed by government action. We conclude the chapter discussing their growing regional importance and the need for more inclusive public policies concerning infrastructure and services and valorization of resources produced in rural areas of Amazonia.

Mass or total surface area with aerosol size distribution as exposure metrics for inflammatory, cytotoxic and oxidative lung responses in rats exposed to titanium dioxide nanoparticles.

PubMed

Noël, A; Truchon, G; Cloutier, Y; Charbonneau, M; Maghni, K; Tardif, R

2017-04-01

There is currently no consensus on the best exposure metric(s) for expressing nanoparticle (NP) dose. Although surface area has been extensively studied for inflammatory responses, it has not been as thoroughly validated for cytotoxicity or oxidative stress effects. Since inhaled NPs deposit and interact with lung cells based on agglomerate size, we hypothesize that mass concentration combined with aerosol size distribution is suitable for NP risk assessment. The objective of this study was to evaluate different exposure metrics for inhaled 5 nm titanium dioxide aerosols composed of small (SA < 100 nm) or large (LA > 100 nm) agglomerates at 2, 7, and 20 mg/m 3 on rat lung inflammatory, cytotoxicity, and oxidative stress responses. We found a significant positive correlation ( r = 0.98, p < 0.01) with the inflammatory reaction, measured by the number of neutrophils and the mass concentration when considering all six (SA + LA) aerosols. This correlation was similar ( r = 0.87) for total surface area. Regarding cytotoxicity and oxidative stress responses, measured by lactate dehydrogenase and 8-isoprostane, respectively, and mass or total surface area as an exposure metric, we observed significant positive correlations only with SA aerosols for both the mass concentration and size distribution ( r > 0.91, p < 0.01), as well as for the total surface area ( r > 0.97, p < 0.01). These data show that mass or total surface area concentrations alone are insufficient to adequately predict oxidant and cytotoxic pulmonary effects. Overall, our study indicates that considering NP size distribution along with mass or total surface area concentrations contributes to a more mechanistic discrimination of pulmonary responses to NP exposure.

Red River of the North, Reconnaissance Report: Wild Rice River.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-01

2 lists the waste treatment facilities and needs of fifteen coumnities within the subbasin. Hydropower There are three dams located on the Wild Rice...potential hydroelectric sites. The dams were built primarily for flood control purposes and are classified as small-scale facilities. The main obstacles...drain a combined total area of 2,233 square miles. Several small low-water dams and a few larger impoundments have been constructed on the river and its

Scaling of angiosperm xylem structure with safety and efficiency.

PubMed

Hacke, Uwe G; Sperry, John S; Wheeler, James K; Castro, Laura

2006-06-01

We tested the hypothesis that greater cavitation resistance correlates with less total inter-vessel pit area per vessel (the pit area hypothesis) and evaluated a trade-off between cavitation safety and transport efficiency. Fourteen species of diverse growth form (vine, ring- and diffuse-porous tree, shrub) and family affinity were added to published data predominately from the Rosaceae (29 species total). Two types of vulnerability-to-cavitation curves were found. Ring-porous trees and vines showed an abrupt drop in hydraulic conductivity with increasing negative pressure, whereas hydraulic conductivity in diffuse-porous species generally decreased gradually. The ring-porous type curve was not an artifact of the centrifuge method because it was obtained also with the air-injection technique. A safety versus efficiency trade-off was evident when curves were compared across species: for a given pressure, there was a limited range of optimal vulnerability curves. The pit area hypothesis was supported by a strong relationship (r2 = 0.77) between increasing cavitation resistance and diminishing pit membrane area per vessel (A(P)). Small A(P) was associated with small vessel surface area and hence narrow vessel diameter (D) and short vessel length (L)--consistent with an increase in vessel flow resistance with cavitation resistance. This trade-off was amplified at the tissue level by an increase in xylem/vessel area ratio with cavitation resistance. Ring-porous species were more efficient than diffuse-porous species on a vessel basis but not on a xylem basis owing to higher xylem/vessel area ratios in ring-porous anatomy. Across four orders of magnitude, lumen and end-wall resistivities maintained a relatively tight proportionality with a near-optimal mean of 56% of the total vessel resistivity residing in the end-wall. This was consistent with an underlying scaling of L to D(3/2) across species. Pit flow resistance did not increase with cavitation safety, suggesting that cavitation pressure was not related to mean pit membrane porosity.

Postbreeding dispersal and drift-net mortality of endangered Japanese Murrelets

USGS Publications Warehouse

Piatt, John F.; Gould, Patrick J.

1994-01-01

The incidental catch of seabirds in high-seas drift nets was recorded in 1990-1991 by scientific observers on commercial squid and large-mesh fishery vessels operating in the North Pacific Transitional Zone. Twenty-six Synthliboramphus murrelet deaths were recorded in the months of August through December. All but one were from the Korean squid fishery in a small area bounded by 38°-44°N and 142°-157°E. Five specimens of the dead birds were collected and later identified as Japanese Murrelets (S. wumizusume). As fishing effort was widely distributed over a large area east of Japan, these data suggest that postbreeding Japanese Murrelets migrate north to winter in a relatively small area southeast of Hokkaido, where persistent eddies form at the confluence of the Oyashio and Kuroshio currents. Fronts between cold Oyashio water and Kuroshio warm-core eddies promote the aggregation of zooplankton and pelagic fishes, which in turn may attract murrelets during the nonbreeding season. The estimated total mortality of Japanese Murrelets in high-seas drift-net fisheries represents a significant proportion of the total world population of this rare and endangered species.

Object strength--an accurate measure for small objects that is insensitive to partial volume effects.

PubMed

Tofts, P S; Silver, N C; Barker, G J; Gass, A

2005-07-01

There are currently four problems in characterising small nonuniform lesions or other objects in Magnetic Resonance images where partial volume effects are significant. Object size is over- or under-estimated; boundaries are often not reproducible; mean object value cannot be measured; and fuzzy borders cannot be accommodated. A new measure, Object Strength, is proposed. This is the sum of all abnormal intensities, above a uniform background value. For a uniform object, this is simply the product of the increase in intensity and the size of the object. Biologically, this could be at least as relevant as existing measures of size or mean intensity. We hypothesise that Object Strength will perform better than traditional area measurements in characterising small objects. In a pilot study, the reproducibility of object strength measurements was investigated using MR images of small multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions. In addition, accuracy was investigated using artificial lesions of known volume (0.3-6.2 ml) and realistic appearance. Reproducibility approached that of area measurements (in 33/90 lesion reports the difference between repeats was less than for area measurements). Total lesion volume was accurate to 0.2%. In conclusion, Object Strength has potential for improved characterisation of small lesions and objects in imaging and possibly spectroscopy.

Sand deposition in the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon from flooding of the Little Colorado River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wiele, S.M.; Graf, J.B.; Smith, J.D.

1996-01-01

Methods for computing the volume of sand deposited in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park by floods in major tributaries and for determining redistribution of that sand by main-channel flows are required for successful management of sand-dependent riparian resources. We have derived flow, sediment transport, and bed evolution models based on a gridded topography developed from measured channel topography and used these models to compute deposition in a short reach of the river just downstream from the Little Colorado River, the largest tributary in the park. Model computations of deposition from a Little Colorado River flood in January 1993 were compared to bed changes measured at 15 cross sections. The total difference between changes in cross-sectional area due to deposition computed by the model and the measured changes was 6%. A wide reach with large areas of recirculating flow and large depressions in the main channel accumulated the most sand, whereas a reach with similar planimetric area but a long, narrow shape and relatively small areas of recirculating flow and small depressions in the main channel accumulated only about a seventh as much sand. About 32% of the total deposition was in recirculation zones, 65% was in the main channel, and 3% was deposited along the channel margin away from the recirculation zone. Overall, about 15% of the total input of sand from this Little Colorado River flood was deposited in the first 3 km below the confluence, suggesting that deposition of the flood-derived material extended for only several tens of kilometers downstream from the confluence.

Employment in Appalachia: Trends and Prospects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuller, Theodore E.

The manufacturing industry's areal and structural growth trends were analyzed for insights into their possible future role in Appalachia's economy. Between 1950 and 1960, total manufacturing employment expanded in large-, medium-, and small-center population areas, in rates inverse to center size. However, absolute gains in employment were…

Ringling School of Art and Design Builds a CASTLE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morse, Yvonne; Davis, Wendy

1984-01-01

Describes the development and installation of the Computer Automated Software for the Total Library Environment System (CASTLE), which uses a microcomputer to automate operations of small academic library in six main areas: circulation, online catalog, inventory and file maintenance, audiovisual equipment, accounting, and information and…

POSTERIOR PREDICTIVE MODEL CHECKS FOR DISEASE MAPPING MODELS. (R827257)

EPA Science Inventory

Disease incidence or disease mortality rates for small areas are often displayed on maps. Maps of raw rates, disease counts divided by the total population at risk, have been criticized as unreliable due to non-constant variance associated with heterogeneity in base population si...

Carbon Sequestration in Wetland Soils of the Northern Gulf of Mexico Coastal Region

EPA Science Inventory

Coastal wetlands play an important but complex role in the global carbon cycle, contributing to the ecosystem service of greenhouse gas regulation through carbon sequestration. Although coastal wetlands occupy a small percent of the total US land area, their potential for carbon...

Dust exposure during small-scale mining in Tanzania: a pilot study.

PubMed

Bratveit, Magne; Moen, Bente E; Mashalla, Yohana J S; Maalim, Hatua

2003-04-01

Small-scale mining in developing countries is generally labour-intensive and carried out with low levels of mechanization. In the Mererani area in the northern part of Tanzania, there are about 15000 underground miners who are constantly subjected to a poor working environment. Gemstones are found at depths down to 500 m. The objectives of this pilot study were to monitor the exposure to dust during work processes, which are typical of small-scale mining in developing countries, and to make a rough estimation of whether there is a risk of chronic pulmonary diseases for the workers. Personal sampling of respirable dust (n = 15) and 'total' dust (n = 5) was carried out during three consecutive days in one mine, which had a total of 50 workers in two shifts. Sampling started immediately before the miners entered the shaft, and lasted until they reappeared at the mine entrance after 5-8 h. The median crystalline silica content and the combustible content of the respirable dust samples were 14.2 and 5.5%, respectively. When drilling, blasting and shovelling were carried out, the exposure measurements showed high median levels of respirable dust (15.5 mg/m(3)), respirable crystalline silica (2.4 mg/m(3)), respirable combustible dust (1.5 mg/m(3)) and 'total' dust (28.4 mg/m(3)). When only shovelling and loading of sacks took place, the median exposures to respirable dust and respirable crystalline silica were 4.3 and 1.1 mg/m(3). This study shows that the exposure to respirable crystalline silica was high during underground small-scale mining. In the absence of personal protective equipment, the miners in the Mererani area are presumably at a high risk of developing chronic silicosis.

Compatible above-ground biomass equations and carbon stock estimation for small diameter Turkish pine (Pinus brutia Ten.).

PubMed

Sakici, Oytun Emre; Kucuk, Omer; Ashraf, Muhammad Irfan

2018-04-15

Small trees and saplings are important for forest management, carbon stock estimation, ecological modeling, and fire management planning. Turkish pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) is a common coniferous species and comprises 25.1% of total forest area of Turkey. Turkish pine is also important due to its flammable fuel characteristics. In this study, compatible above-ground biomass equations were developed to predict needle, branch, stem wood, and above-ground total biomass, and carbon stock assessment was also described for Turkish pine which is smaller than 8 cm diameter at breast height or shorter than breast height. Compatible biomass equations are useful for biomass prediction of small diameter individuals of Turkish pine. These equations will also be helpful in determining fire behavior characteristics and calculating their carbon stock. Overall, present study will be useful for developing ecological models, forest management plans, silvicultural plans, and fire management plans.

Synthesis of underreported small-scale fisheries catch in Pacific island waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeller, D.; Harper, S.; Zylich, K.; Pauly, D.

2015-03-01

We synthesize fisheries catch reconstruction studies for 25 Pacific island countries, states and territories, which compare estimates of total domestic catches with officially reported catch data. We exclude data for the large-scale tuna fleets, which have largely foreign beneficial ownership, even when flying Pacific flags. However, we recognize the considerable financial contributions derived from foreign access or charter fees for Pacific host countries. The reconstructions for the 25 entities from 1950 to 2010 suggested that total domestic catches were 2.5 times the data reported to FAO. This discrepancy was largest in early periods (1950: 6.4 times), while for 2010, total catches were 1.7 times the reported data. There was a significant difference in trend between reported and reconstructed catches since 2000, with reconstructed catches declining strongly since their peak in 2000. Total catches increased from 110,000 t yr-1 in 1950 (of which 17,400 t were reported) to a peak of over 250,000 t yr-1 in 2000, before declining to around 200,000 t yr-1 by 2010. This decrease is driven by a declining artisanal (small-scale commercial) catch, which was not compensated for by increasing domestic industrial (large-scale commercial) catches. The artisanal fisheries appear to be declining from a peak of 97,000 t yr-1 in 1992 to less than 50,000 t yr-1 by 2010. However, total catches were dominated by subsistence (small-scale, non-commercial) fisheries, which accounted for 69 % of total catches, with the majority missing from the reported data. Artisanal catches accounted for 22 %, while truly domestic industrial fisheries accounted for only 6 % of total catches. The smallest component is the recreational (small-scale, non-commercial and largely for leisure) sector (2 %), which, although small in catch, is likely of economic importance in some areas due to its direct link to tourism income.

Big River Reservoir Project. Pawcatuck River and Narragansett Bay Drainage Basins. Water and Related Land Resources Study. Volume I. Main Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-07-01

blueberry , beech, laurel, wintergreen and scrub oak. Wetland types found in the study area include wooded and shrub swamps, deep and shallow marshes, and...temporary I Impacts io reservoir area, c) Les disruption in reservoir vicinity due to more negative Impacts in areas of pipeline river m02"t...19.7 miles of stream habitat (54.5% of the 36.2 nfiles in the big River Basin) Lnd at least IO small ponds totalling about 45 acres would be inundated

Small mammal-heavy metal concentrations from mined and control sites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, G.J.; Rongstad, O.J.

1982-01-01

Total body concentrations of zinc, copper, cadmium, lead, nickel, mercury and arsenic were determined for Peromyscus maniculatus and Microtus pennsylvanicus from an active zinc-copper mine near Timmins, Ontario, Canada, and a proposed zinc-copper mine near Crandon, Wisconsin, USA. Metal concentrations were evaluated with respect to area, species, sex and age groups. Metal concentrations in Peromyscus from the proposed mine site were not different from those collected in a third area where no mine or deposit exists. This is probably due to the 30 m of glacial material over the proposed mine site deposit. A statistical interaction between area, species, sex and age was observed for zinc and copper concentrations in small mammals we examined. Peromyscus from the mine site had consistently higher metal concentrations than Peromyscus from the control site. Greater total body cadmium and lead concentrations in adult?compared with juvenile?Peromyscus collected at the mine site suggests age-dependent accumulation of these toxic metals. Microtus did not exhibit this age-related response, and responded to other environmental metals more erratically and to a lesser degree. Differences in the response of these two species to environmental metal exposure may be due to differences in food habits. Nickel, mercury and arsenic concentrations in small mammals from the mine site were not different from controls. Heavy metal concentrations are also presented for Sorex cinereus, Blarina brevicauda and Zapus hudsonicus without respect to age and sex cohorts. Peromyscus may be a potentially important species for the monitoring of heavy metal pollution.

Rainfall-runoff data from small watersheds in Colorado, October 1974 through September 1977

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cochran, Betty J.; Hodges, H.E.; Livingston, R.K.; Jarret, R.D.

1979-01-01

Rainfall-runoff data from small watersheds in Colorado are being collected and analyzed for the purpose of defining the flood characteristics of these and other similar areas. Data collected from October 1974 through September 1977 at a total of 18 urban stations, 10 Denver Federal Center stations, and 48 rural (or highway) stations are tabulated at 5-minute time intervals. Additional information presented includes station descriptions and methods of data collection and analysis. (Kosco-USGS)

Summary of surface-water-quality data collected for the Northern Rockies Intermontane Basins National Water-Quality Assessment Program in the Clark Fork-Pend Oreille and Spokane River basins, Montana, Idaho, and Washington, water years 1999-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beckwith, Michael A.

2003-01-01

Water-quality samples were collected at 10 sites in the Clark Fork-Pend Oreille and Spokane River Basins in water years 1999 – 2001 as part of the Northern Rockies Intermontane Basins (NROK) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Sampling sites were located in varied environments ranging from small streams and rivers in forested, mountainous headwater areas to large rivers draining diverse landscapes. Two sampling sites were located immediately downstream from the large lakes; five sites were located downstream from large-scale historical mining and oreprocessing areas, which are now the two largest “Superfund” (environmental remediation) sites in the Nation. Samples were collected during a wide range of streamflow conditions, more frequently during increasing and high streamflow and less frequently during receding and base-flow conditions. Sample analyses emphasized major ions, nutrients, and selected trace elements. Streamflow during the study ranged from more than 130 percent of the long-term average in 1999 at some sites to 40 percent of the long-term average in 2001. River and stream water in the study area exhibited small values for specific conductance, hardness, alkalinity, and dissolved solids. Dissolved oxygen concentrations in almost all samples were near saturation. Median total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations in samples from most sites were smaller than median concentrations reported for many national programs and other NAWQA Program study areas. The only exceptions were two sites downstream from large wastewater-treatment facilities, where median concentrations of total nitrogen exceeded the national median. Maximum concentrations of total phosphorus in samples from six sites exceeded the 0.1 milligram per liter threshold recommended for limiting nuisance aquatic growth. Concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, and zinc were largest in samples from sites downstream from historical mining and ore-processing areas in the upper Clark Fork in Montana and the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River in Idaho. Concentrations of dissolved lead in all 32 samples from the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River exceeded the Idaho chronic criterion for the protection of aquatic life at the median hardness level measured during the study. Concentrations of dissolved zinc in all samples collected at this site exceeded both the chronic and acute criteria at all hardness levels measured. When all data from all NROK sites were combined, median concentrations of dissolved arsenic, dissolved and total recoverable copper, total recoverable lead, and total recoverable zinc in the NROK study area appeared to be similar to or slightly smaller than median concentrations at sites in other NAWQA Program study areas in the Western United States affected by historical mining activities. Although the NROK median total recoverable lead concentration was the smallest among the three Western study areas compared, concentrations in several NROK samples were an order of magnitude larger than the maximum concentrations measured in the Upper Colorado River and Great Salt Lake Basins. Dissolved cadmium, dissolved lead, and total recoverable zinc concentrations at NROK sites were more variable than in the other study areas; concentrations ranged over almost three orders of magnitude between minimum and maximum values; the range of dissolved zinc concentrations in the NROK study area exceeded three orders of magnitude.

Picturing the Natural Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Phyllis Scott

2011-01-01

Around Scout Island Education Center, a site used by schools in Fresno County to explore the area's natural environment, a total of 200 cylinder-shaped concrete stools display tiles representing small mammals, flying insects, birds, wildflowers, and more. Twenty sets have been created by elementary, middle, and high-school art students as part of…

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in soils, sediments, and human hair in a plastic waste recycling area: a neglected heavily polluted area.

PubMed

Tang, Zhenwu; Huang, Qifei; Cheng, Jiali; Yang, Yufei; Yang, Jun; Guo, Wei; Nie, Zhiqiang; Zeng, Ning; Jin, Lu

2014-01-01

The release of pollutants during the recycling of contaminated plastics is a problem which has drawn worldwide attention; however, little information on the transfer of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in these processes is available. We conducted a survey of PBDEs in soils, sediments, and human hair in a typical plastic waste recycling area in northern China. The total concentrations (ng/g) of 21 PBDEs were 1.25-5504 (average 600), 18.2-9889 (average 1619), and 1.50-861 (average 112) in soils, sediments, and hair, respectively. The PBDE concentrations were comparable to concentrations observed in e-waste recycling areas; however, the concentrations in soils and sediments were 1-3 orders of magnitude higher than in other areas, and the concentrations in hair were much higher than in other areas. This indicates that this area is highly polluted with PBDEs. BDE-209 was the dominant congener (representing 91.23%, 92.3%, and 91.5% of the total PBDEs observed in soils, sediments, and hair, respectively), indicating that the commercial deca-BDE product was dominant. The commercial penta- and octa-BDE products made small contributions to the total PBDE concentrations, unlike what has been found in some e-waste recycling areas. Our results show that crude plastic waste processing is a major contributor of PBDEs to the environment and humans, which should be of great concern.

The Effects Of Urban Landscape Patterns On Rainfall-Runoff Processes At Small Scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, L.

2016-12-01

Many studies have indicated that urban landscape change may alter rainfall-runoff processes. However, how urban landscape pattern affect this process is little addressed. In this study, the hydrological effects of landscape pattern on rainfall-runoff processes at small-scale was explored. Twelve residential blocks with independent drainage systems in Beijing were selected as case study areas. Impervious metrics of these blocks, i.e., total impervious area (TIA) and directly connected impervious area (DCIA), were identified. A drainage index describing catchment general drainage load and the overland flow distance, Ad, was estimated and used as one of the landscape spatial metrics. Three scenarios were designed to test the potential influence of impervious surface pattern on runoff processes. Runoff variables including total and peak runoff depth (Qt and Qp) were simulated under different rainfall conditions by Storm Water Management Model (SWMM). The relationship between landscape patterns and runoff variables were analyzed, and further among the three scenarios. The results demonstrated that, in small urban blocks, spatial patterns have inherent influences on rainfall-runoff processes. Specifically, (1) Imperviousness acts as effective indicators in predicting both Qt and Qp. As rainfall intensity increases, the major affecting factor changes from DCIA to TIA for both Qt and Qp; (2) Increasing the size of drainage area dominated by each drainage inlet will benefit the block peak flow mitigation; (3) Different spatial concentrations of impervious surfaces have inherent influences on Qp, when impervious surfaces located away from the outlet can reduce the peak flow discharge. These findings may provide insights into the role of urban landscape patterns in driving rainfall-runoff responses in urbanization, which is essential for urban planning and stormwater management.

The impact of buffer strips and stream-side grazing on small mammals in southwestern Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chapman, Erik W.; Ribic, C.A.

2002-01-01

The practice of continuously grazing cattle along streams has caused extensive degradation of riparian habitats. Buffer strips and managed intensive rotational grazing (MIRG) have been proposed to protect and restore stream ecosystems in Wisconsin. However, the ecological implications of a switch from traditional livestock management to MIRG or buffer strip establishment have not been investigated. Differences in small mammal communities associated with riparian areas on continuously grazed and MIRG pastures, as well as vegetative buffer strips adjacent to row crops, were investigated in southwestern Wisconsin during May-September 1997 and 1998. More species (mean of 6-7) were found on the buffer sites than on the pasture sites (mean of 2-5). Total small mammal abundance on buffer sites was greater than on the pastures as well: there were 3-5 times as many animals on the buffer sites compared to the pasture sites, depending on year. There were no differences in species richness or total abundance between MIRG and continuously grazed pastures in either year. Total small mammal abundance was greater near the stream than away from the stream, regardless of farm management practice but there were no differences in species richness. Buffer strips appear to support a particularly rich and abundant small mammal community. Although results did not detect a difference in small mammal use between pasture types, farm-wide implications of a conversion from continuous to MIRG styles of grazing may benefit small mammals indirectly by causing an increase in the prevalence of pasture in the agricultural landscape.

Fate and Transport of Tungsten at Camp Edwards Small Arms Ranges

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-08-01

area into the lower berm and/or trough. A similar approach was used in the lower berm area with samples collected from soil sloughing from the...bucket au- ger to collect samples beneath the bullet pockets and the trough. A multi - increment, subsurface soil sample was made by combining the...range. From these soil profiles, a total of 72 multi -increment subsurface soil sam- ples was collected (Table 2). The auger was cleaned between holes

The regional abundance and size distribution of lakes and reservoirs in the United States and implication for estimates of global lake extent

USGS Publications Warehouse

McDonald, Cory P.; Rover, Jennifer; Stets, Edward G.; Striegl, Robert G.

2012-01-01

We analyzed complete geospatial data for the 3.5 million lakes and reservoirs larger than 0.001 km2, with a combined surface area of 131,000 km2, in the contiguous United States (excluding the Laurentian Great Lakes) and identified their regional distribution characteristics. For Alaska, we also analyzed (1) incomplete data that suggest that the state contains 1–2.5 million lakes larger than 0.001 km2 covering over 50,000 km2 and (2) localized high-resolution (5 m) data that suggest that the number of very small water bodies (< 0.001 km2) may be comparable with the number of lakes > 0.001 km2 in some areas. The Pareto distribution cannot accurately describe the lake abundance-size relationship across the entire size spectrum, and extrapolation of this density function to small size classes has likely resulted in the overestimation of the number of small lakes in the world. While small water bodies dominate in terms of numbers, they are not numerous enough to dominate in terms of surface area, as has been previously suggested. Extending our results to the global scale suggests that there are on the order of 64 million water bodies larger than 0.001 km2 in the world, with a total surface area of approximately 3.8 million km2.

First molecular survey of Anaplasma bovis in small ruminants from Tunisia.

PubMed

Ben Said, Mourad; Belkahia, Hanène; Karaoud, Maroua; Bousrih, Maha; Yahiaoui, Mouna; Daaloul-Jedidi, Monia; Messadi, Lilia

2015-09-30

To date, no information is available regarding the presence of Anaplasma bovis in the South Mediterranean area. In this study, prevalence, risk factors, and genetic diversity of A. bovis were assessed in small ruminants. A total of 563 healthy small ruminants (260 sheep and 303 goats), from 25 randomly selected flocks located in 5 localities from two bioclimatic areas in Tunisia, were investigated for the detection of A. bovis in blood by nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) assay. The overall infection rates of A. bovis were 42.7 and 23.8% in sheep and goats, respectively. Goats located in a sub-humid area were statistically more infected than those located in a humid area. A. bovis prevalence rate varied significantly according to sheep and goat flocks, and to the sheep breed. Infection with A. bovis was validated by sequencing. Sequence analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene showed that A. bovis from Tunisian goats and sheep clustered with other strain sequences detected from wild and domestic animals and published in GenBank. This study gives the first insight of presence of A. bovis DNA in small ruminants in Tunisia and suggests that these animal species may be playing an important role in the bovine anaplasmosis natural cycle caused by A. bovis in the South Mediterranean ecosystem. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mammal Inventory of the Mojave Network Parks-Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Manzanar National Historic Site, and Mojave National Preserve

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drost, Charles A.; Hart, Jan

2008-01-01

This report describes the results of a mammal inventory study of National Park Service units in the Mojave Desert Network, including Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Manzanar National Historic Site, and Mojave National Preserve. Fieldwork for the inventory focused on small mammals, primarily rodents and bats. Fieldwork for terrestrial small mammals used trapping with Sherman and Tomahawk small- and medium-sized mammal traps, along with visual surveys for diurnal species. The majority of sampling for terrestrial small mammals was carried out in 2002 and 2003. Methods used in field surveys for bats included mist-netting at tanks and other water bodies, along with acoustic surveys using Anabat. Most of the bat survey work was conducted in 2003. Because of extremely dry conditions in the first two survey years (and associated low mammal numbers), we extended field sampling into 2004, following a relatively wet winter. In addition to field sampling, we also reviewed, evaluated, and summarized museum and literature records of mammal species for all of the Park units. We documented a total of 59 mammal species as present at Death Valley National Park, with an additional five species that we consider of probable occurrence. At Joshua Tree, we also documented 50 species, and an additional four 'probable' species. At Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 57 mammal species have been positively documented, with 10 additional probable species. Manzanar National Historic Site had not been previously surveyed. We documented 19 mammal species at Manzanar, with an additional 11 probable species. Mojave National Preserve had not had a comprehensive list previously, either. There are now a total of 50 mammal species documented at Mojave, with three additional probable species. Of these totals, 23 occurrences are new at individual park units (positively documented for the first time), with most of these being at Manzanar. Noteworthy additions include western mastiff bat at Joshua Tree, house mouse at a number of wildland sites at Lake Mead, and San Diego pocket mouse at Mojave National Preserve. There are also species that have been lost from the Mojave Network parks. We discuss remaining questions, including the possible occurrence of additional species at each park area (most of these are marginal species whose distributional range may or may not edge into the boundaries of the area). Taxonomic changes are also discussed, along with potential erroneous species records.

Range-wide network of priority areas for greater sage-grouse - a design for conserving connected distributions or isolating individual zoos?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crist, Michele R.; Knick, Steven T.; Hanser, Steven E.

2015-09-08

The network of areas delineated in 11 Western States for prioritizing management of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) represents a grand experiment in conservation biology and reserve design. We used centrality metrics from social network theory to gain insights into how this priority area network might function. The network was highly centralized. Twenty of 188 priority areas accounted for 80 percent of the total centrality scores. These priority areas, characterized by large size and a central location in the range-wide distribution, are strongholds for greater sage-grouse populations and also might function as sources. Mid-ranking priority areas may serve as stepping stones because of their location between large central and smaller peripheral priority areas. The current network design and conservation strategy has risks. The contribution of almost one-half (n = 93) of the priority areas combined for less than 1 percent of the cumulative centrality scores for the network. These priority areas individually are likely too small to support viable sage-grouse populations within their boundary. Without habitat corridors to connect small priority areas either to larger priority areas or as a clustered group within the network, their isolation could lead to loss of sage-grouse within these regions of the network. 

Pluton emplacement and magmatic arc construction: A model from the Patagonian batholith

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bruce, Robert; Nelson, Eric; Weaver, Stephen

1988-01-01

A model of batholithic construction in Andean arcs and its applicability to possibly similar environments in the past is described. Age and compositional data from the Patagonian batholith of southern Chile show a long history of magmatism in any given area (total age range is 15 to 157 Ma), but different regions appear to have different magmatic starting ages. Furthermore, mafic rocks seem to be the oldest components of any given region. An assembly line model involving semicontinuous magmatism and uplift was outlined, which has implications for other terranes: uplift rates will be proportional to observed ranges in age, and total uplift will be proportional to the age of the oldest pluton in any given area. It is suggested that misleading results would be obtained if only small areas of similar terranes in the Archean were available for study.

Using aerial photography to estimate wood suitable for charcoal in managed oak forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramírez-Mejía, D.; Gómez-Tagle, A.; Ghilardi, A.

2018-02-01

Mexican oak forests (genus Quercus) are frequently used for traditional charcoal production. Appropriate management programs are needed to ensure their long-term use, while conserving the biodiversity and ecosystem services, and associated benefits. A key variable needed to design these programs is the spatial distribution of standing woody biomass. A state-of-the-art methodology using small format aerial photographs was developed to estimate the total aboveground biomass (AGB) and aboveground woody biomass suitable for charcoal making (WSC) in intensively managed oak forests. We used tree crown area (CAap) measurements from very high-resolution (30 cm) orthorectified small format digital aerial photographs as the predictive variable. The CAap accuracy was validated using field measurements of the crown area (CAf). Allometric relationships between: (a) CAap versus AGB, and (b) CAap versus WSC had a high significance level (R 2 > 0.91, p < 0.0001). This approach shows that it is possible to obtain sound biomass estimates as a function of the crown area derived from digital small format aerial photographs.

Assessment of the role of small mammals in the transmission cycle of tegumentary leishmaniasis and first report of natural infection with Leishmania braziliensis in two sigmodontines in northeastern Argentina.

PubMed

Fernández, María S; Fraschina, Jimena; Acardi, Soraya; Liotta, Domingo J; Lestani, Eduardo; Giuliani, Magalí; Busch, María; Salomón, O Daniel

2018-02-01

To contribute to the knowledge of the role of small mammals in the transmission cycle of tegumentary leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania braziliensis, we studied the small mammal community and its temporal and spatial association with phlebotominae, as well as small mammal infection by Leishmania spp. by PCR-RFLP analyses in an endemic area of northeastern Argentina. Ten small mammal samplings were conducted (2007-2009, 7506 Sherman trap nights and 422 cage trap nights). In two of these samplings, 16 capture stations each one consisting of a CDC light trap to capture phlebotominae, two to four Sherman traps and two cage traps were placed. We found co-occurrence of phlebotominae and small mammal captures in four stations, which were all the stations with small mammal captures and yielded 97% (2295 specimens, including 21 gravid females) of the total phlebotominae captures, suggesting that small mammals may provide a potential source of blood for phlebotominae females. One Didelphis albiventris and two Rattus rattus were associated with high captures of Nyssomyia whitmani, vector of L. braziliensis in the study area. The PCR-RFLP analyses confirm the presence of L. braziliensis in two sigmodontine small mammals (Akodon sp. and Euryoryzomys russatus) for the first time in Argentina, to our knowledge.

Measuring total mercury due to small-scale gold mining activities to determine community vulnerability in Cihonje, Central Java, Indonesia.

PubMed

Sari, Mega M; Inoue, Takanobu; Matsumoto, Yoshitaka; Yokota, Kuriko

2016-01-01

This research is comparative study of gold mining and non-gold mining areas, using four community vulnerability indicators. Vulnerability indicators are exposure degree, contamination rate, chronic, and acute toxicity. Each indicator used different samples, such as wastewater from gold mining process, river water from Tajum river, human hair samples, and health questionnaire. This research used cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry to determine total mercury concentration. The result showed that concentration of total mercury was 2,420 times than the maximum content of mercury permitted in wastewater based on the Indonesian regulation. Moreover, the mercury concentration in river water reached 685 ng/l, exceeding the quality threshold standards of the World Health Organization (WHO). The mercury concentration in hair samples obtained from the people living in the research location was considered to identify the health quality level of the people or as a chronic toxicity indicator. The highest mercury concentration--i.e. 17 ng/mg, was found in the gold mining respondents. Therefore, based on the total mercury concentration in the four indicators, the community in the gold mining area were more vulnerable to mercury than communities in non-gold mining areas. It was concluded that the community in gold mining area was more vulnerable to mercury contamination than the community in non-gold mining area.

Partitioning CloudSat Ice Water Content for Comparison with Upper-Tropospheric Ice in Global Atmospheric Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, W. A.; Woods, C. P.; Li, J. F.; Waliser, D. E.; Chern, J.; Tao, W.; Jiang, J. H.; Tompkins, A. M.

2010-12-01

CloudSat provides important estimates of vertically resolved ice water content (IWC) on a global scale based on radar reflectivity. These estimates of IWC have proven beneficial in evaluating the representations of ice clouds in global models. An issue when performing model-data comparisons of IWC particularly germane to this investigation, is the question of which component(s) of the frozen water mass are represented by retrieval estimates and how they relate to what is represented in models. The present study developed and applied a new technique to partition CloudSat total IWC into small and large ice hydrometeors, based on the CloudSat-retrieved ice particle size distribution (PSD) parameters. The new method allows one to make relevant model-data comparisons and provides new insights into the model’s representation of atmospheric IWC. The partitioned CloudSat IWC suggests that the small ice particles contribute to 20-30% of the total IWC in the upper troposphere when a threshold size of 100 μm is used. Sensitivity measures with respect to the threshold size, the PSD parameters, and the retrieval algorithms are presented. The new dataset is compared to model estimates, pointing to areas for model improvement. Cloud ice analyses from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model agree well with the small IWC from CloudSat. The finite-volume multi-scale modeling framework model underestimates total IWC at 147 and 215 hPa, while overestimating the fractional contribution from the small ice species. These results are discussed in terms of their applications to, and implications for, the evaluation of global atmospheric models, providing constraints on the representations of cloud feedback and precipitation in global models, which in turn can help reduce uncertainties associated with climate change projections. Figure 1. A sample lognormal ice number distribution (red curve), and the corresponding mass distribution (black curve). The dotted line represents the cutoff size for IWC partitioning (Dc = 100 µm as an example). The partial integrals of the mass distribution for particles smaller and larger than Dc correspond to IWC<100 (green area) and IWC>100 (blue area), respectively.

Wildfire Induced Degradation of Woody Vegetation in Dry Zone of Kazakhstan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terekhov, A.

2011-08-01

Small bushy tree species dominate the semi-arid areas of Kazakhstan. In the course of their life cycle, they form a layer of litter that is resistant to wind transport. This small shrub species with its own litter play a significant role in the spectral characteristics of the Earth surface. Changes in the density of shrub canopy forms or replacing them with herbaceous species is accompanied by significant changes in the spectral characteristics in the visible and near infrared spectral bands in the autumn. These changes can be recorded from satellite data. LANDSAT-TM images during 1985-2007 years and MODIS data (USGS: MOD09Q1, 2000-2010) used to diagnose changes in relation between woodyherbaceous vegetation species in the dry zone of Kazakhstan. It was found that over the past 10 years, spreading small shrub forms of semi-arid vegetation significantly decreased. There is a persistent expansion of herbal forms, leading to the semi-steppe formation areas. The mechanism of repression of wood forms constructed through the accumulation of dry plant mass during wet years, with its subsequent burnout during wildfires. In the case of a strong fire, a complete destruction of species is observed. The restoration of small shrub cover demands more than 20 years. Comparative analysis of LANDSAT-TM images showed a 10 times increasing of the fire scar areas in the test area in the central part of Kazakhstan between 1985 and 2007. According MOD09Q1 was conducted mapping small shrub forms of degradation in Kazakhstan. Reducing the area occupied by woody vegetation, semi-desert was about 30 million hectares or over 30% of their total range in Kazakhstan.

Contributions of human activities to suspended sediment yield during storm events from a small, steep, tropical watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Messina, A. M.; Biggs, T. W.

2016-07-01

Suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) and yields (SSY) were measured during storm and non-storm periods from undisturbed and human-disturbed portions of a small (1.8 km2), mountainous watershed that drains to a sediment-stressed coral reef. Event-wise SSY (SSYEV) was calculated for 142 storms from measurements of water discharge (Q), turbidity (T), and SSC measured downstream of three key sediment sources: undisturbed forest, an aggregate quarry, and a village. SSC and SSYEV were significantly higher downstream of the quarry during both storm- and non-storm periods. The human-disturbed subwatershed (10.1% disturbed) accounted for an average of 87% of SSYEV from the watershed. Observed sediment yield (mass) to the coast, including human disturbed subwatersheds, was 3.9× the natural background. Specific SSY (mass/area) from the disturbed quarry area was 49× higher than from natural forest compared with 8× higher from the village area. Similar to mountainous watersheds in semi-arid and temperate climates, SSYEV from both the undisturbed and disturbed watersheds correlated closely with maximum event discharge (Qmax), event total precipitation and event total Q, but not with the Erosivity Index. Best estimates of annual SSY varied by method, from 45 to 143 tons/km2/yr from the undisturbed subwatershed, 441-598 tons/km2/yr from the human-disturbed subwatershed, and 241-368 tons/km2/yr from the total watershed. Sediment yield was very sensitive to disturbance; the quarry covers 1.1% of the total watershed area, but contributed 36% of SSYEV. Given the limited access to gravel for infrastructure development, sediment disturbance from local aggregate mining may be a critical sediment source on remote islands in the Pacific and elsewhere. Identification of erosion hotspots like the quarry using rapid, event-wise measures of suspended sediment yield will help efforts to mitigate sediment stress and restore coral reefs.

Effect of weight and frontal area of external telemetry packages on the kinematics, activity levels and swimming performance of small-bodied sharks.

PubMed

Bouyoucos, I A; Suski, C D; Mandelman, J W; Brooks, E J

2017-05-01

This study sought to observe the effects of submerged weight and frontal cross-sectional area of external telemetry packages on the kinematics, activity levels and swimming performance of small-bodied juvenile sharks, using lemon sharks Negaprion brevirostris (60-80 cm total length, L T ) as a model species. Juveniles were observed free-swimming in a mesocosm untagged and with small and large external accelerometer packages that increased frontal cross-sectional area of the animals and their submerged weight. Despite adhering to widely used standards for tag mass, the presence of an external telemetry package altered swimming kinematics, activity levels and swimming performance of juvenile N. brevirostris relative to untagged individuals, suggesting that tag mass is not a suitable standalone metric of device suitability. Changes in swimming performance could not be detected from tail-beat frequency, which suggests that tail-beat frequency is an unsuitable standalone metric of swimming performance for small N. brevirostris. Lastly, sharks experienced treatment-specific changes in activity level and swimming kinematics from morning to afternoon observation. Therefore, the presence of external telemetry packages altered the kinematics, activity levels and swimming performance of small young-of-the-year N. brevirostris and these data may therefore be relevant to other similar-sized juveniles of other shark species. © 2017 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Changes in cross-sectional area of pulmonary vessels on chest computed tomography after chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer.

PubMed

Karayama, Masato; Inui, Naoki; Kusagaya, Hideki; Suzuki, Seiichiro; Inoue, Yusuke; Enomoto, Noriyuki; Fujisawa, Tomoyuki; Nakamura, Yutaro; Suda, Takafumi

2016-05-01

Chemotherapy is associated with a risk of vascular damage. Novel anti-angiogenic agents, which can directly affect tumor angiogenesis, are increasingly being used. However, the effects of these agents on normal vasculature are not well understood. Here, we evaluated the effects of chemotherapy in general, and the anti-angiogenic agent bevacizumab, more specifically, on the pulmonary vasculature in patients with advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). For this, we used the cross-sectional area of pulmonary vessels (CSA), which is an easily measurable indicator of small pulmonary vasculature on non-contrast chest computed tomography (CT). We retrospectively reviewed CT scans of the lungs of 75 chemo-naïve patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC, for measurement of CSA, before and after first-line platinum-based chemotherapy, using a semi-automatic image-processing program. Measured vessels were classified in two groups: small vessels with CSA <5 mm(2) and large vessels with CSA between 5 and 10 mm(2). The CSAs for each group of vessels were calculated and summed separately, and expressed as a percentage of the total lung area (%CSA<5 and %CSA5-10). Chemotherapy was associated with a selective decrease in small-diameter vessels, with a significant decrease in %CSA<5, but not %CSA5-10. When comparing chemotherapy with bevacizumab (n = 38) and without bevacizumab (n = 37), there was no significant difference in the reduction of %CSA<5. Platinum-based chemotherapy might induce small pulmonary vascular damage. Use of bevacizumab does not enhance the reduction in area of pulmonary vessels.

Plant community variability on a small area in southeastern Montana

Treesearch

James G. MacCracken; Daniel W. Uresk; Richard M. Hansen

1984-01-01

Plant communities are inherently variable due to a number of environmental and biological forces. Canopy cover and aboveground biomass were determined for understory vegetation in plant communities of a prairie grassland-forest ecotone in southeastern Montana. Vegetation units were described using polar ordination and stepwise discriminant analysis. Nine of a total of...

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

Leathe, Stephen A.; Enk, Michael D.

This study was designed to develop and apply methods to evaluate the cumulative effects of 20 proposed small hydro projects on the fisheries resources of the Swan River drainage located in northwestern Montana. Fish population and reach classification information was used to estimate total populations of 107,000 brook trout, 65,000 cut-throat trout and 31,000 juvenile bull trout within the tributary system. Distribution, abundance, and life history of fish species in the drainage and their contribution to the sport fishery were considered in the cumulative impact analysis. Bull trout were chosen as the primary species of concern because of their extensivemore » use of project areas, sensitivity to streambed sedimentation, and their importance to the lake and river sport fisheries. Dewatering of hydroelectric diversion zones and streambed sedimentation (resulting from forest and small hydro development) were the major impacts considered. The developer proposed to divert up to the entire streamflow during low flow months because maintenance of recommended minimum bypass flows would not allow profitable project operation. Dewatering was assumed to result in a total loss of fish production in these areas. 105 refs., 19 figs., 38 tabs.« less

The role of red alder in riparian forest structure along headwater streams in southeastern Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Orlikowska, E.H.; Deal, R.L.; Hennon, P.E.; Wipfli, M.S.

2004-01-01

We assessed the influence of red alder on tree species composition, stand density, tree size distribution, tree mortality, and potential for producing large conifers, in 38-42 yr old riparian forests along 13 headwater streams in the Maybeso and Harris watersheds on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. Red alder ranged from 0 to 53% of the total live basal area of the stands. Tree density, basal area of live and dead trees, and mean diameter of live conifers were not significantly related to the percent of alder as a proportion of total stand live basal area within these riparian forests. The mean diameter of the 100 largest conifers per hectare (the largest trees) was similar among different sites and appeared unrelated to the amount of alder in the stands. The mean diameter of dead conifers increased slightly with increasing proportion of red alder. Most dead trees were small and died standing. Red alder was much more concentrated immediately along stream margins (within 0-1 m distance from the stream bank vs. > 1 m). The presence of red alder did not inhibit the production of large-diameter conifers, and both alder and conifers provided small woody debris for fishless headwater streams in southeastern Alaska. Red alder is an important structural component of young-growth riparian stands.

Tibiofemoral contact stress and stress distribution evaluation of total knee arthroplasties.

PubMed

Szivek, J A; Cutignola, L; Volz, R G

1995-08-01

The Fuji film (Itochu, Los Angeles, CA) area analysis technique demonstrates that a more accurate assessment of tibiofemoral contact stresses is possible when the film is used at 37 degrees C and at the upper end of its sensitivity range (in this case, a 2,000-N load). An AMK with a regular and Hylamer-M insert (DePuy, Warsaw, IN), an MG II (Zimmer, Warsaw, IN), an Omnifit (Osteonics, Allendale, NJ), an Ortholoc III (Dow Corning Wright, Midland, MI), a PCA II (Howmedica, Rutherford, NJ), and a PFC (Johnson & Johnson Orthopaedics, Raynham, MA) had average contact stresses that varied only 12% at 60 degrees flexion. At 0 degrees, 15 degrees and 60 degrees flexion, stresses ranged from 13 to 25 MPa. Contact area distribution ratios, which were smaller at 37 degrees C than at 24 degrees C, provide a quantitative means of grouping implants according to the shape of the tibiofemoral contact area. The Omnifit, MG II, PCA II, and PFC had small ratios (symmetric areas). The AMK and Ortholoc III had large ratios (asymmetric contact areas). If the impression is reflective of wear, it would be expected to be focal in knees with small ratios and contact areas, and uniform in knees with large ratios and contact areas, whereas large ratios and small areas would imply a linear wear pattern. Calibrated electrical resistance contact stress measurements indicated that the Fuji film measurements underestimated the magnitude of contact stresses. They also provided a means of quantifying the rate of area increase during initial loading of the knees, with the highest area increase noted for the knee with the roughest insert (Ortholoc III) and the lowest area increase for the knee with the smoothest insert (PCA II).

An updated digital model of plate boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bird, Peter

2003-03-01

A global set of present plate boundaries on the Earth is presented in digital form. Most come from sources in the literature. A few boundaries are newly interpreted from topography, volcanism, and/or seismicity, taking into account relative plate velocities from magnetic anomalies, moment tensor solutions, and/or geodesy. In addition to the 14 large plates whose motion was described by the NUVEL-1A poles (Africa, Antarctica, Arabia, Australia, Caribbean, Cocos, Eurasia, India, Juan de Fuca, Nazca, North America, Pacific, Philippine Sea, South America), model PB2002 includes 38 small plates (Okhotsk, Amur, Yangtze, Okinawa, Sunda, Burma, Molucca Sea, Banda Sea, Timor, Birds Head, Maoke, Caroline, Mariana, North Bismarck, Manus, South Bismarck, Solomon Sea, Woodlark, New Hebrides, Conway Reef, Balmoral Reef, Futuna, Niuafo'ou, Tonga, Kermadec, Rivera, Galapagos, Easter, Juan Fernandez, Panama, North Andes, Altiplano, Shetland, Scotia, Sandwich, Aegean Sea, Anatolia, Somalia), for a total of 52 plates. No attempt is made to divide the Alps-Persia-Tibet mountain belt, the Philippine Islands, the Peruvian Andes, the Sierras Pampeanas, or the California-Nevada zone of dextral transtension into plates; instead, they are designated as "orogens" in which this plate model is not expected to be accurate. The cumulative-number/area distribution for this model follows a power law for plates with areas between 0.002 and 1 steradian. Departure from this scaling at the small-plate end suggests that future work is very likely to define more very small plates within the orogens. The model is presented in four digital files: a set of plate boundary segments; a set of plate outlines; a set of outlines of the orogens; and a table of characteristics of each digitization step along plate boundaries, including estimated relative velocity vector and classification into one of 7 types (continental convergence zone, continental transform fault, continental rift, oceanic spreading ridge, oceanic transform fault, oceanic convergent boundary, subduction zone). Total length, mean velocity, and total rate of area production/destruction are computed for each class; the global rate of area production and destruction is 0.108 m2/s, which is higher than in previous models because of the incorporation of back-arc spreading.

Using SPARROW to Model Total Nitrogen Sources, and Transport in Rivers and Streams of California and Adjacent States, U.S.A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saleh, D.; Domagalski, J. L.

2012-12-01

Sources and factors affecting the transport of total nitrogen are being evaluated for a study area that covers most of California and some areas in Oregon and Nevada, by using the SPARROW model (SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes) developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. Mass loads of total nitrogen calculated for monitoring sites at stream gauging stations are regressed against land-use factors affecting nitrogen transport, including fertilizer use, recharge, atmospheric deposition, stream characteristics, and other factors to understand how total nitrogen is transported under average conditions. SPARROW models have been used successfully in other parts of the country to understand how nutrients are transported, and how management strategies can be formulated, such as with Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) assessments. Fertilizer use, atmospheric deposition, and climatic data were obtained for 2002, and loads for that year were calculated for monitored streams and point sources (mostly from wastewater treatment plants). The stream loads were calculated by using the adjusted maximum likelihood estimation method (AMLE). River discharge and nitrogen concentrations were de-trended in these calculations in order eliminate the effect of temporal changes on stream load. Effluent discharge information as well as total nitrogen concentrations from point sources were obtained from USEPA databases and from facility records. The model indicates that atmospheric deposition and fertilizer use account for a large percentage of the total nitrogen load in many of the larger watersheds throughout the study area. Point sources, on the other hand, are generally localized around large cities, are considered insignificant sources, and account for a small percentage of the total nitrogen loads throughout the study area.

Preferential rifting of continents - A source of displaced terranes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vink, G. E.; Morgan, W. J.; Zhao, W.-L.

1984-01-01

Lithospheric rifting, while prevalent in the continents, rarely occurs in oceanic regions. To explain this preferential rifting of continents, the total strength of different lithospheres is compared by integrating the limits of lithospheric stress with depth. Comparisons of total strength indicate that continental lithosphere is weaker than oceanic lithosphere by about a factor of three. Also, a thickened crust can halve the total strength of normal continental lithosphere. Because the weakest area acts as a stress guide, any rifting close to an ocean-continent boundary would prefer a continental pathway. This results in the formation of small continental fragments or microplates that, once accreted back to a continent during subduction, are seen as displaced terranes. In addition, the large crustal thicknesses associated with suture zones would make such areas likely locations for future rifting episodes. This results in the tendency of new oceans to open along the suture where a former ocean had closed.

The bacteriological quality of minced beef in the U.K.

PubMed Central

Roberts, T. A.; Britton, C. R.; Hudson, W. R.

1980-01-01

Minced (ground) beef from three supermarkets, three intermediate-sized chain butchers and three small family butchers in each of three geographical areas was examined three times in warm weather and three times in cool. The total viable count (37 and 20 degrees C), numbers of Enterobacteriaceae (37 and 17 degrees C), and presumptive coliforms did not differ significantly between shop type or season. Statistically significant differences in numbers of faecal Streptococci, Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium perfringens were too small to be of commercial importance, or diagnostic value. PMID:6256434

Phase I archaeological survey of the proposed timber harvest areas in traininq areas 8, 13, and 14 on the Fort Knox Military Reservation, Hardin and Meade Counties, Kentucky. Final report, June-July 1995

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

Schenian, P.A.

1995-07-01

In June and July 1995, the Fort Knox Contract Staff Archaeologist conducted a Phase I archaeological survey of proposed timber harvest areas in Training Areas 8, 13, and 14 on the Fort Knox Military Reservation, Hardin and Meade Counties, Kentucky. The timber areas consist of five small, disjoint project areas encompassing a total of 11 acres (4.4 ha). The trees to be harvested had been marked by the forestry section prior to the survey. All timber areas were walked in their entirety. No evidence of archaeological sites was found in this study. It is recommended that the timber harvesting bemore » conducted as proposed.« less

López-Zepeda uterine manipulator: device description and its application in the total laparoscopic hysterectomy.

PubMed

López-Zepeda, M A; Morgan, F Ortiz; Reich, Harry

2010-04-01

During the total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) operation, small changes in the uterine and vaginal cuff position, provided by an adequate manipulator, may optimize the attack angles to the vulnerable structures involved during the procedure and facilitate their dissection. The uterine manipulators are effective because they raise the uterus when moving it from one place to another, leaving the fixing elements on tension. The Lopez-Zepeda uterine manipulator exposes all the anatomic structures involved in TLH, especially those in the vulnerable areas. It avoids dissection and mobilization of the bladder and therefore its innervation. It takes the ureter away from the risky area by 4 cm. to 5 cm. decreasing the injury risk. Finally, thanks to its anteflexion and anteversion movement, it puts the posterior culdotomy area further away from the ureter, the rectum and the sigmoid colon.

Characterization of porosity via secondary reactions. Final technical report, 1 September 1991--30 November 1995

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

Calo, J.M.; Zhang, L.; Hall, P.J.

1997-09-01

A new approach to the study of porosity and porosity development in coal chars during gasification was investigated. This approach involves the establishment of the relationships between the amount and type of surface complexes evolved during post-activation temperature programmed desorption (TPD), and the porosity, as measured by gas adsorption and small angle neutron scattering (SANS) techniques. With this new method, the total surface area and micropore volume can be determined by the interpretation of post-activation TPD spectra. The primary conclusion of this work is that it is possible to predict total surface area and micropore volume from TPD spectra. Frommore » the extended random pore model, additional information about the micropore surface area, the nonmicroporous surface area, and the mean micropore size development as a function of reaction time (or burn-off) can also be predicted. Therefore, combining the TPD technique and the extended random pore model provides a new method for the characterization of char porosity.« less

Small Hydropower Development in Rwanda: Trends, Opportunities and Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geoffrey, Gasore; Zimmerle, Daniel; Ntagwirumugara, Etienne

2018-04-01

The Rift Valley region of Sub-Saharan Africa represents a promising area for the development of small (<5MW) hydropower resources. This study compiles data from government and UN agency reports to analyze different development outlooks. The study found that there has been a rapid deployment of small hydropower in the last 10 years. From the current total deployed small hydro of 47.5 MW, 16.5MW (35%) were deployed from 1957 to 1984 while the remaining 31 MW (65%) were deployed from 2007 to 2017. While all systems constructed prior to 1985 are grid-connected, one third of the 24 facilities constructed after 2007 are connected to off-grid systems. The study provides an overview of the economic incentives for developing small hydropower systems in Rwanda and the potential contribution of that development to Rwanda’s electrification goals.

Aerosol Optical Depth Retrievals From High-Resolution Commercial Satellite Imagery Over Areas of High Surface Reflectance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vincent, D. A.; Nielsen, K. E.; Durkee, P. A.; Reid, J. S.

2005-12-01

The advancement and proliferation of high-resolution commercial imaging satellites presents a new opportunity for overland aerosol characterization. Current aerosol optical depth retrieval methods typically fail over areas with high surface reflectance, such as urban areas and deserts, since the upwelling radiance due to scattering by aerosols is small compared to the radiance resulting from surface reflection. The method proposed here uses shadows cast on the surface to exploit the differences between radiance from the adjacent shaded and unshaded areas of the scene. Shaded areas of the scene are primarily illuminated by diffuse irradiance that is scattered downward from the atmosphere, while unshaded areas are illuminated by both diffuse and direct solar irradiance. The first-order difference between the shaded and unshaded areas is the direct component. Given uniform surface reflectance for the shaded and unshaded areas, the difference in reflected radiance measured by a satellite sensor is related to the direct transmission of solar radiation and inversely proportional to total optical depth. Using an iterative approach, surface reflectance and mean aerosol reflectance can be partitioned to refine the retrieved total optical depth. Aerosol optical depth can then be determined from its contribution to the total atmospheric optical depth (following correction for molecular Rayleigh scattering). Intitial results based on QuickBird imagery and AERONET data collected during the United Arab Emirates Unified Aerosol Experiment (UAE2) indicate that aerosol optical depth retrievals are possible in the visible and near-infrared region with an accuracy of ~0.04.

Longitudinal study of skin aging: from microrelief to wrinkles.

PubMed

Bazin, Roland; Lévêque, Jean Luc

2011-05-01

To study the changes in skin microrelief and periocular wrinkles during the aging process. Replicas of the crow's feet area of volunteers were recorded in 1987 and 2008 and observed comparatively. Characteristic features were quantified by image analysis. Observation shows that some microrelief features disappear and even merge with wrinkles that become more marked. Some primary lines also tend to merge to form thin new wrinkles. Quantitative data support these observations: the size of small and medium objects of skin relief decreases with age while large objects are becoming larger. Over 21 years, in the group studied, the total area of the detected objects remains quite constant. Only the distribution between small and large detected objects (microrelief features and wrinkles, respectively) is modified. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Application of Three - dimensional Wound Analyzer in the Small Wound Area Measurement during the Process of Wound Healing.

PubMed

Sheng, Jiajun; Li, Haihang; Jin, Jian; Liu, Tong; Ma, Bing; Liu, Gongcheng; Zhu, Shihui

2018-02-20

The objective of this study was to determinate the reliability of 3-dimensional wound analyzer (3-DWMD) in the wound area measurement for animal small area in the process of wound healing. Seven Sprague-Dawley rats were used to establish the skin defect model. And the wound area and time consumption were measured on days 0, 5, 10, 15 using 3-DWMD, investigators, and planimetry method. The measurement results using 3-DWMD and investigators were analyzed comparative with that using planimetry method separately. A total 46 wounds, including 32 irregular wounds and regular 14 wounds, were measured. No matter calculating the irregular wounds or the regular wounds, there was no significant difference between 3-DWMD group and planimetry group in measuring wound area (P > 0.05). However, a statistically significant difference was found in time-consuming for measuring wound area between 3-DWMD group and planimetry group (P < 0.001). The same result was found between investigator group and planimetry group (P < 0.001). The 3-DWMD would quickly and accurately obtain the wound area, and its measurement results were consistent with planimetry method. Therefore, such measuring equipment has clinical reference value for measuring precision area of the wound in the process of wound healing.

Wyoming: The State and Its Educational System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodgkinson, Harold L.

Wyoming is a state of great natural beauty with only five people per square mile and a unique way of life that deserves to be preserved. The economy, though, is almost totally dependent on energy extraction, an area that has not done well of late. The state's small population makes "boutique" products and services not very profitable,…

Validation of NOCTI Instruments Using Vocational Education Completers of Florida Comprehensive High Schools. Final Report (April 9, 1979-June 30, 1980).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Raymond; Klein, Raymond S.

A study examined the feasibility of adopting National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) examinations for use by completers of vocational programs in Florida comprehensive high schools. A total of 34 candidates in five occupational areas (architectural drafting, carpentry, plumbing, small engine repair, and welding) at four…

Linking harvest choices to timber supply

Treesearch

Jeffrey P. Prestemon; David N. Wear

2000-01-01

Aggregate timber supply by ownership was investigated for a small region by applying stand-level harvest choice models to a representative sample of stands and then aggregating to regional totals using the area-frame of the forest survey. Timber harvest choices were estimated as probit models for three ownership categories in coastal plain southern pine stands of North...

Ground Water Atlas of the United States: Segment 12, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont

USGS Publications Warehouse

Olcott, Perry G.

1995-01-01

The State of New York and the six New England States of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island compose Segment 12 of this Atlas (fig. 1). The seven States have a total land area of about 116,000 square miles (table 1); all but a small area in southwestern New York has been glaciated. Population in the States of Segment 12 totals about 30,408,000 (table 1) and is concentrated in southern and eastern Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and especially New York (fig. 1). The northern part of the segment and the mountainous areas of New York and much of New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine are sparsely populated. The percentage of population supplied from ground-water sources during 1980 was 54 to 60 percent in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont (table 1). Nearly all rural, domestic, and small-community water systems obtain water from wells that are, in comparison with other sources, the safest and the least expensive to install and maintain. Where water demand is great-in the urban areas of New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island-sophisticated reservoir, pipeline, and purification systems are economically feasible and are needed to meet demands. Surface water is the principal source of supply in these four States, and ground water was used to supply only 24 to 35 percent of their population during 1980 (table 1).

Vulnerability of inter-tropical littoral areas. Preface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charvis, Philippe; Gubert, Flore; Ménard, Frédéric

2017-10-01

The coastal area is defined as the interface between land and sea. It is a transition zone where land is affected by its proximity to the sea, and the coastal sea is affected by its proximity to the land. Its components are diverse and include river deltas, coastal plains, wetlands, beaches and dunes, reefs, mangrove forests, lagoons, and other coastal features. Coastal areas contribute to a small proportion of the total land area in the Earth system, but they provide a wide variety of ecosystem services (e.g., food through fish production, sand mining, flooding and erosion protection, recreational benefits, etc.) and are home to a large and growing proportion of the world's population.

Geographic region, socioeconomic position and the utilisation of primary total joint replacement for hip or knee osteoarthritis across western Victoria: a cross-sectional multilevel study of the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry.

PubMed

Brennan-Olsen, Sharon; Vogrin, Sara; Holloway, Kara L; Page, Richard S; Sajjad, Muhammad A; Kotowicz, Mark A; Livingston, Patricia M; Khasraw, Mustafa; Hakkennes, Sharon; Dunning, Trish L; Brumby, Susan; Pedler, Daryl; Sutherland, Alasdair; Venkatesh, Svetha; Williams, Lana J; Duque, Gustavo; Pasco, Julie A

2017-11-06

Compared to urban residents, those in rural/regional areas often experience inequitable healthcare from specialist service providers. Independent of small between-area differences in utilisation, socially advantaged groups had the greatest uptake of joint replacement. These data suggest low correlation between 'need' vs. 'uptake' of surgery in rural/regional areas. Compared to urban residents, those in rural and regional areas often experience inequitable healthcare from specialist service providers, often due to geographical issues. We investigated associations between socioeconomic position (SEP), region of residence and utilisation of primary total knee replacement (TKR) and/or total hip replacement (THR) for osteoarthritis. As part of the Ageing, Chronic Disease and Injury study, we extracted data from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry (2011-2013) for adults that utilised primary TKR (n = 4179; 56% female) and/or THR (n = 3120; 54% female). Residential addresses were matched with the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2011 census data: region of residence was defined according to local government areas (LGAs), and area-level SEP (quintiles) defined using an ABS-derived composite index. The ABS-determined control population (n = 591,265; 51% female) excluded individuals identified as cases. We performed multilevel logistic regression modelling using a stratified two-stage cluster design. TKR was higher for those aged 70-79 years (AOR 1.4 95%CI 1.3-1.5; referent = 60-69 years) and in the most advantaged SEP quintile (AOR 2.1, 95%CI 1.8-2.3; referent = SEP quintile 3); results were similar for THR (70-79 years = AOR 1.7, 95%CI 1.5-1.8; SEP quintile 5 = AOR 2.5, 95%CI 2.2-2.8). Total variances contributed by the variance in LGAs were 2% (SD random effects ± 0.28) and 3% (SD ± 0.32), respectively. Independent of small between-LGA differences in utilisation, and in contrast to the expected greater prevalence of osteoarthritis in disadvantaged populations, we report greater TKR and THR in more advantaged groups. Further research should investigate whether more advantaged populations may be over-serviced.

Ecological studies of small vertebrates in Pu-contaminated study areas of NTS and TTR

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

Bradley, W.G.; Moor, K.S.; White, M.G.

Ecological studies of vertebrates in plutonium-contaminated areas of the Nevada Test Site (NTS) were initiated in March 1972, and have continued to date. In September 1973, standard census methods were also employed to derive a qualitative and quantitative inventory of vertebrate biota of four Nevada Applied Ecology Group (NAEG) study areas of the Tonopah Test Range (TTR). A checklist of vertebrates of NAEG study areas of NTS and TTR is presented. Data are presented on vertebrate composition, relative abundance, and seasonal status in the study areas. Concentrations of $sup 239$Pu and $sup 241$Am were determined in pelt or skin, GImore » tract, and carcass of 13 lizards and 16 mammals resident on Clean Slate 2, TTR, and Area 11, NTS. A total of 71 animals were collected for radioanalysis. However, the data were not available at the time this report was written. Pu tissue burdens were highest in lizards from Area 11 GZ. Maximum values obtained in nCi/g ash were 30.9, 42.2, and 0.43 for the pelt, GI tract, and carcass, respectively. Maximum $sup 239$Pu values in tissues of small rodents from Area 11 (not from GZ) were 11.4, 6.49, and 0.20 nCi/g ash for pelt, GI tract, and carcass, respectively. Pu/Am ratios were relatively consistent in tissue samples of lizards and small mammals from Area 11 (approximately 6:1, Pu/Am). Pu/Am ratios were not consistent in vertebrates of Clean Slate 2, TTR, and appeared to be lower in carcass (28:1, Pu/Am in mammals) than GI tract (9:1, Pu/Am in mammals). Although this trend was more conspicuous in mammals, it was also evident in reptiles. (auth)« less

Pulmonary hypertension and computed tomography measurement of small pulmonary vessels in severe emphysema.

PubMed

Matsuoka, Shin; Washko, George R; Yamashiro, Tsuneo; Estepar, Raul San Jose; Diaz, Alejandro; Silverman, Edwin K; Hoffman, Eric; Fessler, Henry E; Criner, Gerard J; Marchetti, Nathaniel; Scharf, Steven M; Martinez, Fernando J; Reilly, John J; Hatabu, Hiroto

2010-02-01

Vascular alteration of small pulmonary vessels is one of the characteristic features of pulmonary hypertension in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The in vivo relationship between pulmonary hypertension and morphological alteration of the small pulmonary vessels has not been assessed in patients with severe emphysema. We evaluated the correlation of total cross-sectional area of small pulmonary vessels (CSA) assessed on computed tomography (CT) scans with the degree of pulmonary hypertension estimated by right heart catheterization. In 79 patients with severe emphysema enrolled in the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT), we measured CSA less than 5 mm(2) (CSA(<5)) and 5 to 10 mm(2) (CSA(5-10)), and calculated the percentage of total CSA for the lung area (%CSA(<5) and %CSA(5-10), respectively). The correlations of %CSA(<5) and %CSA(5-10) with pulmonary arterial mean pressure (Ppa) obtained by right heart catheterization were evaluated. Multiple linear regression analysis using Ppa as the dependent outcome was also performed. The %CSA(<5) had a significant negative correlation with Ppa (r = -0.512, P < 0.0001), whereas the correlation between %CSA(5-10) and Ppa did not reach statistical significance (r = -0.196, P = 0.083). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that %CSA(<5) and diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide (DL(CO)) % predicted were independent predictors of Ppa (r(2) = 0.541): %CSA (<5) (P < 0.0001), and DL(CO) % predicted (P = 0.022). The %CSA(<5) measured on CT images is significantly correlated to Ppa in severe emphysema and can estimate the degree of pulmonary hypertension.

Rapid area change in pitch-up manoeuvres of small perching birds.

PubMed

Polet, D T; Rival, D E

2015-10-26

Rapid pitch-up has been highlighted as a mechanism to generate large lift and drag during landing manoeuvres. However, pitching rates had not been measured previously in perching birds, and so the direct applicability of computations and experiments to observed behaviour was not known. We measure pitch rates in a small, wild bird (the black-capped chickadee; Poecile atricapillus), and show that these rates are within the parameter range used in experiments. Pitching rates were characterized by the shape change number, a metric comparing the rate of frontal area increase to acceleration. Black-capped chickadees increase the shape change number during perching in direct proportion to their total kinetic and potential energy at the start of the manoeuvre. The linear relationship between dissipated energy and shape change number is in accordance with a simple analytical model developed for two-dimensional pitching and decelerating airfoils. Black-capped chickadees use a wing pitch-up manoeuvre during perching to dissipate energy quickly while maintaining lift and drag through rapid area change. It is suggested that similar pitch-and-decelerate manoeuvres could be used to aid in the controlled, precise landings of small manoeuvrable air vehicles.

Role of Ongoing, Intrinsic Activity of Neuronal Populations for Quantitative Neuroimaging of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging–Based Networks

PubMed Central

Herman, Peter; Sanganahalli, Basavaraju G.; Coman, Daniel; Blumenfeld, Hal; Rothman, Douglas L.

2011-01-01

Abstract A primary objective in neuroscience is to determine how neuronal populations process information within networks. In humans and animal models, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is gaining increasing popularity for network mapping. Although neuroimaging with fMRI—conducted with or without tasks—is actively discovering new brain networks, current fMRI data analysis schemes disregard the importance of the total neuronal activity in a region. In task fMRI experiments, the baseline is differenced away to disclose areas of small evoked changes in the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal. In resting-state fMRI experiments, the spotlight is on regions revealed by correlations of tiny fluctuations in the baseline (or spontaneous) BOLD signal. Interpretation of fMRI-based networks is obscured further, because the BOLD signal indirectly reflects neuronal activity, and difference/correlation maps are thresholded. Since the small changes of BOLD signal typically observed in cognitive fMRI experiments represent a minimal fraction of the total energy/activity in a given area, the relevance of fMRI-based networks is uncertain, because the majority of neuronal energy/activity is ignored. Thus, another alternative for quantitative neuroimaging of fMRI-based networks is a perspective in which the activity of a neuronal population is accounted for by the demanded oxidative energy (CMRO2). In this article, we argue that network mapping can be improved by including neuronal energy/activity of both the information about baseline and small differences/fluctuations of BOLD signal. Thus, total energy/activity information can be obtained through use of calibrated fMRI to quantify differences of ΔCMRO2 and through resting-state positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements for average CMRO2. PMID:22433047

Changes in size of deforested patches in the Brazilian Amazon.

PubMed

Rosa, Isabel M D; Souza, Carlos; Ewers, Robert M

2012-10-01

Different deforestation agents, such as small farmers and large agricultural businesses, create different spatial patterns of deforestation. We analyzed the proportion of deforestation associated with different-sized clearings in the Brazilian Amazon from 2002 through 2009. We used annual deforestation maps to determine total area deforested and the size distribution of deforested patches per year. The size distribution of deforested areas changed over time in a consistent, directional manner. Large clearings (>1000 ha) comprised progressively smaller amounts of total annual deforestation. The number of smaller clearings (6.25-50.00 ha) remained unchanged over time. Small clearings accounted for 73% of all deforestation in 2009, up from 30% in 2002, whereas the proportion of deforestation attributable to large clearings decreased from 13% to 3% between 2002 and 2009. Large clearings were concentrated in Mato Grosso, but also occurred in eastern Pará and in Rondônia. In 2002 large clearings accounted for 17%, 15%, and 10% of all deforestation in Mato Grosso, Pará, and Rondônia, respectively. Even in these states, where there is a highly developed agricultural business dominated by soybean production and cattle ranching, the proportional contribution of large clearings to total deforestation declined. By 2009 large clearings accounted for 2.5%, 3.5%, and 1% of all deforestation in Mato Grosso, Pará, and Rondônia, respectively. These changes in deforestation patch size are coincident with the implementation of new conservation policies by the Brazilian government, which suggests that these policies are not effectively reducing the number of small clearings in primary forest, whether these are caused by large landholders or smallholders, but have been more effective at reducing the frequency of larger clearings. ©2012 Society for Conservation Biology.

Routine diversion of patients with STEMI to high-volume PCI centres: modelling the financial impact on referral hospitals.

PubMed

Pathak, Elizabeth Barnett; Comins, Meg M; Forsyth, Colin J; Strom, Joel A

2015-01-01

To quantify possible revenue losses from proposed ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patient diversion policies for small hospitals that lack high-volume percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) capability status (ie, 'STEMI referral hospitals'). Negative financial impacts on STEMI referral hospitals have been discussed as an important barrier to implementing regional STEMI bypass/transfer protocols. However, there is little empirical data available that directly quantifies this potential financial impact. Using detailed financial charges from Florida hospital discharge data, we examined the potential negative financial impact on 112 STEMI referral hospitals from losing all inpatient STEMI revenue. The main outcome was projected revenue loss (PRL), defined as total annual patient with STEMI charges as a proportion of total annual charges for all patients. We hypothesised that for most community hospitals (>90%), STEMI revenue represented only a small fraction of total revenue (<1%). We further examined the financial impact of the 'worst case' scenario of loss of all acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (ie, chest pain) patients. PRLs were $0.33 for every $100 of patient revenue statewide for STEMI and $1.73 for ACS. At the individual hospital level, the 90th centile PRL was $0.74 for STEMI and $2.77 for ACS. PRLs for STEMI were not greater in rural areas compared with major metropolitan areas. Hospital revenue centres that would be most impacted by loss of patients with STEMI were cardiology procedures and intensive care units. Loss of patient with STEMI revenues would result in only a small financial impact on STEMI referral hospitals in Florida under proposed STEMI diversion/rapid transfer protocols. However, spillover loss of patients with ACS would increase revenue loss for many hospitals.

48 CFR 819.502-2 - Total small business set-asides.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Total small business set... SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Set-Asides for Small Business 819.502-2 Total small business set-asides. (a) When a total small business set-aside is made, one of the following statements, as applicable...

48 CFR 819.502-2 - Total small business set-asides.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Total small business set... SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Set-Asides for Small Business 819.502-2 Total small business set-asides. (a) When a total small business set-aside is made, one of the following statements, as applicable...

48 CFR 819.502-2 - Total small business set-asides.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Total small business set... SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Set-Asides for Small Business 819.502-2 Total small business set-asides. (a) When a total small business set-aside is made, one of the following statements, as applicable...

48 CFR 819.502-2 - Total small business set-asides.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Total small business set... SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Set-Asides for Small Business 819.502-2 Total small business set-asides. (a) When a total small business set-aside is made, one of the following statements, as applicable...

48 CFR 819.502-2 - Total small business set-asides.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Total small business set... SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Set-Asides for Small Business 819.502-2 Total small business set-asides. (a) When a total small business set-aside is made, one of the following statements, as applicable...

Small proportions of actively-smoking patrons and high PM2.5 levels in southern California tribal casinos: support for smoking bans or designated smoking areas

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Nearly all California casinos currently allow smoking, which leads to potentially high patron exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke pollutants. Some argue that smoking restrictions or bans would result in a business drop, assuming > 50% of patrons smoke. Evidence in Nevada and responses from the 2008 California tobacco survey refute this assertion. The present study investigates the proportion of active smokers in southern California tribal casinos, as well as occupancy and PM2.5 levels in smoking and nonsmoking sections. Methods We measured active-smoker and total-patron counts during Friday or Saturday night visits (two per casino) to smoking and nonsmoking gaming areas inside 11 southern California casinos. We counted slot machines and table games in each section, deriving theoretical maximum capacities and occupancy rates. We also measured PM2.5 concentrations (or used published levels) in both nonsmoking and smoking areas. Results Excluding one casino visit with extremely high occupancy, we counted 24,970 patrons during 21 casino visits of whom 1,737 were actively smoking, for an overall active- smoker proportion of 7.0% and a small range of ~5% across casino visits (minimum of 5% and maximum of 10%). The differences in mean inter-casino active-smoker proportions were not statistically significant. Derived occupancy rates were 24% to 215% in the main (low-stakes) smoking-allowed slot or table areas. No relationship was found between observed active-smoker proportions and occupancy rate. The derived maximum capacities of nonsmoking areas were 1% to 29% of the overall casino capacity (most under 10%) and their observed occupancies were 0.1 to over 3 times that of the main smoking-allowed casino areas. Seven of twelve visits to nonsmoking areas with no separation had occupancy rates greater than main smoking areas. Unenclosed nonsmoking areas don’t substantially protect occupants from PM2.5 exposure. Nonsmoking areas encapsulated inside smoking areas or in a separate, but unenclosed, area had PM2.5 levels that were 10 to 60 μg/m3 and 6 to 23 μg/m3 higher than outdoor levels, respectively, indicating contamination from smoking. Conclusions Although fewer than roughly 10% of casino patrons are actively smoking on average, these individuals substantially increase PM2.5 exposure for all patrons in smoking and unenclosed nonsmoking areas. Nonsmoking areas may be too inconvenient, small, or undesirable to serve a substantial number of nonsmoking patrons. Imposing indoor smoking bans, or contained smoking areas with a maximum capacity of up to 10% of the total patronage, would offer protection from PM2.5 exposures for nonsmoking patrons and reduce employee exposures. PMID:22998850

Small proportions of actively-smoking patrons and high PM2.5 levels in southern California tribal casinos: support for smoking bans or designated smoking areas.

PubMed

Klepeis, Neil E; Omoto, Jason; Ong, Seow Ling; Omoto, Harmeena Sahota; Dhaliwal, Narinder

2012-09-22

Nearly all California casinos currently allow smoking, which leads to potentially high patron exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke pollutants. Some argue that smoking restrictions or bans would result in a business drop, assuming > 50% of patrons smoke. Evidence in Nevada and responses from the 2008 California tobacco survey refute this assertion. The present study investigates the proportion of active smokers in southern California tribal casinos, as well as occupancy and PM(2.5) levels in smoking and nonsmoking sections. We measured active-smoker and total-patron counts during Friday or Saturday night visits (two per casino) to smoking and nonsmoking gaming areas inside 11 southern California casinos. We counted slot machines and table games in each section, deriving theoretical maximum capacities and occupancy rates. We also measured PM(2.5) concentrations (or used published levels) in both nonsmoking and smoking areas. Excluding one casino visit with extremely high occupancy, we counted 24,970 patrons during 21 casino visits of whom 1,737 were actively smoking, for an overall active- smoker proportion of 7.0% and a small range of ~5% across casino visits (minimum of 5% and maximum of 10%). The differences in mean inter-casino active-smoker proportions were not statistically significant. Derived occupancy rates were 24% to 215% in the main (low-stakes) smoking-allowed slot or table areas. No relationship was found between observed active-smoker proportions and occupancy rate. The derived maximum capacities of nonsmoking areas were 1% to 29% of the overall casino capacity (most under 10%) and their observed occupancies were 0.1 to over 3 times that of the main smoking-allowed casino areas. Seven of twelve visits to nonsmoking areas with no separation had occupancy rates greater than main smoking areas. Unenclosed nonsmoking areas don't substantially protect occupants from PM2.5 exposure. Nonsmoking areas encapsulated inside smoking areas or in a separate, but unenclosed, area had PM(2.5) levels that were 10 to 60 μg/m(3) and 6 to 23 μg/m(3) higher than outdoor levels, respectively, indicating contamination from smoking. Although fewer than roughly 10% of casino patrons are actively smoking on average, these individuals substantially increase PM(2.5) exposure for all patrons in smoking and unenclosed nonsmoking areas. Nonsmoking areas may be too inconvenient, small, or undesirable to serve a substantial number of nonsmoking patrons. Imposing indoor smoking bans, or contained smoking areas with a maximum capacity of up to 10% of the total patronage, would offer protection from PM2.5 exposures for nonsmoking patrons and reduce employee exposures.

Detection and Estimation of an Optical Image by Photon-Counting Techniques. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Lily Lee

1973-01-01

Statistical description of a photoelectric detector is given. The photosensitive surface of the detector is divided into many small areas, and the moment generating function of the photo-counting statistic is derived for large time-bandwidth product. The detection of a specified optical image in the presence of the background light by using the hypothesis test is discussed. The ideal detector based on the likelihood ratio from a set of numbers of photoelectrons ejected from many small areas of the photosensitive surface is studied and compared with the threshold detector and a simple detector which is based on the likelihood ratio by counting the total number of photoelectrons from a finite area of the surface. The intensity of the image is assumed to be Gaussian distributed spatially against the uniformly distributed background light. The numerical approximation by the method of steepest descent is used, and the calculations of the reliabilities for the detectors are carried out by a digital computer.

Phase I study of carboplatin combined with pemetrexed for elderly patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer.

PubMed

Takeoka, Hiroaki; Yamada, Kazuhiko; Azuma, Koichi; Zaizen, Yoshiaki; Yamashita, Fumie; Yoshida, Tsukasa; Naito, Yoshiko; Okayama, Yusuke; Miyamoto, Maki; Hoshino, Tomoaki

2014-05-01

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and tolerability of carboplatin plus pemetrexed for elderly patients (≥75 years) with chemotherapy-naïve advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. Patients received escalated doses of carboplatin at an area under the concentration-time curve of 4 (Level 1) or 5 (Level 2) plus pemetrexed (500 mg/m(2)) every 3 weeks for a maximum of six cycles. Dose escalation was decided according to whether dose-limiting toxicity occurred in the first cycle of chemotherapy. A total of 20 patients (6 at Level 1, 14 at Level 2) were enrolled. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed in patients at Level 1 or the first six patients at Level 2, and therefore the combination of carboplatin at an area under the concentration-time curve of 5 plus pemetrexed at 500 mg/m(2) was considered to be the recommended dose. Among a total of 14 patients in Level 2, only 1 patient experienced dose-limiting toxicity: Grade 3 febrile neutropenia and urticaria. The major toxicities were neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and anemia. Liver dysfunction, fatigue and anorexia were also common, but generally manageable. Six patients showed partial responses, giving the overall response rate of 30%. The median progression-free survival period was 4.8 months (95% confidence interval 2.9-6.7 months). The combination of carboplatin at an area under the concentration-time curve of 5 plus pemetrexed at 500 mg/m(2) was determined as the recommended dose in chemotherapy-naïve elderly patients (≥75 years) with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer, in view of overall safety and tolerability.

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

Sultan, M.; Fiske, M.; Stein, T.

Comparisons of satellite images of the Nile Delta, acquired in 1972, 1984 and 1990, indicate that urban growth is endangering Egypt's agricultural productivity. Urban areas occupied a minimum of 3.6%, 4.7% and 5.7% of the Delta in 1972, 1984 and 1990, respectively, an increase of 58% in 18 years. Approximately half of this increase occurred between 1984 and 1990. If this trend continues, Egypt could lose 12% of its total agricultural area to urbanization by 2010. Despite the fact that growth is pronounced around the cities, it is the growth around the thousands of small villages that poses the largestmore » threat to the agricultural productivity of the Nile Delta. The cumulative growth rate for the cities and large villages between 1972 and 1990 is 37%, and that for the small villages is 77% for the same time period.« less

Sediment removal by prairie filter strips in row-cropped ephemeral watersheds

Treesearch

Matthew J. Helmers; Xiaobo Zhou; Heidi Asbjornsen; Randy Kolka; Mark D. Tomer; Richard M. Cruse

2012-01-01

Twelve small watersheds in central Iowa were used to evaluate the eff ectiveness of prairie filter strips (PFS) in trapping sediment from agricultural runoff. Four treatments with PFS of different size and location (100% rowcrop, 10% PFS of total watershed area at footslope, 10% PFS at footslope and in contour strips, 20% PFS at footslope and in contour strips)...

Composition and abundance of tree regeneration

Treesearch

Todd F. Hutchinson; Elaine Kennedy Sutherland; Charles T. Scott

2003-01-01

The composition and abundance of tree seedlings and saplings in the four study areas in southern Ohio were related to soil moisture via a GIS-derived integrated moisture index and to soil texture and fertility. For seedlings, the total abundance of small stems (less than 30 cm tall) was significantly greater on xeric plots (81,987/ha) than on intermediate (54,531/ha)...

Kibbutz Zafone--Big City U.S.A.: Thoughts on Parent-School-Child Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldman, Richard; Champagne, David

1975-01-01

A discussion of a small community in northern Israel which asserts that a basic difference between kibbutz and a city is a total integration on the kibbutz of work, education, leisure, and living missing in most urban areas where parents must travel to work; several processes by which increased integration between parents' work and childrens'…

Complementarity of no-take marine reserves and individual transferable catch quotas for managing the line fishery of the great barrier reef.

PubMed

Little, L R; Grafton, R Q; Kompas, T; Smith, A D M; Punt, A E; Mapstone, B D

2011-04-01

Changes in the management of the fin fish fishery of the Great Barrier Reef motivated us to investigate the combined effects on economic returns and fish biomass of no-take areas and regulated total allowable catch allocated in the form of individual transferable quotas (such quotas apportion the total allowable catch as fishing rights and permits the buying and selling of these rights among fishers). We built a spatially explicit biological and economic model of the fishery to analyze the trade-offs between maintaining given levels of fish biomass and the net financial returns from fishing under different management regimes. Results of the scenarios we modeled suggested that a decrease in total allowable catch at high levels of harvest either increased net returns or lowered them only slightly, but increased biomass by up to 10% for a wide range of reserve sizes and an increase in the reserve area from none to 16% did not greatly change net returns at any catch level. Thus, catch shares and no-take reserves can be complementary and when these methods are used jointly they promote lower total allowable catches when harvest is relatively high and encourage larger no-take areas when they are small. ©2010 Society for Conservation Biology.

Mid-thigh cortical bone structural parameters, muscle mass and strength, and association with lower limb fractures in older men and women (AGES-Reykjavik Study).

PubMed

Johannesdottir, Fjola; Aspelund, Thor; Siggeirsdottir, Kristin; Jonsson, Brynjolfur Y; Mogensen, Brynjolfur; Sigurdsson, Sigurdur; Harris, Tamara B; Gudnason, Vilmundur G; Lang, Thomas F; Sigurdsson, Gunnar

2012-05-01

In a cross-sectional study we investigated the relationship between muscle and bone parameters in the mid-thigh in older people using data from a single axial computed tomographic section through the mid-thigh. Additionally, we studied the association of these variables with incident low-trauma lower limb fractures. A total of 3,762 older individuals (1,838 men and 1,924 women), aged 66-96 years, participants in the AGES-Reykjavik study, were studied. The total cross-sectional muscular area and knee extensor strength declined with age similarly in both sexes. Muscle parameters correlated most strongly with cortical area and total shaft area (adjusted for age, height, and weight) but explained <10 % of variability in those bone parameters. The increment in medullary area (MA) and buckling ratio (BR) with age was almost fourfold greater in women than men. The association between MA and muscle parameters was nonsignificant. During a median follow-up of 5.3 years, 113 women and 66 men sustained incident lower limb fractures. Small muscular area, low knee extensor strength, large MA, low cortical thickness, and high BR were significantly associated with fractures in both sexes. Our results show that bone and muscle loss proceed at different rates and with different gender patterns.

Lack of a standardised UK care pathway resulting in national variations in management and outcomes of paediatric small area scalds.

PubMed

Trevatt, Alexander E J; Kirkham, Emily N; Allix, Bradley; Greenwood, Rosemary; Coy, Karen; Hollén, Linda I; Young, Amber E R

2016-09-01

There is a paucity of evidence guiding management of small area partial thickness paediatric scalds. This has prevented the development of national management guidelines for these injuries. This research aimed to investigate whether a lack of evidence for national guidelines has resulted in variations in both management and outcomes of paediatric small area scalds across England and Wales (E&W). A national survey of initial management of paediatric scalds ≤5% Total Body Surface Area (%TBSA) was sent to 14 burns services in E&W. Skin graft rates of anonymised burns services over seven years were collected from the international Burns Injury Database (iBID). Average skin grafting rates across services were compared. Length of stay and proportion of patients receiving general anaesthesia for dressing application at each service were also compared. All 14 burns services responded to the survey. Only 50% of services had a protocol in place for the management of small area burns. All protocols varied in how partial thickness paediatrics scalds ≤5% TBSA should be managed. There was no consensus as to which scalds should be treated using biosynthetic dressings. Data from iBID for 11,917 patients showed that the average reported skin grafting rate across all burns services was 2.3% (95% CI 2.1, 2.6) but varied from 0.3% to 7.1% (P<0.001). Service provider remained associated with likelihood of skin grafting when variations in the %TBSA case mix seen by each service were controlled for (χ(2)=87.3, P<0.001). The use of general anaesthetics across services varied between 0.6 and 35.5% (P<0.001). The median length of stay across services varied from 1 to 3 days (P<0.001). A lack of evidence guiding management of small-area paediatric scalds has resulted in variation in management of these injuries across E&W. There is also significant variation in outcomes for these injuries. Further research is indicated to determine if care pathways and outcomes are linked. An evidence-based national policy for the management of small area paediatric scalds would ensure that high quality, standardised care is delivered throughout E&W and variations in outcome are reduced. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Nutrients discharged to the Mississippi River from eastern Iowa watersheds, 1996-1997

USGS Publications Warehouse

Becher, Kent D.; Schnoebelen, Douglas J.; Akers, Kimberlee K.

2000-01-01

The introduction of nutrients from chemical fertilizer, animal manure, wastewater, and atmospheric deposition to the eastern Iowa environment creates a large potential for nutrient transport in watersheds. Agriculture constitutes 93 percent of all land use in eastern Iowa. As part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment Program, water samples were collected (typically monthly) from six small and six large watersheds in eastern Iowa between March 1996 and September 1997. A Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to determine land use and quantify inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus within the study area. Streamliow from the watersheds is to the Mississippi River. Chemical fertilizer and animal manure account for 92 percent of the estimated total nitrogen and 99.9 percent of the estimated total phosphorus input in the study area. Total nitrogen and total phosphorus loads for 1996 were estimated for nine of the 12 rivers and creeks using a minimum variance unbiased estimator model. A seasonal pattern of concentrations and loads was observed. The greatest concentrations and loads occur in the late spring to early summer in conjunction with row-crop fertilizer applications and spring nmoff and again in the late fall to early winter as vegetation goes into dormancy and additional fertilizer is applied to row-crop fields. The three largest rivers in eastern Iowa transported an estimated total of 79,000 metric tons of total nitrogen and 6,800 metric tons of total phosphorus to the Mississippi River in 1996. The estimated mass of total nitrogen and total phosphorus transported to the Mississippi River represents about 19 percent of all estimated nitrogen and 9 percent of all estimated phosphorus input to the study area.

Carbonyl compounds in dining areas, kitchens and exhaust streams in restaurants with varying cooking methods in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

PubMed

Cheng, Jen-Hsuan; Lee, Yi-Shiun; Chen, Kang-Shin

2016-03-01

Eighteen carbonyl species in C1-C10 were measured in the dining areas, kitchens and exhaust streams of six different restaurant types in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan. Measured results in the dining areas show that Japanese barbecue (45.06ppb) had the highest total carbonyl concentrations (sum of 18 compounds), followed by Chinese hotpot (38.21ppb), Chinese stir-frying (8.99ppb), Western fast-food (8.22ppb), Chinese-Western mixed style (7.38ppb), and Chinese buffet (3.08ppb), due to their different arrangements for dining and cooking spaces and different cooking methods. On average, low carbon-containing species (C1-C4), e.g., formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone and butyraldehyde were dominant and contributed 55.01%-94.52% of total carbonyls in the dining areas of all restaurants. Meanwhile, Chinese-Western mixed restaurants (45.48ppb) had high total carbonyl concentrations in kitchens mainly because of its small kitchen and poor ventilation. However, high carbon-containing species (C5-C10) such as hexaldehyde, heptaldehyde and nonanaldehyde (16.62%-77.00% of total carbonyls) contributed comparatively with low carbon-containing compounds (23.01%-83.39% of total carbonyls) in kitchens. Furthermore, Chinese stir-frying (132.10ppb), Japanese barbecue (125.62ppb), Western fast-food (122.67ppb), and Chinese buffet (119.96ppb) were the four restaurant types with the highest total carbonyl concentrations in exhaust streams, indicating that stir-frying and grilling are inclined to produce polluted gases. Health risk assessments indicate that Chinese hotpot and Japanese barbecue exceeded the limits of cancer risk (10(-6)) and hazard index (=1), mainly due to high concentrations of formaldehyde. The other four restaurants were below both limits. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

[Dynamic changes of landscape connectivity for ecological lands and distance thresholds in the middle reaches of the Heihe River, Northwest China.

PubMed

Meng, Ji Jun; Wang, Xiao Dong; You, Nan Shan; Zhu, Li Kai

2016-06-01

Landscape connectivity describes the organic connections of landscape components in terms of landscape pattern, process, and function. We used land-cover data in 1986, 2000, and 2011, to study the changes of landscape connectivity for ecological lands (forest, grassland, and wetland) in the middle reaches of the Heihe River based on graph theory. The appropriate landscape threshold was determined by analyzing landscape connectivity changes for different thresholds. Our results indicated that the area of ecological patches, which strongly influenced landscape connectivity, decreased from 1986 to 2011 in our study area. For wetland patches, the area declined more significantly from 2000 to 2011. For grassland, the number of patches decreased and then increased. The area of grassland patches changed slightly, but some patches were fragmented. Distance thresholds had a positive relationship with landscape connectivity. 400 to 800 m was the appropriate distance threshold for the research on species dispersal and ecological flows in the middle reaches of the Heihe River. When 600 m was chosen as the distance threshold, the large patches exerted the most significant influence on regional landscape connectivity level, suggesting they played a key role in regional ecosystem stability and health. Although small ecological patches occupied a small proportion of the total area of ecological patches, it was still necessary to protect and manage these small patches given that they also influenced the maintenance and improvement of regional ecological security pattern. The research was of great importance for ecosystem management in arid areas.

Solo and Small Practices: A Vital, Diverse Part of Primary Care.

PubMed

Liaw, Winston R; Jetty, Anuradha; Petterson, Stephen M; Peterson, Lars E; Bazemore, Andrew W

2016-01-01

Solo and small practices are facing growing pressure to consolidate. Our objectives were to determine (1) the percentage of family physicians in solo and small practices, and (2) the characteristics of and services provided by these practices. A total of 10,888 family physicians seeking certification through the American Board of Family Medicine in 2013 completed a demographic survey. Their practices were split into categories by size: solo, small (2 to 5 providers), medium (6 to 20 providers), and large (more than 20 providers). We also determined the rurality of the county where the physicians practiced. We developed 2 logistic regression models: one assessed predictors of practicing in a solo or small practice, while the other was restricted to solo and small practices and assessed predictors of practicing in a solo practice. More than one-half of respondents worked in solo or small practices. Small practices were the largest group (36%) and were the most likely to be located in a rural setting (20%). The likelihood of having a care coordinator and medical home certification increased with practice size. Physicians were more likely to be practicing in small or solo practices (vs medium-sized or large ones) if they were African American or Hispanic, had been working for more than 30 years, and worked in rural areas. Physicians were more likely to be practicing in small practices (vs solo ones) if they worked in highly rural areas. Family physicians in solo and small practices comprised the majority among all family physicians seeking board certification and were more likely to work in rural geographies. Extension programs and community health teams have the potential to support transformation within these practices. © 2016 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

Solo and Small Practices: A Vital, Diverse Part of Primary Care

PubMed Central

Liaw, Winston R.; Jetty, Anuradha; Petterson, Stephen M.; Peterson, Lars E.; Bazemore, Andrew W.

2016-01-01

PURPOSE Solo and small practices are facing growing pressure to consolidate. Our objectives were to determine (1) the percentage of family physicians in solo and small practices, and (2) the characteristics of and services provided by these practices. METHODS A total of 10,888 family physicians seeking certification through the American Board of Family Medicine in 2013 completed a demographic survey. Their practices were split into categories by size: solo, small (2 to 5 providers), medium (6 to 20 providers), and large (more than 20 providers). We also determined the rurality of the county where the physicians practiced. We developed 2 logistic regression models: one assessed predictors of practicing in a solo or small practice, while the other was restricted to solo and small practices and assessed predictors of practicing in a solo practice. RESULTS More than one-half of respondents worked in solo or small practices. Small practices were the largest group (36%) and were the most likely to be located in a rural setting (20%). The likelihood of having a care coordinator and medical home certification increased with practice size. Physicians were more likely to be practicing in small or solo practices (vs medium-sized or large ones) if they were African American or Hispanic, had been working for more than 30 years, and worked in rural areas. Physicians were more likely to be practicing in small practices (vs solo ones) if they worked in highly rural areas. CONCLUSIONS Family physicians in solo and small practices comprised the majority among all family physicians seeking board certification and were more likely to work in rural geographies. Extension programs and community health teams have the potential to support transformation within these practices. PMID:26755778

Adsorption of water vapour and the specific surface area of arctic zone soils (Spitsbergen)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cieśla, Jolanta; Sokołowska, Zofia; Witkowska-Walczak, Barbara; Skic, Kamil

2018-01-01

Water vapour/nitrogen adsorption were investigated and calculated the specific surface areas of arctic-zone soil samples (Turbic Cryosols) originating from different micro-relief forms (mud boils, cell forms and sorted circles) and from different depths. For the characterisation of the isotherms obtained for arctic soils, the Brunauer-Emmet-Teller model was then compared with the two other models (Aranovich-Donohue and Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer) which were developed from Brunauer-Emmet-Teller. Specific surface area was calculated using the Brunauer-Emmet-Teller model at p p0-1 range of 0.05-0.35 for the water vapour desorption and nitrogen adsorption isotherms. The values of total specific surface area were the highest in Cryosols on mud boils, lower on cell forms, and the lowest on sorted circles. Such tendency was observed for the results obtained by both the water vapour and nitrogen adsorption. The differences in the values of specific surface area at two investigated layers were small. High determination coefficients were obtained for relationships between the specific surface areas and contents of clay and silt fraction in Cryosols. No statistically significant correlation between the total carbon amount and the values of specific surface area in Cryosols has been found.

Ecological Importance of Small-Diameter Trees to the Structure, Diversity and Biomass of a Tropical Evergreen Forest at Rabi, Gabon.

PubMed

Memiaghe, Hervé R; Lutz, James A; Korte, Lisa; Alonso, Alfonso; Kenfack, David

2016-01-01

Tropical forests have long been recognized for their biodiversity and ecosystem services. Despite their importance, tropical forests, and particularly those of central Africa, remain understudied. Until recently, most forest inventories in Central Africa have focused on trees ≥10 cm in diameter, even though several studies have shown that small-diameter tree population may be important to demographic rates and nutrient cycling. To determine the ecological importance of small-diameter trees in central African forests, we used data from a 25-ha permanent plot that we established in the rainforest of Gabon to study the diversity and dynamics of these forests. Within the plot, we censused 175,830 trees ≥1 cm dbh from 54 families, 192 genera, and 345 species. Average tree density was 7,026 trees/ha, basal area 31.64 m2/ha, and above-ground biomass 369.40 Mg/ha. Fabaceae, Ebenaceae and Euphorbiaceae were the most important families by basal area, density and above-ground biomass. Small-diameter trees (1 cm ≥ dbh <10 cm) comprised 93.7% of the total tree population, 16.5% of basal area, and 4.8% of the above-ground biomass. They also had diversity 18% higher at family level, 34% higher at genus level, and 42% higher at species level than trees ≥10 cm dbh. Although the relative contribution of small-diameter trees to biomass was comparable to other forests globally, their contribution to forest density, and diversity was disproportionately higher. The high levels of diversity within small-diameter classes may give these forests high levels of structural resilience to anthropogenic/natural disturbance and a changing climate.

Ecological Importance of Small-Diameter Trees to the Structure, Diversity and Biomass of a Tropical Evergreen Forest at Rabi, Gabon

PubMed Central

Memiaghe, Hervé R.; Lutz, James A.; Korte, Lisa; Alonso, Alfonso; Kenfack, David

2016-01-01

Tropical forests have long been recognized for their biodiversity and ecosystem services. Despite their importance, tropical forests, and particularly those of central Africa, remain understudied. Until recently, most forest inventories in Central Africa have focused on trees ≥10 cm in diameter, even though several studies have shown that small-diameter tree population may be important to demographic rates and nutrient cycling. To determine the ecological importance of small-diameter trees in central African forests, we used data from a 25-ha permanent plot that we established in the rainforest of Gabon to study the diversity and dynamics of these forests. Within the plot, we censused 175,830 trees ≥1 cm dbh from 54 families, 192 genera, and 345 species. Average tree density was 7,026 trees/ha, basal area 31.64 m2/ha, and above-ground biomass 369.40 Mg/ha. Fabaceae, Ebenaceae and Euphorbiaceae were the most important families by basal area, density and above-ground biomass. Small-diameter trees (1 cm ≥ dbh <10 cm) comprised 93.7% of the total tree population, 16.5% of basal area, and 4.8% of the above-ground biomass. They also had diversity 18% higher at family level, 34% higher at genus level, and 42% higher at species level than trees ≥10 cm dbh. Although the relative contribution of small-diameter trees to biomass was comparable to other forests globally, their contribution to forest density, and diversity was disproportionately higher. The high levels of diversity within small-diameter classes may give these forests high levels of structural resilience to anthropogenic/natural disturbance and a changing climate. PMID:27186658

48 CFR 19.502-2 - Total small business set-asides.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Total small business set... SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Set-Asides for Small Business 19.502-2 Total small business set... exclusively for small business concerns and shall be set aside for small business unless the contracting...

The role of feral mammals on wildlife infectious disease prevalence in two nature reserves within Mexico City limits.

PubMed

Suzán, Gerardo; Ceballos, Gerardo

2005-09-01

Wild and feral medium-sized mammals were live trapped at two natural protected areas within the Mexico City limits to determine antibody prevalence for the most common infectious diseases (rabies, toxoplasmosis, and canine parvovirus) in dogs and cats. Mammals were trapped during the dry (March-April) and rainy seasons (July-August) of 1996 and 1997. A total of 68 individuals were captured, representing 8 species: opossums (Didelphis virginiana), ringtails (Bassariscus astutus), spotted skunks (Spilogale gracilis), weasels (Mustela frenata), rock squirrels (Spermophilus variegatus), Mexican gray squirrels (Sciurus aureogaster), feral cats (Felis catus), and feral dogs (Canis familiaris). There was marked seroprevalence for parvovirus (86.6%) and lower seroprevalences for both toxoplasma (23.9%) and rabies (17.9%). There were no significant prevalence differences among mammals in both protected areas, which were of contrasting size and isolation (i.e., small and isolated versus large and nonisolated). We suggest that high seroprevalence of these three infectious agents in wild mammals is a result of the high densities of feral dogs and cats in the two areas sampled. Feral dogs are able to maintain the infectious agents in these localities regardless of the protected area size and isolation. However, the native mammals of the small and isolated reserve are more vulnerable to infectious diseases because of small population size and genetic bottlenecks. Our results indicate that natural areas in and around Mexico City are a refugium for latent infectious agents, several of which are zoonotic. These findings suggest that conservation measures, such as eradication of feral mammals and vaccination programs, in the protected areas and surrounding areas could be beneficial.

Active landslide monitoring using remote sensing data, GPS measurements and cameras on board UAV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikolakopoulos, Konstantinos G.; Kavoura, Katerina; Depountis, Nikolaos; Argyropoulos, Nikolaos; Koukouvelas, Ioannis; Sabatakakis, Nikolaos

2015-10-01

An active landslide can be monitored using many different methods: Classical geotechnical measurements like inclinometer, topographical survey measurements with total stations or GPS and photogrammetric techniques using airphotos or high resolution satellite images. As the cost of the aerial photo campaign and the acquisition of very high resolution satellite data is quite expensive the use of cameras on board UAV could be an identical solution. Small UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) have started their development as expensive toys but they currently became a very valuable tool in remote sensing monitoring of small areas. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate a cheap but effective solution for an active landslide monitoring. We present the first experimental results of the synergistic use of UAV, GPS measurements and remote sensing data. A six-rotor aircraft with a total weight of 6 kg carrying two small cameras has been used. Very accurate digital airphotos, high accuracy DSM, DGPS measurements and the data captured from the UAV are combined and the results are presented in the current study.

Hydrologic conditions in the South Coast aquifer, Puerto Rico, 2010–15

USGS Publications Warehouse

Torres-Gonzalez, Sigfredo; Rodriguez, Jose M.

2016-01-15

Water level declines reduce the thickness of freshwater in the unconfined parts of the South Coast aquifer. Additionally, the pumping-induced migration of poor-quality water from deep or seaward areas of the aquifer can contribute to reductions in the thickness of freshwater in the aquifer. The reduction in the freshwater saturated thickness of the aquifer in areas near Ponce, Juana Díaz, Salinas, and Guayama is of particular concern because the total saturated thickness of the aquifer is thinner in these areas. Total dissolved solids concentration in groundwater samples indicates a small positive trend in Ponce, Santa Isabel, Salinas, and Guayama. Diminished aquifer recharge during 2012 to 2015 and, to a lesser extent, increased groundwater withdrawals have resulted in a reduction in the freshwater saturated thickness of the aquifer. The reduction in freshwater saturated thickness of the aquifer may affect freshwater resources available for agriculture and public water supply. A prolonged time period with reduced aquifer recharge may have substantial implications for groundwater levels and fresh groundwater availability.

Measurement and analysis of a small nozzle plume in vacuum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Penko, P. F.; Boyd, I. D.; Meissner, D. L.; Dewitt, K. J.

1993-01-01

Pitot pressures and flow angles are measured in the plume of a nozzle flowing nitrogen and exhausting to a vacuum. Total pressures are measured with Pitot tubes sized for specific regions of the plume and flow angles measured with a conical probe. The measurement area for total pressure extends 480 mm (16 exit diameters) downstream of the nozzle exit plane and radially to 60 mm (1.9 exit diameters) off the plume axis. The measurement area for flow angle extends to 160 mm (5 exit diameters) downstream and radially to 60 mm. The measurements are compared to results from a numerical simulation of the flow that is based on kinetic theory and uses the direct-simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method. Comparisons of computed results from the DSMC method with measurements of flow angle display good agreement in the far-field of the plume and improve with increasing distance from the exit plane. Pitot pressures computed from the DSMC method are in reasonably good agreement with experimental results over the entire measurement area.

[Limiting factors of waste land revegetation in indigenous zinc smelting areas of western Guizhou].

PubMed

Lin, Wen-Jie; Xiao, Tang-Fu; Ao, Zi-Qiang; Xing, Jun; Ma, Huan-Cheng; Hu, Ting-Xing

2007-03-01

With indigenous zinc smelting waste residue, contaminated soil and background soil as test substrates, a pot experiment was conducted to study the growth characteristics of Lolium perenne and Trifolium pretense on these substrates. The results showed that the major limiting factors of waste land revegetation in indigenous zinc smelting areas of western Guizhou were the salt-alkali stress and the lower contents of organic matter, total N, available N and total K. The heavy metals in waste residue had a high concentration, but their available forms only occupied a small proportion, with low toxicity to plant but having potential harmful risk. Contaminated soil had lower concentrations of heavy metals than waste residue, but its contained heavy metals were more in available form. The constraints of revegetation on contaminated soil were the toxicity of heavy metals and the low contents of available P and K. Mixing contaminated soil with zinc smelting waste residue could be one of the effective approaches for the substrate amendment in indigenous zinc smelting areas.

Elevational pattern of bird species richness and its causes along a central Himalaya gradient, China

PubMed Central

Pan, Xinyuan; Ding, Zhifeng; Hu, Yiming; Liang, Jianchao; Wu, Yongjie; Si, Xingfeng; Guo, Mingfang

2016-01-01

This study examines the relative importance of six variables: area, the mid-domain effect, temperature, precipitation, productivity, and habitat heterogeneity on elevational patterns of species richness for breeding birds along a central Himalaya gradient in the Gyirong Valley, the longest of five canyons in the Mount Qomolangma National Nature Reserve. We conducted field surveys in each of twelve elevational bands of 300 m between 1,800 and 5,400 m asl four times throughout the entire wet season. A total of 169 breeding bird species were recorded and most of the species (74%) were small-ranged. The species richness patterns of overall, large-ranged and small-ranged birds were all hump-shaped, but with peaks at different elevations. Large-ranged species and small-ranged species contributed equally to the overall richness pattern. Based on the bivariate and multiple regression analyses, area and precipitation were not crucial factors in determining the species richness along this gradient. The mid-domain effect played an important role in shaping the richness pattern of large-ranged species. Temperature was negatively correlated with overall and large-ranged species but positively correlated with small-ranged species. Productivity was a strong explanatory factor among all the bird groups, and habitat heterogeneity played an important role in shaping the elevational richness patterns of overall and small-ranged species. Our results highlight the need to conserve primary forest and intact habitat in this area. Furthermore, we need to increase conservation efforts in this montane biodiversity hotspot in light of increasing anthropogenic activities and land use pressure. PMID:27833806

Elevational pattern of bird species richness and its causes along a central Himalaya gradient, China.

PubMed

Pan, Xinyuan; Ding, Zhifeng; Hu, Yiming; Liang, Jianchao; Wu, Yongjie; Si, Xingfeng; Guo, Mingfang; Hu, Huijian; Jin, Kun

2016-01-01

This study examines the relative importance of six variables: area, the mid-domain effect, temperature, precipitation, productivity, and habitat heterogeneity on elevational patterns of species richness for breeding birds along a central Himalaya gradient in the Gyirong Valley, the longest of five canyons in the Mount Qomolangma National Nature Reserve. We conducted field surveys in each of twelve elevational bands of 300 m between 1,800 and 5,400 m asl four times throughout the entire wet season. A total of 169 breeding bird species were recorded and most of the species (74%) were small-ranged. The species richness patterns of overall, large-ranged and small-ranged birds were all hump-shaped, but with peaks at different elevations. Large-ranged species and small-ranged species contributed equally to the overall richness pattern. Based on the bivariate and multiple regression analyses, area and precipitation were not crucial factors in determining the species richness along this gradient. The mid-domain effect played an important role in shaping the richness pattern of large-ranged species. Temperature was negatively correlated with overall and large-ranged species but positively correlated with small-ranged species. Productivity was a strong explanatory factor among all the bird groups, and habitat heterogeneity played an important role in shaping the elevational richness patterns of overall and small-ranged species. Our results highlight the need to conserve primary forest and intact habitat in this area. Furthermore, we need to increase conservation efforts in this montane biodiversity hotspot in light of increasing anthropogenic activities and land use pressure.

Mature Follow-Up for High-Risk Stage I Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma Treated With Sublobar Resection and Intraoperative Iodine-125 Brachytherapy

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

Colonias, Athanasios, E-mail: acolonia@wpahs.or; Drexel University College of Medicine, Allegheny Campus, Pittsburgh, PA; Betler, James

2011-01-01

Purpose: To update the Allegheny General Hospital experience of high-risk Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with sublobar resection and intraoperative {sup 125}I Vicryl mesh brachytherapy. Methods and Materials: Between January 5, 1996 and February 19, 2008, 145 patients with Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer who were not lobectomy candidates because of cardiopulmonary compromise underwent sublobar resection and placement of {sup 125}I seeds along the resection line. The {sup 125}I seeds embedded in Vicryl suture were attached with surgical clips to a sheet of Vicryl mesh, inserted over the target area, and prescribed to a 0.5-cm planar margin. Results:more » The mean target area, total activity, number of seeds implanted, and prescribed total dose was 33.3 cm{sup 2} (range, 18.0-100.8), 20.2 mCi (range, 11.1-29.7), 46 (range, 30-100), and 117 Gy (range, 80-180), respectively. The median length of the surgical stay was 6 days (range, 1-111), with a perioperative mortality rate of 3.4%. At a median follow-up of 38.3 months (range, 1-133), 6 patients had developed local recurrence (4.1%), 9 had developed regional failure (6.2%), and 25 had distant failure (17.2%). On multivariate analysis, no patient- or tumor-specific factors or surgical or dosimetric factors were predictive of local recurrence. The overall median survival was 30.5 months with a 3- and 5-year overall survival rate of 65% and 35%, respectively. Conclusion: {sup 125}I brachytherapy for high-risk, Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer after sublobar resection is well tolerated and associated with a low local failure rate.« less

Bryophytes from Tuxedni Wilderness area, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schofield, W.B.; Talbot, S. S.; Talbot, S.L.

2002-01-01

The bryoflora of two small maritime islands, Chisik and Duck Island (2,302 ha), comprising Tuxedni Wilderness in western lower Cook Inlet, Alaska, was examined to determine species composition in an area where no previous collections had been reported. The field study was conducted from sites selected to represent the totality of environmental variation within Tuxedni Wilderness. Data were analyzed using published reports to compare the bryophyte distribution patterns at three levels, the Northern Hemisphere, North America, and Alaska. A total of 286 bryophytes were identified: 230 mosses and 56 liverworts. Bryum miniatum, Dichodontium olympicum, and Orthotrichum pollens are new to Alaska. The annotated list of species for Tuxedni Wilderness expands the known range for many species and fills distribution gaps within Hulte??n's Central Pacific Coast district. Compared with bryophyte distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, the bryoflora of Tuxedni Wilderness primarily includes taxa of boreal (61%), montane (13%), temperate (11%), arctic-alpine (7%), cosmopolitan (7%), distribution; 4% of the total moss flora are North America endemics. A brief summary of the botanical exploration of the general area is provided, as is a description of the bryophytes present in the vegetation and habitat types of Chisik and Duck Islands.

Battery collection in municipal waste management in Japan: Challenges for hazardous substance control and safety

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

Terazono, Atsushi, E-mail: terazono@nies.go.jp; Oguchi, Masahiro; Iino, Shigenori

Highlights: • Consumers need to pay attention to the specific collection rules for each type of battery in each municipality in Japan. • 6–10% of zinc carbon and alkaline batteries discarded in Japan currently could be regarded as containing mercury. • Despite announcements by producers and municipalities, only 2.0% of discarded cylindrical dry batteries were insulated. • Batteries made up an average of 4.6% of the total collected small WEEE under the small WEEE recycling scheme in Japan. • Exchangeable batteries were used in almost all of mobile phones, but the removal rate was as low as 22% for mobilemore » phones. - Abstract: To clarify current collection rules of waste batteries in municipal waste management in Japan and to examine future challenges for hazardous substance control and safety, we reviewed collection rules of waste batteries in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. We also conducted a field survey of waste batteries collected at various battery and small waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) collection sites in Tokyo. The different types of batteries are not collected in a uniform way in the Tokyo area, so consumers need to pay attention to the specific collection rules for each type of battery in each municipality. In areas where small WEEE recycling schemes are being operated after the enforcement of the Act on Promotion of Recycling of Small Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment in Japan in 2013, consumers may be confused about the need for separating batteries from small WEEE (especially mobile phones). Our field survey of collected waste batteries indicated that 6–10% of zinc carbon and alkaline batteries discarded in Japan currently could be regarded as containing mercury. More than 26% of zinc carbon dry batteries currently being discarded may have a lead content above the labelling threshold of the EU Batteries Directive (2006/66/EC). In terms of safety, despite announcements by producers and municipalities about using insulation (tape) on waste batteries to prevent fires, only 2.0% of discarded cylindrical dry batteries were insulated. Our field study of small WEEE showed that batteries made up an average of 4.6% of the total collected small WEEE on a weight basis. Exchangeable batteries were used in almost all of mobile phones, digital cameras, radios, and remote controls, but the removal rate was as low as 22% for mobile phones. Given the safety issues and the rapid changes occurring with mobile phones or other types of small WEEE, discussion is needed among stakeholders to determine how to safely collect and recycle WEEE and waste batteries.« less

Large forest fires in Canada, 1959-1997

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stocks, B. J.; Mason, J. A.; Todd, J. B.; Bosch, E. M.; Wotton, B. M.; Amiro, B. D.; Flannigan, M. D.; Hirsch, K. G.; Logan, K. A.; Martell, D. L.; Skinner, W. R.

2002-01-01

A Large Fire Database (LFDB), which includes information on fire location, start date, final size, cause, and suppression action, has been developed for all fires larger than 200 ha in area for Canada for the 1959-1997 period. The LFDB represents only 3.1% of the total number of Canadian fires during this period, the remaining 96.9% of fires being suppressed while <200 ha in size, yet accounts for ˜97% of the total area burned, allowing a spatial and temporal analysis of recent Canadian landscape-scale fire impacts. On average ˜2 million ha burned annually in these large fires, although more than 7 million ha burned in some years. Ecozones in the boreal and taiga regions experienced the greatest areas burned, with an average of 0.7% of the forested land burning annually. Lightning fires predominate in northern Canada, accounting for 80% of the total LFDB area burned. Large fires, although small in number, contribute substantially to area burned, most particularly in the boreal and taiga regions. The Canadian fire season runs from late April through August, with most of the area burned occurring in June and July due primarily to lightning fire activity in northern Canada. Close to 50% of the area burned in Canada is the result of fires that are not actioned due to their remote location, low values-at-risk, and efforts to accommodate the natural role of fire in these ecosystems. The LFDB is updated annually and is being expanded back in time to permit a more thorough analysis of long-term trends in Canadian fire activity.

Large forest fires in Canada, 1959-1997

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stocks, B. J.; Mason, J. A.; Todd, J. B.; Bosch, E. M.; Wotton, B. M.; Amiro, B. D.; Flannigan, M. D.; Hirsch, K. G.; Logan, K. A.; Martell, D. L.; Skinner, W. R.

2003-01-01

A Large Fire Database (LFDB), which includes information on fire location, start date, final size, cause, and suppression action, has been developed for all fires larger than 200 ha in area for Canada for the 1959-1997 period. The LFDB represents only 3.1% of the total number of Canadian fires during this period, the remaining 96.9% of fires being suppressed while <200 ha in size, yet accounts for ~97% of the total area burned, allowing a spatial and temporal analysis of recent Canadian landscape-scale fire impacts. On average ~2 million ha burned annually in these large fires, although more than 7 million ha burned in some years. Ecozones in the boreal and taiga regions experienced the greatest areas burned, with an average of 0.7% of the forested land burning annually. Lightning fires predominate in northern Canada, accounting for 80% of the total LFDB area burned. Large fires, although small in number, contribute substantially to area burned, most particularly in the boreal and taiga regions. The Canadian fire season runs from late April through August, with most of the area burned occurring in June and July due primarily to lightning fire activity in northern Canada. Close to 50% of the area burned in Canada is the result of fires that are not actioned due to their remote location, low values-at-risk, and efforts to accommodate the natural role of fire in these ecosystems. The LFDB is updated annually and is being expanded back in time to permit a more thorough analysis of long-term trends in Canadian fire activity.

Nutrient export from watersheds on Mt. Desert Island, maine, as a function of land use and fire history

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nielsen, M.G.; Kahl, J.S.

2007-01-01

A study of 13 small (less than 7.5 km2) watersheds on Mt. Desert Island, Maine, was conducted from January 1999 to September 2000 to determine nutrient export delivery to coastal waters around the island, and to determine whether a series of wildfires in 1947 have affected nutrient export in burned watersheds. Nutrient export (nitrate-nitrogen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus) was determined for each watershed during the study period, and was normalized by watershed area. The yield of nitrate-nitrogen (N) ranged from 10 to 140 kg/km2/year. Total N yield ranged from 42 to 250 kg/ km2/year. Total phosphorus (P) yield ranged from 1.4 to 7.9 kg/km2/year. Watersheds entirely within Acadia National Park (lacking human land-based nutrient sources) exported significantly less total N and total P than watersheds that were partly or entirely outside the park boundary. Nitrate-N export was not significantly different in these two groups of watersheds, perhaps because atmospheric deposition is a dominant source of nitrate in the study area. No relation was observed between burn history and nutrient export. Any effect of burn history may be masked by other landscape-level factors related to nutrient export. ?? Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2007.

Cubic-Foot Volume Tables for Shortleaf Pine in the Virginia-Carolina Piedmont

Treesearch

Glenn P. Haney; Paul P. Kormanik

1962-01-01

Available volume tables for shortleaf pine are based on merchantable height and do not show volumes to the small top diameter limits now used in many areas. Volume tables based on total height are also often preferred because they eliminate the error associated with ocular estimates of merchantable height. The table presented here for natural shortleaf pine is based on...

Characteristics of residues in a cable-logged area of old-growth Douglas-fir.

Treesearch

W.Y. Pong; John W. Henley

1984-01-01

The volume and character of woody material on the ground in four old-growth Douglas-fir cutting units in the Cascade Range in Oregon were determined before and after harvesting by cable and yarding of unutilized material (YUM). Total volume of residue increased after logging in all units. Coarse residues were reduced by YUM yarding. Small changes in the defect...

Nature and nurture in the family physician's choice of practice location.

PubMed

Orzanco, Maria Gabriela; Lovato, Chris; Bates, Joanna; Slade, Steve; Grand'Maison, Paul; Vanasse, Alain

2011-01-01

An understanding of the contextual, professional, and personal factors that affect choice of practice location for physicians is needed to support successful strategies in addressing geographic maldistribution of physicians. This study compared two categories of predictors of family practice location in non-metropolitan areas among undergraduate medical students: individual characteristics (nature), and the rural program component of their training program (nurture). The study aimed to identify factors that predict the location of practice 2 years post-residency training and determine the predictive value of combining nature and nurture variables using administrative data from two undergraduate medical education programs. Databases were developed from available administrative sources for a retrospective analysis of two undergraduate medical education programs in Canada: Université de Sherbrooke (UdeS) and University of British Columbia (UBC). Both schools have a strong mandate to evaluate the impact of their programs on physician distribution. The dependent variable was location of practice 2 years after completing postgraduate training in family medicine. Independent variables included individual and program characteristics. Separate analyses were conducted for each program using multiple logistic regression. The nature and nurture variables considered in the models explained only 21% to 27% of the variance in the eventual location of practice of family physician graduates. For UdeS, having an address in a rural/small-town environment at application to medical school (OR=2.61, 95% CI: 1.24-6.06) and for UBC, location of high school in a rural/small town (OR=4.03, 95% CI: 1.05-15.41), both increased the chances of practicing in a non-metropolitan area. For UdeS the nurture variable (ie length of clerkship in a non-metropolitan area) was the most significant predictor (OR=1.14, 95% CI: 1.067-1.22). For both medical schools, adding a single nurture variable to the model using only nature variables significantly increased the amount of variation accounted for in predicting location of practice in non-metropolitan areas. Aspects of graduates' rural background increase the chances of practicing in a non-metropolitan area. A third-year clerkship experience in a rural area may increase the chances of non-metropolitan practice. Although the total variation predicted by both nature and nurture variables in this study was small, adding a nurture variable significantly improves the prediction of individuals who will practice in a non-metropolitan area. The fact that total variation predicted was small is likely to be due to the limitations of the administrative databases used. Different strategies are being implemented in each university to improve the quality of existing administrative databases, as well as to collect relevant data about intent-to-practice, training characteristics, and the attitudes, beliefs and backgrounds of students.

Therapeutic Challenge in a Severely Atrophic Mandible

PubMed Central

Janev, Edvard; Janeva, Nadica; Peeva–Petreska, Marija; Mitic, Kristina

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: After tooth loss, however, severely atrophic residual alveolar ridges are fairly common, especially in patients who have been edentulous for a long period. Anterior area of the mandible is areas where clinicians have greater anatomical limitations. Reduced alveolar bone height very often represents a contraindication to implant therapy, unless a procedure such as a ridge augmentation is performed. CASE REPORT: This study aims to present two separate cases in highly selected edentulous anterior mandibular sites, where one stage, mini implants were used to support total prostheses. Small diameter implants have been used for retention of complete removable mandibular overdentures. This is an excellent option for those who suffer from the inconvenience and embarrassment of loose lower dentures and are tired of having to use sticky pastes and creams to make their dentures stay in place. CONCLUSION: Small diameter implants, when used multiples may offer adequate support for a removable prosthesis and overcome this problem. PMID:29610621

Strain analysis in the Sanandaj-Sirjan HP-LT Metamorphic Belt, SW Iran: Insights from small-scale faults and associated drag folds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkarinejad, Khalil; Keshavarz, Saeede; Faghih, Ali

2015-05-01

This study is aimed at quantifying the kinematics of deformation using a population of drag fold structures associated with small-scale faults in deformed quartzites from Seh-Ghalatoun area within the HP-LT Sanandaj-Sirjan Metamorphic Belt, SW Iran. A total 30 small-scale faults in the quartzite layers were examined to determine the deformation characteristics. Obtained data revealed α0 (initial fault angle) and ω (angle between flow apophyses) are equal to 83° and 32°, respectively. These data yield mean kinematic vorticity number (Wm) equal to 0.79 and mean finite strain (Rs) of 2.32. These results confirm the relative contribution of ∼43% pure shear and ∼57% simple shear components, respectively. The strain partitioning inferred from this quantitative analysis is consistent with a sub-simple or general shear deformation pattern associated with a transpressional flow regime in the study area as a part of the Zagros Orogen. This type of deformation resulted from oblique convergence between the Afro-Arabian and Central-Iranian plates.

Assessment of relevant factors and relationships concerning human dermal exposure to pesticides in greenhouse applications.

PubMed

Martínez Vidal, Jose L; Egea González, Francisco J; Garrido Frenich, Antonia; Martínez Galera, María; Aguilera, Pedro A; López Carrique, Enrique

2002-08-01

Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the gas chromatographic data obtained from 23 different greenhouse trials. This was used to establish which factors, including application technique (very small, small, medium and large drop-size), crop characteristics (short/tall, thin/dense) and pattern application of the operator (walking towards or away from the treated area) are relevant to the dermal exposure levels of greenhouse applicators. The results showed that the highest exposure by pesticides during field applications in greenhouses, in the climatic conditions and in the crop conditions typical of a southern European country, occurs on the lower legs and front thighs of the applicators. Similar results were obtained by hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). Drop-size seems to be very important in determining total exposure, while height and density of crops have little influence on total exposure under the conditions of the present study. No pesticide type is a major factor in total exposure. The application of multiple regression analysis (MRA) allowed assessment of the relationships between the pesticide exposure of the less affected parts of the body with the most affected parts.

48 CFR 19.502-2 - Total small business set-asides.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Total small business set... SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Set-Asides for Small Business 19.502-2 Total small business set... contracting officer does not proceed with the small business set-aside and purchases on an unrestricted basis...

48 CFR 19.502-2 - Total small business set-asides.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Total small business set... SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Set-Asides for Small Business 19.502-2 Total small business set... contracting officer does not proceed with the small business set-aside and purchases on an unrestricted basis...

48 CFR 19.502-2 - Total small business set-asides.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Total small business set... SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Set-Asides for Small Business 19.502-2 Total small business set... contracting officer does not proceed with the small business set-aside and purchases on an unrestricted basis...

Gradient zone boundary control in salt gradient solar ponds

DOEpatents

Hull, John R.

1984-01-01

A method and apparatus for suppressing zone boundary migration in a salt gradient solar pond includes extending perforated membranes across the pond at the boundaries, between the convective and non-convective zones, the perforations being small enough in size to prevent individual turbulence disturbances from penetrating the hole, but being large enough to allow easy molecular diffusion of salt thereby preventing the formation of convective zones in the gradient layer. The total area of the perforations is a sizable fraction of the membrane area to allow sufficient salt diffusion while preventing turbulent entrainment into the gradient zone.

Gradient zone-boundary control in salt-gradient solar ponds

DOEpatents

Hull, J.R.

1982-09-29

A method and apparatus for suppressing zone boundary migration in a salt gradient solar pond includes extending perforated membranes across the pond at the boundaries, between the convective and non-convective zones, the perforations being small enough in size to prevent individual turbulence disturbances from penetrating the hole, but being large enough to allow easy molecular diffusion of salt thereby preventing the formation of convective zones in the gradient layer. The total area of the perforations is a sizeable fraction of the membrane area to allow sufficient salt diffusion while preventing turbulent entrainment into the gradient zone.

The radiated electromagnetic field from collimated gamma rays and electron beams in air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tumolillo, T. A.; Wondra, J. P.; Hobbs, W. E.; Smith, K.

1980-12-01

Nuclear weapons effects computer codes are used to study the electromagnetic field produced by gamma rays or by highly relativistic electron beams moving through the air. Consideration is given to large-area electron and gamma beams, small-area electron beams, variation of total beam current, variation of pressure in the beam channel, variation of the beam rise time, variation of beam radius, far-field radiated signals, and induced current on a system from a charged-particle beam. The work has application to system EMP coupling from nuclear weapons or charged-particle-beam weapons.

A prototype of the procedure of strong ground motion prediction for intraslab earthquake based on characterized source model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwata, T.; Asano, K.; Sekiguchi, H.

2011-12-01

We propose a prototype of the procedure to construct source models for strong motion prediction during intraslab earthquakes based on the characterized source model (Irikura and Miyake, 2011). The key is the characterized source model which is based on the empirical scaling relationships for intraslab earthquakes and involve the correspondence between the SMGA (strong motion generation area, Miyake et al., 2003) and the asperity (large slip area). Iwata and Asano (2011) obtained the empirical relationships of the rupture area (S) and the total asperity area (Sa) to the seismic moment (Mo) as follows, with assuming power of 2/3 dependency of S and Sa on M0, S (km**2) = 6.57×10**(-11)×Mo**(2/3) (Nm) (1) Sa (km**2) = 1.04 ×10**(-11)×Mo**(2/3) (Nm) (2). Iwata and Asano (2011) also pointed out that the position and the size of SMGA approximately corresponds to the asperity area for several intraslab events. Based on the empirical relationships, we gave a procedure for constructing source models of intraslab earthquakes for strong motion prediction. [1] Give the seismic moment, Mo. [2] Obtain the total rupture area and the total asperity area according to the empirical scaling relationships between S, Sa, and Mo given by Iwata and Asano (2011). [3] Square rupture area and asperities are assumed. [4] The source mechanism is assumed to be the same as that of small events in the source region. [5] Plural scenarios including variety of the number of asperities and rupture starting points are prepared. We apply this procedure by simulating strong ground motions for several observed events for confirming the methodology.

Hydrology of area 25, Eastern Region, Interior Coal Province, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zuehls, E.E.; Ryan, G.L.; Peart, D.B.; Fitzgerald, K.K.

1981-01-01

The eastern region of the Interior Coal Province has been divided into 11 hydrologic study areas. Area 25, located in west-central Illinois, includes the Spoon River and small tributaries to the Illinois River. Pennsylvanian age rocks underlie most of the study area. Illinois, with the largest reserves of bituminous coal, is second only to Montana in total coal reserves. Loess soils cover most of the study area. Agriculture is the dominant land use. Surface water provides 97% of all the water used. Precipitation averages 34 to 35 inches. Water-quality data has been collected at over 31 sites. Analysis for specific conductance, pH, alkalinity, iron, manganese, sulfate and many trace elements and other water-quality constituents have been completed. These data are available from computer storage through the National Water Data Storage and Retrieval System (WATSTORE). (USGS)

Meteorites found on Misfits Flat dry lake, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harlan, Scott; Jenniskens, Peter; Zolensky, Michael E.; Yin, Qing-Zhu; Verosub, Kenneth L.; Rowland, Douglas J.; Sanborn, Matthew; Huyskens, Magdalena; Creager, Emily R.; Jull, A. J. Timothy

2016-04-01

Meteorites have been found on the small Misfits Flat dry lakebed near Stagecoach, Nevada (119.382W, +39.348N). Since the first find on Sept. 22, 2013, a total of 58 stones of weathering stage W2/3 with a combined mass of 339 g have been collected in 19 visits to the area. This small (3.3 × 3.6 km) lakebed is now a newly designated dense collection area (DCA). Most meteorites were found in a small 350 × 180 m area along the north shore and most are fragments of several broken individual stones. Three of these fragments were classified as an LL4/5 of shock stage S2, now named Misfits Flat 001, one of which (stone MF33) fell 8.1 ± 1.3 ka ago based on the 14C terrestrial age, assuming it came from a 20-80 cm diameter meteoroid. In addition, a small darkly crusted meteorite MF34, now named Misfits Flat 002, was found 820 m WSW from the main mass. This meteorite is classified as an LL5 ordinary chondrite with shock stage S4/5. The meteorite is saturated in 14C at 63 dpm kg-1, suggesting it originated from the center of a 0.5 m diameter meteoroid, or deep inside a ~1.0 m meteoroid, less than 300 yr ago. Accounts exist of a fireball seen at 13:15 UT on March 2, 1895, that are consistent with the find location of Misfits Flat 002.

Advances in water resources monitoring from space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salomonson, V. V.

1974-01-01

Nimbus-5 observations indicate that over the oceans the total precipitable water in a column of atmosphere can be estimated to within + or - 10%, the liquid water content of clouds can be estimated to within + or - 25%, areas of precipitation can be delineated, and broad estimates of the precipitation rate obtained. ERTS-1 observations permit the measurement of snow covered area to within a few percent of drainage basin area and snowline altitudes can be estimated to within 60 meters. Surface water areas as small as 1 hectare can be inventoried over large regions such as playa lakes region of West Texas and Eastern New Mexico. In addition, changes in land use on water-sheds occurring as a result of forest fires, urban development, clear cutting, or strip mining can be rapidly obtained.

Integrating small mammal community variables into aircraft-wildlife collision management plans at Namibian airports.

PubMed

Hauptfleisch, Morgan L; Avenant, Nico L

2015-11-01

Understanding ecosystems within and around airports can help to determine the causes and possible mitigation measures for collisions between aircraft and wildlife. Small mammal communities are an important component of the semi-arid savanna ecosystems of Namibia, its productivity and its ecosystem integrity. They are also a major direct attractant for raptors at airports. The present study compared the abundance and diversity of small mammals between Namibia's 2 main airport properties (Hosea Kutako International Airport and Eros Airport), and among areas of land used for various purposes surrounding the airports. A total of 2150 small mammals (3 orders, 11 species) were captured over 4 trapping seasons. Small mammal abundance was significantly higher at the end of the growing season than during the non-growing season. The grass mowing regimen in current management plans at the airports resulted in a significant reduction of small mammal abundance at Hosea Kutako during the non-growing season only, thus indicating that annual mowing is effective but insufficient to reduce the overall abundance of mammal prey species for raptors. Small mammal numbers were significantly higher at Hosea Kutako Airport compared to the cattle and game farming land surrounding the airport, while no differences in small mammal densities or diversity were found for areas with different land uses at and surrounding Eros. The study suggests that the fence around Hosea Kutako provides a refuge for small mammals, resulting in higher densities. It also indicates that different surrounding land use practices result in altered ecosystem function and productivity, an important consideration when identifying wildlife attractants at airports. © 2015 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Small animal bone density and morphometry analysis with a dual energy x-ray absorptiometry bone densitometer using a 2D digital radiographic detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boudousq, V.; Bordy, T.; Gonon, G.; Dinten, J. M.

2005-04-01

The LEXXOS (DMS, Montpellier, France) is the first axial and total body cone beam bone densitometer using a 2D digital radiographic detector. Technical principles and performances for BMD measurements have been presented in previous papers. Bone densitometers are also used on small animals for drug development. In this paper, we show how the LEXXOS system can be adapted to small animals examinations, and its performances are evaluated. At first, in order to take advantage of the whole area of the digital flat panel X-ray detector, the geometrical configuration has been adapted. Secondly, as small animals present low BMD, a specific dual energy calibration has been defined. This adapted system has then been evaluated on two sets of mice: six reference mice and six ovariectomized mice. Each month, these two populations have been examined and the total body BMD has been measured. This evaluation has shown that the right order of BMD magnitude has been obtained and, as expected, BMD increases on the two sets until age of puberty and after this period, decreases significantly for the ovariectomized set. Moreover, the bone image obtained by dual energy processing on LEXXOS presents a radiographic image quality providing with useful complementary information on bone morphometry and architecture.

Porcine circovirus type 2 antibody detection in backyard pigs from Mexico City.

PubMed

Ramírez-Mendoza, H; Martínez, C; Mercado, C; Castillo-Juárez, H; Hernández, J; Segalés, J

2007-08-01

PCV2 antibodies have been found in pigs from all continents. However, this finding has been mainly studied in domestic swine reared under intensive production conditions. Mexico City, with a human population over 19 million in 2005, has both urban and rural areas. The pig production in its rural area is based on small family backyard farms. Taking into account this rather unique form of rearing pigs, the objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence in backyard pigs from the rural area of Mexico City. A total of 695 backyard pig serum samples from 108 small family farms belonging to seven municipal areas were studied by immunoperoxidase monolayer assay technique. One hundred six out of the 108 family farms (98.14%) had at least one positive serum sample. On the other hand, 136 (19.57%), 264 (37.99%) and 248 (34.82%) pigs had low, intermediate and high titres to PCV2, respectively. Only 53 samples (7.63%) were negative for PCV2 antibodies. No apparent differences in antibody titre groups were observed among backyard pigs from the different municipal areas. In conclusion, the present study, the first one performed in this kind of extensively produced pigs, indicates that PCV2 is ubiquitous in backyard pigs from Mexico City.

Ancient nursery area for the extinct giant shark megalodon from the Miocene of Panama.

PubMed

Pimiento, Catalina; Ehret, Dana J; Macfadden, Bruce J; Hubbell, Gordon

2010-05-10

As we know from modern species, nursery areas are essential shark habitats for vulnerable young. Nurseries are typically highly productive, shallow-water habitats that are characterized by the presence of juveniles and neonates. It has been suggested that in these areas, sharks can find ample food resources and protection from predators. Based on the fossil record, we know that the extinct Carcharocles megalodon was the biggest shark that ever lived. Previous proposed paleo-nursery areas for this species were based on the anecdotal presence of juvenile fossil teeth accompanied by fossil marine mammals. We now present the first definitive evidence of ancient nurseries for C. megalodon from the late Miocene of Panama, about 10 million years ago. We collected and measured fossil shark teeth of C. megalodon, within the highly productive, shallow marine Gatun Formation from the Miocene of Panama. Surprisingly, and in contrast to other fossil accumulations, the majority of the teeth from Gatun are very small. Here we compare the tooth sizes from the Gatun with specimens from different, but analogous localities. In addition we calculate the total length of the individuals found in Gatun. These comparisons and estimates suggest that the small size of Gatun's C. megalodon is neither related to a small population of this species nor the tooth position within the jaw. Thus, the individuals from Gatun were mostly juveniles and neonates, with estimated body lengths between 2 and 10.5 meters. We propose that the Miocene Gatun Formation represents the first documented paleo-nursery area for C. megalodon from the Neotropics, and one of the few recorded in the fossil record for an extinct selachian. We therefore show that sharks have used nursery areas at least for 10 millions of years as an adaptive strategy during their life histories.

48 CFR 919.502-2 - Total small business set-asides.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Total small business set-asides. 919.502-2 Section 919.502-2 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Set-Asides for Small Business 919.502-2 Total small business set...

48 CFR 919.502-2 - Total small business set-asides.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Total small business set-asides. 919.502-2 Section 919.502-2 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Set-Asides for Small Business 919.502-2 Total small business set...

48 CFR 919.502-2 - Total small business set-asides.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Total small business set-asides. 919.502-2 Section 919.502-2 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Set-Asides for Small Business 919.502-2 Total small business set...

48 CFR 919.502-2 - Total small business set-asides.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Total small business set-asides. 919.502-2 Section 919.502-2 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Set-Asides for Small Business 919.502-2 Total small business set...

Seroepidemiological Survey of Zoonotic Diseases in Small Mammals with PCR Detection of Orientia tsutsugamushi in Chiggers, Gwangju, Korea

PubMed Central

Park, Jung Wook; Chung, Jae Keun; Kim, Sun Hee; Cho, Sun Ju; Ha, Yi Deun; Jung, So Hyang; Park, Hye Jung; Song, Hyun Jae; Lee, Jung Yoon; Kim, Dong Min; Pyus, Jah; Ha, Dong Ryong; Kim, Eun Sun; Lee, Jae Il

2016-01-01

Serosurveillance for zoonotic diseases in small mammals and detection of chiggers, the vector of Orientia tsutsugamushi, were conducted from September 2014 to August 2015 in Gwangju Metropolitan Area. Apodemus agrarius was the most commonly collected small mammals (158; 91.8%), followed by Myodes regulus (8; 4.6%), and Crocidura lasiura (6; 3.5%). The highest seroprevalence of small mammals for O. tsutsugamushi (41; 26.3%) was followed by hantaviruses (24; 15.4%), Rickettsia spp. (22; 14.1%), and Leptospira (2; 1.3%). A total of 3,194 chiggers were collected from small mammals, and 1,236 of 3,194 chiggers were identified with 7 species of 3 genera: Leptotrombidium scutellare was the most commonly collected species (585; 47.3%), followed by L. orientale (422; 34.1%), Euchoengastia koreaensis (99; 8.0%), L. palpale (58; 4.7%), L. pallidum (36; 2.9%), Neotrombicula gardellai (28; 2.3%), and L. zetum (8; 0.6%). L. scutellare was the predominant species. Three of 1,236 chigger mites were positive for O. tsutsugamushi by PCR. As a result of phylogenetic analysis, the O. tsutsugamushi strain of chigger mites had sequence homology of 90.1-98.2% with Boryong. This study provides baseline data on the distribution of zoonotic diseases and potential vectors for the development of prevention strategies of vector borne diseases in Gwangju metropolitan area. PMID:27417085

Major correlates of mercury in small fish and common loons (Gavia immer) across four large study areas in Canada.

PubMed

Scheuhammer, A M; Lord, S I; Wayland, M; Burgess, N M; Champoux, L; Elliott, J E

2016-03-01

We investigated mercury (Hg) concentrations in small fish (mainly yellow perch, Perca flavescens; ∼60% of fish collected) and in blood of common loons (Gavia immer) that prey upon them during the breeding season on lakes in 4 large, widely separated study areas in Canada (>13 lakes per study area; total number of lakes = 93). Although surface sediments from lakes near a base metal smelter in Flin Flon, Manitoba had the highest Hg concentrations, perch and other small fish and blood of common loon chicks sampled from these same lakes had low Hg concentrations similar to those from uncontaminated reference lakes. Multiple regression modeling with AIC analysis indicated that lake pH was by far the most important single factor influencing perch Hg concentrations in lakes across the four study areas (R(2) = 0.29). The best model was a three-variable model (pH + alkalinity + sediment Se; Wi = 0.61, R(2) = 0.85). A single-variable model (fish Hg) best explained among-lake variability in loon chick blood Hg (Wi = 0.17; R(2) = 0.53). From a toxicological risk perspective, all lakes posing a potential Hg health risk for perch and possibly other small pelagic fish species (where mean fish muscle Hg concentrations exceeded 2.4 μg/g dry wt.), and for breeding common loons (where mean fish muscle Hg concentrations exceeded 0.8 μg/g dry wt., and loon chick blood Hg exceeded 1.4 μg/g dry wt.) had pH < 6.7 and were located in eastern Canada. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tunable, Electrically Small, Inductively Coupled Antenna for Transportable Ionospheric Heating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esser, Benedikt; Mauch, Daniel; Dickens, James; Mankowski, John; Neuber, Andreas

2018-04-01

An electrically small antenna is evaluated for use as the principle radiating element in a mobile ionospheric heating array. Consisting of a small loop antenna inductively coupled to a capacitively loaded loop, the electrically small antenna provides high efficiency with the capability of being tuned within the range of ionospheric heating. At a factor 60 smaller in area than a High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program element, this antenna provides a compact, efficient radiating element for mobile ionospheric heating. A prototype antenna at 10 MHz was built to study large-scale feasibility and possible use with photoconductive semiconductor switch-based drivers. Based on the experimental study, the design has been extrapolated to a small 6 × 4 array of antennas. At a total power input of 16.1 MW this array is predicted to provide 3.6-GW effective radiated power typically required for ionospheric heating. Array cross talk is addressed, including effects upon individual antenna port parameters. Tuning within the range of ionospheric heating, 3-10 MHz, is made possible without the use of lossy dielectrics through a large capacitive area suited to tune the antenna. Considerations for high power operation across the band are provided including a method of driving the antenna with a simple switcher requiring no radio frequency cabling. Source matching may be improved via adjustment of the coupling between small loop antenna and capacitively loaded loop improving |S11| from -1 to -21 dB at 3 MHz.

Battery collection in municipal waste management in Japan: challenges for hazardous substance control and safety.

PubMed

Terazono, Atsushi; Oguchi, Masahiro; Iino, Shigenori; Mogi, Satoshi

2015-05-01

To clarify current collection rules of waste batteries in municipal waste management in Japan and to examine future challenges for hazardous substance control and safety, we reviewed collection rules of waste batteries in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. We also conducted a field survey of waste batteries collected at various battery and small waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) collection sites in Tokyo. The different types of batteries are not collected in a uniform way in the Tokyo area, so consumers need to pay attention to the specific collection rules for each type of battery in each municipality. In areas where small WEEE recycling schemes are being operated after the enforcement of the Act on Promotion of Recycling of Small Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment in Japan in 2013, consumers may be confused about the need for separating batteries from small WEEE (especially mobile phones). Our field survey of collected waste batteries indicated that 6-10% of zinc carbon and alkaline batteries discarded in Japan currently could be regarded as containing mercury. More than 26% of zinc carbon dry batteries currently being discarded may have a lead content above the labelling threshold of the EU Batteries Directive (2006/66/EC). In terms of safety, despite announcements by producers and municipalities about using insulation (tape) on waste batteries to prevent fires, only 2.0% of discarded cylindrical dry batteries were insulated. Our field study of small WEEE showed that batteries made up an average of 4.6% of the total collected small WEEE on a weight basis. Exchangeable batteries were used in almost all of mobile phones, digital cameras, radios, and remote controls, but the removal rate was as low as 22% for mobile phones. Given the safety issues and the rapid changes occurring with mobile phones or other types of small WEEE, discussion is needed among stakeholders to determine how to safely collect and recycle WEEE and waste batteries. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biogeochemical Hotspots: Small Geographically Isolated Wetlands and their Impacts at the Landscape Scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basu, N. B.

2017-12-01

Wetlands provide a wide variety of ecosystem services, including retention of sediment and nutrients, and subsequent improvements in downstream water quality. In fact, a recent review suggests that 64% of reactive nitrogen (N) retention in US freshwater systems occurs in wetlands, while 28% occurs in lakes and reservoirs, and only 8% occurs in streams and rivers. Although the processes controlling nutrient retention in wetlands are well known, there is a lack of quantitative understanding of the relative nutrient filtering abilities of wetlands of various sizes, and in various landscape positions. Our inability to recognize the value of wetlands has led to their dramatic loss in the last few decades. Specifically, there has been an increased loss of geographically isolated wetlands, small upland wetlands that receive fewer legal protections due to their apparent isolation from jurisdictional waters. In this study, we use a meta-analyses approach to quantify the role of small wetlands in landscape scale nutrient processing. We synthesized data from 600 lentic systems around the world to gain insight into the relationship between hydrologic and biogeochemical controls on nutrient retention. Our results indicate that the first-order reaction rate constant k(T-1), is inversely proportional to the residence time, across 6 orders of magnitude in residence time for total N, total P, nitrate, and phosphate. We used a sediment-water model to show how nutrient removal processes are impacted by system size. Finally, the k-residence time relationships were upscaled to the landscape scale using a wetland size-frequency distribution. Results suggest that small wetlands play a disproportionately large role in landscape-scale nutrient processing—50% of nitrogen removal occurs in wetlands smaller than 10^2.5 m2 in our example. Thus, given the same loss in wetland area, the nutrient retention potential lost is greater when smaller wetlands are preferentially lost from the landscape. Such findings are significant to wetland protection and restoration efforts, which have historically focused on maximizing total wetland area rather than on preserving a distribution of different wetlands sizes within a landscape.

[Soil and forest structure in the Colombian Amazon].

PubMed

Calle-Rendón, Bayron R; Moreno, Flavio; Cárdenas López, Dairon

2011-09-01

Forests structural differences could result of environmental variations at different scales. Because soils are an important component of plant's environment, it is possible that edaphic and structural variables are associated and that, in consequence, spatial autocorrelation occurs. This paper aims to answer two questions: (1) are structural and edaphic variables associated at local scale in a terra firme forest of Colombian Amazonia? and (2) are these variables regionalized at the scale of work? To answer these questions we analyzed the data of a 6ha plot established in a terra firme forest of the Amacayacu National Park. Structural variables included basal area and density of large trees (diameter > or = 10cm) (Gdos and Ndos), basal area and density of understory individuals (diameter < 10cm) (Gsot and Nsot) and number of species of large trees (sp). Edaphic variables included were pH, organic matter, P, Mg, Ca, K, Al, sand, silt and clay. Structural and edaphic variables were reduced through a principal component analysis (PCA); then, the association between edaphic and structural components from PCA was evaluated by multiple regressions. The existence of regionalization of these variables was studied through isotropic variograms, and autocorrelated variables were spatially mapped. PCA found two significant components for structure, corresponding to the structure of large trees (G, Gdos, Ndos and sp) and of small trees (N, Nsot and Gsot), which explained 43.9% and 36.2% of total variance, respectively. Four components were identified for edaphic variables, which globally explained 81.9% of total variance and basically represent drainage and soil fertility. Regression analyses were significant (p < 0.05) and showed that the structure of both large and small trees is associated with greater sand contents and low soil fertility, though they explained a low proportion of total variability (R2 was 4.9% and 16.5% for the structure of large trees and small tress, respectively). Variables with spatial autocorrelation were the structure of small trees, Al, silt, and sand. Among them, Nsot and sand content showed similar patterns of spatial distribution inside the plot.

Modelling runoff and soil water content with the DR2-2013© SAGA v1.1 model at catchment scale under Mediterranean conditions (NE Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López-Vicente, Manuel, , Dr.; Palazón, M. Sc. Leticia; Quijano, M. Sc. Laura; Gaspar, Leticia, , Dr.; Navas, Ana, , Dr.

2015-04-01

Hydrological and soil erosion models allow mapping and quantifying spatially distributed rates of runoff depth and soil redistribution for different land uses, management and tillage practices and climatic scenarios. The different temporal and spatial [very small (< 1 km2), small (1-5 km2), medium (5-50 km2) and large catchments (50-1000 km2) or river basins (>1000 km2)] scales of numerical simulations make model selection specific to each range of scales. Additionally, the spatial resolution of the inputs is in agreement with the size of the study area. In this study, we run the GIS-based water balance DR2-2013© SAGA v1.1 model (freely downloaded as executable file at http://digital.csic.es/handle/10261/93543), in the Vandunchil stream catchment (23 km2; Ebro river basin, NE Spain). All input maps are generated at 5 x 5 m of cell size (924,573 pixels per map) allowing sound parameterization. Simulation is run at monthly scale with average climatic values. This catchment is an open hydrological system and it has a long history of human occupation, agricultural practices and water management. Numerous manmade infrastructures or landscape linear elements (LLEs: paved and unpaved trails, rock mounds in non-cultivated areas, disperse and small settlements, shallow and long drainage ditches, stone walls, small rock dams, fences and vegetation strips) appear throughout the hillslopes and streams and modify the natural runoff pathways and thus the hydrological and sediment connectivity. Rain-fed cereal fields occupy one third of the catchment area, 1% corresponds to sealed soils, and the remaining area is covered with Mediterranean forest, scrubland, pine afforestation and meadow. The parent material corresponds to Miocene sandstones and lutites and Holocene colluvial and alluvial deposits. The climate is continental Mediterranean with two humid periods, one in spring and a second in autumn that summarizes 63% of the total annual precipitation. We created a synthetic weather station (WS) from the Caseda and Uncastillo WS. The effective rainfall that reaches the soils (after canopy interception and slope correction) was 85% on average from the total rainfall depth (556 mm yr-1) and the average initial runoff, before overland flow processes, was 320 mm yr-1. The simulated effective runoff (CQeff) ranged from 0 until 29,960 mm yr-1 and the corresponding map showed the typical spatial pattern of overland flow pathways though numerous disruptions appeared along the hillslopes and the main streams due to the presence of LLEs. The total depth of annual runoff corresponds to 37.8% of the total effective rainfall (TER) and 32.0% of the total rainfall depth (TR). The remaining volume of water, the soil water content (Waa) associated with the runoff and rainfall events, meant 62.2% and 52.7% of the TER and TR, respectively. The map of the Waa presented a different spatial pattern where the land uses play a more important role than the processes of cumulative overland flow. Significant variations in the monthly values of CQeff and Waa were described. This study proves the ability of the DR2-2013© SAGA v1.1 model to simulate the hydrological response of the soils at catchment scale.

Overview of water resources in and near Indian lands in northeastern Kansas and southeastern Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trombley, T.J.; Wolf, R.J.; Jordan, P.R.; Brewer, L.D.

1996-01-01

An overview of water resources is provided for a 4,005-square-mile area of northeastern Kansas and southeastern Nebraska that includes the treatylands for the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, the Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas, the Prairie Band of Potawatomi, and the Sac and Fox Tribe ofMissouri. The only plentiful supplies of surface water are available from the Missouri and Kansas Rivers. The smallest mean streamflows for 4 consecutive months occur in November through February for most streams in the area. The smallest flows for 7 consecutive days in a year occur most often in August, September, or October. The typical seasonal distribution of streamflows indicates a pattern favorable for the same-year use of small surface-water impoundments for low-flow augmentation; large flows that could be impounded typically occur in the month shortly before augmentation is most needed. However, droughts of 2 or more consecutive years are common and would largely negate the advantage of using small impoundments except for very small water-supply needs. Alluvial deposits along the Kansas and Missouri Rivers provide the largest well yields in the study area, but these deposits are limited in areal extent. The Kansas River alluvium reaches a maximum saturated thickness of about 70 feet, and the Missouri River alluvium reaches a maximum thickness of 120 feet. Well yields in the Kansas River generally range from 300 to 1,000 gallons per minute (gal/min) but may be as large as 2,500 gal/min. Well yields in the Missouri River alluvium generally range from 150 to 2,500 gal/min but may be as large as 3,000 gal/min. Although generally capable only of small sustained yields to wells, minor aquifers are important because they are available throughout most of the study area. Within the thick, mostly fine-grained glacial deposits, isolated sand and gravel layers may yield adequate supplies for stock- watering or domestic use. Sodium concentrations exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level of 20 milligrams per liter most often in the middle Kansas and Delaware Basins. Total iron andmanganese concentrations in water generally exceed the USEPA Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels of 50 micrograms per liter for iron and 300micrograms per liter for manganese. Atrazine concentrations in surface water, primarily from post-application runoff, commonly exceed the USEPA Maximum Contaminant Level of 3.0 micrograms per liter during the months of May, June, and July. Most of the erosion and about one- half of the total sediment yield in parts of the study area may result from sheet and rill erosion and gullying on cultivated cropland. A total of 3.13 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of water was used in 1990 in the Big Nemaha River Basin, 74 percent of which was derived from ground water. In the Wolf River Basin, 1.29 Mgal/d were used, 71 percent derived from ground water. The Middle Kansas River Basin had the highest water use, 83.01 Mgal/d, 67 percent of which was from surface water. A total of 4.37 Mgal/d was used in the Delaware River Basin, 55 percent from ground water.

48 CFR 52.219-6 - Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Clauses 52.219-6 Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside. As prescribed in 19.508(c), insert the following clause: Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (NOV 2011) (a) Definition. Small business concern... qualified as a small business under the size standards in this solicitation. (b) Applicability. This clause...

48 CFR 52.219-6 - Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Clauses 52.219-6 Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside. As prescribed in 19.508(c), insert the following clause: Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (NOV 2011) (a) Definition. Small business concern... qualified as a small business under the size standards in this solicitation. (b) Applicability. This clause...

48 CFR 52.219-6 - Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Clauses 52.219-6 Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside. As prescribed in 19.508(c), insert the following clause: Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (NOV 2011) (a) Definition. Small business concern... qualified as a small business under the size standards in this solicitation. (b) Applicability. This clause...

Deceptively Small

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-02-02

Tiny Epimetheus is dwarfed by adjacent slivers of the A and F rings. But is it really? Looks can be deceiving! There is approximately 10 to 20 times more mass in that tiny dot than in the piece of the A ring visible in this image! In total, Saturn's rings have about as much mass as a few times the mass of the moon Mimas. (This mass estimate comes from measuring the waves raised in the rings by moons like Epimetheus.) The rings look physically larger than any moon because the individual ring particles are very small, giving them a large surface area for a given mass. Epimetheus (70 miles or 113 kilometers across), on the other hand, has a small surface area per mass compared to the rings, making it look deceptively small. This view looks toward the sunlit side of the rings from about 19 degrees above the ringplane. The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Dec. 5, 2014. The view was obtained at a distance of approximately 1.2 million miles (2 million kilometers) from Epimetheus and at a Sun-Epimetheus-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 40 degrees. Image scale is 7 miles (12 kilometers) per pixel. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA18302

Concentrations of antifouling biocides in sediment and mussel samples collected from Otsuchi bay, Japan.

PubMed

Harino, Hiroya; Yamamoto, Yoshikazu; Eguchi, Sayaka; Kawai, Shini'chiro; Kurokawa, Yuko; Arai, Takaomi; Ohji, Madoka; Okamura, Hideo; Miyazaki, Nobuyuki

2007-02-01

Organotin compounds (OTs) and representative booster biocides were measured in sediment and mussels from Otsuchi Bay, Japan. The mean amounts of tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPT) compounds in sediment were 13 microg kg(-1) dry and 3 microg kg(-1) dry, respectively. Representative booster biocides (Sea-Nine 211, Diuron, Dichlofluanid, Irgarol 1501, M1, which is a degradation compound of Irgarol 1051, and Copper pyrithione) were also detected in sediment from Otsuchi Bay. OT concentrations were higher than those of the measured booster biocides. Otsuchi Bay was divided into four parts by cluster analysis based on OT concentrations in sediment sampled from the bay. These areas included the vicinity of a shipyard, a small fishing port, the closed inner area of the bay, and the mouth of the bay. Higher concentrations of TBT and TPT and a higher ratio of TBT to total BTs were observed in the vicinity of the shipyard. A higher concentration of TPT in comparison with TBT was detected in a small fishing port. Furthermore, OT concentrations in the mouth of the bay were higher than those in the closed-off section. OT concentrations in mussels decreased with distance from the shipyard. Otsuchi Bay was then divided into three parts by cluster analysis based on the concentrations of representative booster biocides found in the bay's sediment. These areas included the vicinity of a shipyard, a small fishing port, and other sites. Concentrations of Diuron and Irgarol 1051 in the vicinity of a shipyard and a small fishing port were dramatically high in comparison with the other sites. Copper pyrithione and Dichlofluanid in addition to Diuron and Irgarol 1051 were also detected in the area of a small fishing port. The concentrations of antifouling biocides were highest in the water in front of the shipyard and showed a marked decrease with distance from the shipyard.

Submarine groundwater discharges create unique benthic communities in a coastal sandy marine environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leitão, Francisco; Encarnação, João; Range, Pedro; Schmelz, Rüdiger M.; Teodósio, Maria A.; Chícharo, Luís

2015-09-01

In this study we assessed the small-scale effects of submarine groundwater discharges (SGD) on macrofaunal assemblages associated with shallow sandy sediments along the south coast of Portugal. Corer samples were collected in a (1) subtidal seep, (2) at the edge of the seep (periphery) and (3) in the surrounding area. Community structure varied across areas, with diversity, species richness and evenness generally low at seep relatively to the surrounding area. Community composition within the seep was reduced to a small number of taxa, although total abundance was similar between seeps and surrounding areas. The seep was characterized by a distinct hydrological environment, with lower salinity and pH, relative to the surroundings sandy areas. More than 93% of the benthic macrofauna in the seep was dominated by Lumbricillus lineatus (enchytraeid oligochaetes). This study is the first to record the presence of this euryaline species in Portuguese marine waters. In the surrounding area Spionidae Polychaetes and Bathyporeia sp. (Amphipoda) were the most frequent and abundant taxa. These findings provide evidence for a direct association between SGD effect and the composition of benthic marine assemblages. The patchy habitat created by groundwater seep allowed euryhaline species with short and fast recruitment times to occur in a fully marine environment. Whether this pattern is consistent, or only occurs when smooth favorable sea conditions are not superimposed on the groundwater effect remains uncertain.

Comparison of sediment supply to San Francisco Bay from watersheds draining the Bay Area and the Central Valley of California

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKee, L.J.; Lewicki, M.; Schoellhamer, D.H.; Ganju, N.K.

2013-01-01

Quantifying suspended sediment loads is important for managing the world's estuaries in the context of navigation, pollutant transport, wetland restoration, and coastal erosion. To address these needs, a comprehensive analysis was completed on sediment supply to San Francisco Bay from fluvial sources. Suspended sediment, optical backscatter, velocity data near the head of the estuary, and discharge data obtained from the output of a water balance model were used to generate continuous suspended sediment concentration records and compute loads to the Bay from the large Central Valley watershed. Sediment loads from small tributary watersheds around the Bay were determined using 235 station-years of suspended sediment data from 38 watershed locations, regression analysis, and simple modeling. Over 16 years, net annual suspended sediment load to the head of the estuary from its 154,000 km2 Central Valley watershed varied from 0.13 to 2.58 (mean = 0.89) million metric t of suspended sediment, or an average yield of 11 metric t/km2/yr. Small tributaries, totaling 8145 km2, in the nine-county Bay Area discharged between 0.081 and 4.27 (mean = 1.39) million metric t with a mean yield of 212 metric t/km2/yr. The results indicate that the hundreds of urbanized and tectonically active tributaries adjacent to the Bay, which together account for just 5% of the total watershed area draining to the Bay and provide just 7% of the annual average fluvial flow, supply 61% of the suspended sediment. The small tributary loads are more variable (53-fold between years compared to 21-fold for the inland Central Valley rivers) and dominated fluvial sediment supply to the Bay during 10 out of 16 yr. If San Francisco Bay is typical of other estuaries in active tectonic or climatically variable coastal regimes, managers responsible for water quality, dredging and reusing sediment accumulating in shipping channels, or restoring wetlands in the world's estuaries may need to more carefully account for proximal small urbanized watersheds that may dominate sediment supply.

Technological Implementation of Renewable Energy in Rural-Isolated Areas and Small-Medium Islands in Indonesia: Problem Mapping And Preliminary Surveys of Total People Participation in a Local Wind Pump Water Supply

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taufik, Ahmad

2007-10-01

This article discusses a formulation of problem mapping and preliminary surveys of total people participation in a local wind pump (LWP) water supply in term of technological implementation of renewable energy (RE) in rural-isolated areas and small-medium islands in Indonesia. The formulation was constructed in order to enhance and to promote the local product of RE across Indonesia. It was also addressed to accommodate local potencies, barriers and opportunities into a priority map. Moreover, it was designed into five aspects such as (1) local technology of the RE: a case of pilot project of the LWP; (2) environmental-cultural aspects related to global issues of energy-renewable energy; (3) potencies and barriers corresponding to local, national, regional and international contents; (4) education and training and (5) gender participation. To focus the formulation, serial preliminary surveys were conducted in five major areas, namely: (1) survey on support and barrier factors of the aspects; (2) strategic planning model, a concept A-B-G which stands for Academician-Business people-Government; (3) survey on background based knowledge on energy conservation; (4) survey on gender participation in energy conservation and (5) survey on local stakeholder involvement. Throughout the surveys, it has been notified that the concept needs to be developed to any level of its component since its elements were identified in tolerance values such as high potency value of the LWP development (95%); a strong potency of rural area application (88%); a medium background of energy, energy conservation (EC) identified in a range of 56%-72%, sufficient support from local stakeholders and gender participation.

Systematic analysis of funding awarded for antimicrobial resistance research to institutions in the UK, 1997-2010.

PubMed

Head, Michael G; Fitchett, Joseph R; Cooke, Mary K; Wurie, Fatima B; Atun, Rifat; Hayward, Andrew C; Holmes, Alison; Johnson, Alan P; Woodford, Neil

2014-02-01

To assess the level of research funding awarded to UK institutions specifically for antimicrobial resistance-related research and how closely the topics funded relate to the clinical and public health burden of resistance. Databases and web sites were systematically searched for information on how infectious disease research studies were funded for the period 1997-2010. Studies specifically related to antimicrobial resistance, including bacteriology, virology, mycology and parasitology research, were identified and categorized in terms of funding by pathogen and disease and by a research and development value chain describing the type of science. The overall dataset included 6165 studies receiving a total investment of £2.6 billion, of which £102 million was directed towards antimicrobial resistance research (5.5% of total studies, 3.9% of total spend). Of 337 resistance-related projects, 175 studies focused on bacteriology (40.2% of total resistance-related spending), 42 focused on antiviral resistance (17.2% of funding) and 51 focused on parasitology (27.4% of funding). Mean annual funding ranged from £1.9 million in 1997 to £22.1 million in 2009. Despite the fact that the emergence of antimicrobial resistance threatens our future ability to treat many infections, the proportion of the UK infection-research spend targeting this important area is small. There are encouraging signs of increased investment in this area, but it is important that this is sustained and targeted at areas of projected greatest burden. Two areas of particular concern requiring more investment are tuberculosis and multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.

Spatial and temporal structure of fish assemblages in an ''inverse estuary'', the Sine Saloum system (Senegal)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simier, M.; Blanc, L.; Aliaume, C.; Diouf, P. S.; Albaret, J. J.

2004-01-01

As a consequence of the Sahelian drought, the Sine Saloum, a large estuarine system located in Senegal (West Africa), has become an "inverse estuary" since the late sixties, i.e. salinity increases upstream and reaches 100 in some places. To study the fish assemblages of such a modified system, a survey was conducted in 1992, collecting fish every two months with a purse seine at eight sites spread over the three main branches of the estuary. A total of 73 species belonging to 35 families were identified. Eight species comprised 97% of the total numbers of fish. The predominant species was a small clupeid, Sardinella maderensis, representing more than half of the total biomass and nearly 70% of the total number of fish. The spatio-temporal structure of the fish assemblages was studied using the STATIS-CoA method, which combines the multitable approach with the correspondence analysis method. Whatever the season, a strong spatial organization of fish assemblages was observed, mainly related to depth and salinity. Three types of assemblages were identified. In shallow water areas, fish assemblages were dominated by Mugilidae, Gerreidae and Cichlidae and were stable with time. In open water areas, large fluctuations in the species composition were observed, due to the occasional presence of large schools of pelagic species: in the southern area, where salinity and water transparency were the lowest, the main species were Ilisha africana, Brachydeuterus auritus and Chloroscombrus chrysurus, associated with a few Sciaenidae and Tetraodontidae, while the poorest areas were characterized by only two dominant species, S. maderensis and Scomberomorus tritor.

Effects of glycolic acid chemical peeling on facial pigment deposition: evaluation using novel computer analysis of digital-camera-captured images.

PubMed

Kakudo, Natsuko; Kushida, Satoshi; Suzuki, Kenji; Kusumoto, Kenji

2013-12-01

Chemical peeling is becoming increasingly popular for skin rejuvenation in dermatological cosmetic medicine. However, the improvements seen with chemical peeling are often very minor, and it is difficult to conduct a quantitative assessment of pre- and post-treatment appearance. We report the pre- and postpeeling effects for facial pigment deposition using a novel computer analysis method for digital-camera-captured images. Glycolic acid chemical peeling was performed a total of 5 times at 2-week intervals in 23 healthy women. We conducted a computer image analysis by utilizing Robo Skin Analyzer CS 50 and Clinical Suite 2.1 and then reviewed each parameter for the area of facial pigment deposition pre- and post-treatment. Parameters were pigmentation size and four pigmentation categories: little pigmentation and three levels of marked pigmentation (Lv1, 2, and 3) based on detection threshold. Each parameter was measured, and the total area of facial pigmentation was calculated. The total area of little pigmentation and marked pigmentation (Lv1) was significantly reduced. On the other hand, a significant difference was not observed for the total area of marked pigmentation Lv2 and Lv3. This suggests that glycolic acid chemical peeling has an effect on small facial pigment disposition or has an effect on light pigment deposition. As the Robo Skin Analyzer is useful for objectively quantifying and analyzing minor changes in facial skin, it is considered to be an effective tool for accumulating treatment evidence in the cosmetic and esthetic skin field. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Are vegetated areas of mangroves attractive to juvenile and small fish? The case of Dongzhaigang Bay, Hainan Island, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Mao; Huang, Zhenyuan; Shi, Fushan; Wang, Wenqing

2009-11-01

Well-developed aerial roots of mangroves make it difficult to study how fish utilize the mangrove forest as a habitat. In the present study, we compared the differences in fish assemblages in three major types of habitats of mangrove estuary (vegetated area, treeless mudflat, and creek) of a mangrove bay in Hainan Island, China, at different seasons during two consecutive years. Three types of gears, centipede net, gill net and cast net, were used in the different habitats of mangrove estuary and sampling efficiencies among gears were evaluated. Centipede nets were used in all the three types of habitats and cast nets and gill nets in treeless mudflats and creeks. Fish assemblages were dependent on gears used. Centipede net could efficiently catch fish occurring both inside and outside of vegetated areas efficiently. A total of 115 fish species in 51 families were collected. In terms of numbers of species per family, Gobiidae was the most diverse (17 species), followed by Mugilidae (5 species). Almost all of the fish were juvenile or small fish and few predators were recorded, implying low predation pressure in the bay. ANOVA analysis showed that significant seasonal and spatial variation existed in species richness, abundance, and biomass, which were less in the vegetated areas than those of treeless mudflats and creeks. The attraction of vegetated areas to fish was less than that of creeks and mudflats. Many species were specific to a particular habitat type, 4 species occurring exclusively in the creeks, 45 species occurring exclusively in the treeless mudflats, and 5 species occurring exclusively in the vegetated areas. The results indicated that mangrove estuaries were potentially attractive habitats for juvenile and small fish, but this attraction was accomplished by a connection of vegetated areas, treeless mudflats and creeks, not only by vegetated areas.

Evaluation of the Biological Sampling Kit (BiSKit) for Large-Area Surface Sampling

PubMed Central

Buttner, Mark P.; Cruz, Patricia; Stetzenbach, Linda D.; Klima-Comba, Amy K.; Stevens, Vanessa L.; Emanuel, Peter A.

2004-01-01

Current surface sampling methods for microbial contaminants are designed to sample small areas and utilize culture analysis. The total number of microbes recovered is low because a small area is sampled, making detection of a potential pathogen more difficult. Furthermore, sampling of small areas requires a greater number of samples to be collected, which delays the reporting of results, taxes laboratory resources and staffing, and increases analysis costs. A new biological surface sampling method, the Biological Sampling Kit (BiSKit), designed to sample large areas and to be compatible with testing with a variety of technologies, including PCR and immunoassay, was evaluated and compared to other surface sampling strategies. In experimental room trials, wood laminate and metal surfaces were contaminated by aerosolization of Bacillus atrophaeus spores, a simulant for Bacillus anthracis, into the room, followed by settling of the spores onto the test surfaces. The surfaces were sampled with the BiSKit, a cotton-based swab, and a foam-based swab. Samples were analyzed by culturing, quantitative PCR, and immunological assays. The results showed that the large surface area (1 m2) sampled with the BiSKit resulted in concentrations of B. atrophaeus in samples that were up to 10-fold higher than the concentrations obtained with the other methods tested. A comparison of wet and dry sampling with the BiSKit indicated that dry sampling was more efficient (efficiency, 18.4%) than wet sampling (efficiency, 11.3%). The sensitivities of detection of B. atrophaeus on metal surfaces were 42 ± 5.8 CFU/m2 for wet sampling and 100.5 ± 10.2 CFU/m2 for dry sampling. These results demonstrate that the use of a sampling device capable of sampling larger areas results in higher sensitivity than that obtained with currently available methods and has the advantage of sampling larger areas, thus requiring collection of fewer samples per site. PMID:15574898

[Actual conditions of occupational health activities in small-scale enterprises in Japan: system for occupational health, health management and demands by small-scale enterprises].

PubMed

Hirata, M; Kumagai, S; Tabuchi, T; Tainaka, H; Andoh, K; Oda, H

1999-11-01

In order to clarify the real conditions of occupational health services (OHS) in small-scale enterprises (SSEs) in Japan, we analyzed questionnaires recovered from 765 SSEs in the area of a city neighboring Osaka City (recovery rate, 69.3%). The SSEs included 358 SSEs with 1 to 4 workers (46.8% of total SSEs), 203 with 5 to 9 (26.5%), 163 with 10 to 29 (21.3%) and 41 with 30 to 49 (5.4%). The main types of businesses were manufacturing (374, 48.9% of total SSEs), wholesale/retail trade/restaurants (153, 20.0%), community, social and personal services (132, 17.3%) and construction (72, 9.4%). Health examinations were performed in 47.7% of SSEs. The reason for the lack of examinations were "shortage of time" (33.3% of SSEs lacking health examination) and "employees do not want to be examined" (28.1%). Some health promotion measures were conducted in 29.2% of SSEs. Health examination (59.0% of SSEs), health promotion (36.5%), measure of mental health (25.9%) and information service for employers and employees (25.5%) were demanded by SSEs as OHS. Financial subsidies and economical incentives were demanded by 46.4% and 28.8% of SSEs, respectively. Regional occupational health center in this area was poorly known among SSEs (8.2%), but health examination (48.4%), information service (37.5%), assessment of work method and advice to improve (19.8%) and environment measurement (12.4%) are demanded of the center by SSEs.

48 CFR 52.219-6 - Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Clauses 52.219-6 Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside. As prescribed in 19.508(c), insert the following clause: Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (JUN 2003) (a) Definition. Small business concern... qualified as a small business under the size standards in this solicitation. (b) General. (1) Offers are...

48 CFR 52.219-6 - Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Clauses 52.219-6 Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside. As prescribed in 19.508(c), insert the following clause: Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (JUN 2003) (a) Definition. Small business concern... qualified as a small business under the size standards in this solicitation. (b) General. (1) Offers are...

Treatment of the concrete scalp donor site.

PubMed

Engrav, L H; Grube, B J; Bubak, P J

1990-02-01

The scalp has become a popular donor site for split-thickness skin, and few complications have been reported. However, we have been troubled by 5 patients in whom the donor site did not epithelialize but rather turned into dried granulation tissue with embedded growing hairs, a situation rather like concrete with steel reinforcing rods. The pathophysiology is not clear but seems to be related to thick grafts from hair-bearing areas. We treated the lesions by removing the granulation tissue, shaving the hair, and treating the wound as a new donor site. Four lesions healed with total or near total regrowth of hair, and one required a small skin graft.

Monitoring Dolphins in an Urban Marine System: Total and Effective Population Size Estimates of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins in Moreton Bay, Australia

PubMed Central

Ansmann, Ina C.; Lanyon, Janet M.; Seddon, Jennifer M.; Parra, Guido J.

2013-01-01

Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia is an area of high biodiversity and conservation value and home to two sympatric sub-populations of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus). These dolphins live in close proximity to major urban developments. Successful management requires information regarding their abundance. Here, we estimate total and effective population sizes of bottlenose dolphins in Moreton Bay using photo-identification and genetic data collected during boat-based surveys in 2008–2010. Abundance (N) was estimated using open population mark-recapture models based on sighting histories of distinctive individuals. Effective population size (Ne) was estimated using the linkage disequilibrium method based on nuclear genetic data at 20 microsatellite markers in skin samples, and corrected for bias caused by overlapping generations (Nec). A total of 174 sightings of dolphin groups were recorded and 365 different individuals identified. Over the whole of Moreton Bay, a population size N of 554±22.2 (SE) (95% CI: 510–598) was estimated. The southern bay sub-population was small at an estimated N = 193±6.4 (SE) (95% CI: 181–207), while the North sub-population was more numerous, with 446±56 (SE) (95% CI: 336–556) individuals. The small estimated effective population size of the southern sub-population (Nec = 56, 95% CI: 33–128) raises conservation concerns. A power analysis suggested that to reliably detect small (5%) declines in size of this population would require substantial survey effort (>4 years of annual mark-recapture surveys) at the precision levels achieved here. To ensure that ecological as well as genetic diversity within this population of bottlenose dolphins is preserved, we consider that North and South sub-populations should be treated as separate management units. Systematic surveys over smaller areas holding locally-adapted sub-populations are suggested as an alternative method for increasing ability to detect abundance trends. PMID:23755197

Occurrence and sources of Escherichia coli in metropolitan St. Louis streams, October 2004 through September 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilkison, Donald H.; Davis, Jerri V.

2010-01-01

The occurrence and sources of Escherichia coli (E. coli), one of several fecal indicator bacteria, in metropolitan St. Louis streams known to receive nonpoint source runoff, occasional discharges from combined and sanitary sewers, and treated wastewater effluent were investigated from October 2004 through September 2007. Three Missouri River sites, five Mississippi River sites, and six small basin tributary stream sites were sampled during base flow and storm events for the presence of E. coli and their sources. E. coli host-source determinations were conducted using local library based genotypic methods. Human fecal contamination in stream samples was additionally confirmed by the presence of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, an anaerobic, enteric bacterium with a high occurrence in, and specificity to, humans. Missouri River E. coli densities and loads during base flow were approximately 10 times greater than those in the Mississippi River above its confluence with the Missouri River. Although substantial amounts of E. coli originated from within the study area during base flow and storm events, considerable amounts of E. coli in the Missouri River, as well as in the middle Mississippi River sections downstream from its confluence with the Missouri River, originated in Missouri River reaches upstream from the study area. In lower Mississippi River reaches, bacteria contributions from the numerous combined and sanitary sewer overflows within the study area, as well as contributions from nonpoint source runoff, greatly increased instream E. coli densities. Although other urban factors cannot be discounted, average E. coli densities in streams were strongly correlated with the number of upstream combined and sanitary sewer overflow points, and the percentage of upstream impervious cover. Small basin sites with the greatest number of combined and sanitary sewer overflows (Maline Creek and the River des Peres) had larger E. coli densities, larger loads, and a greater percentage of E. coli attributable to humans than other small basin sites; however, even though small basin E. coli densities typically were much larger than in large river receiving streams, small basins contributed, on average, only a small part (a maximum of 16 percent) of the total E. coli load to larger rivers. On average, approximately one-third of E. coli in metropolitan St. Louis streams was identified as originating from humans. Another one-third of the E. coli was determined to have originated from unidentified sources; dogs and geese contributed lesser amounts, 10 and 20 percent, of the total instream bacteria. Sources of E. coli were largely independent of hydrologic conditions-an indication that sources remained relatively consistent with time.

Mapping Fire Scars in the Brazilian Cerrado Using AVHRR Imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hlavka, C. A.; Ambrosia, V. G.; Brass, J. A.; Rezendez, A.; Alexander, S.; Guild, L. S.; Peterson, David L. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

The Brazilian cerrado, or savanna, spans an area of 1,800,000 square kilometers on the great plateau of Central Brazil. Large fires covering hundreds of square kilometers, frequently occur in wildland areas of the cerrado, dominated by grasslands or grasslands mixed with shrubs and small trees, and also within area in the cerrado used for agricultural purposes, particularly for grazing. Smaller fires, typically extending over arm of a few square kilometers or less, are associated with the clewing of crops, such as dry land rice. A method for mapping fire scars and differentiating them from extensive areas of bare sod with AVHRR bands 1 (.55 -.68 micrometer) and 3 (3.5 - 3.9 micrometers) and measures of performance based on comparison with maps of fires with Landsat imagery will be presented. Methods of estimating total area burned from the AVHRR fire scar map will be discussed and related to land use and scar size.

Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment (LACIE). Phase 1: Evaluation report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

It appears that the Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment over the Great Plains, can with a reasonable expectation, be a satisfactory component of a 90/90 production estimator. The area estimator produced more accurate area estimates for the total winter wheat region than for the mixed spring and winter wheat region of the northern Great Plains. The accuracy does appear to degrade somewhat in regions of marginal agriculture where there are small fields and abundant confusion crops. However, it would appear that these regions tend also to be marginal with respect to wheat production and thus increased area estimation errors do not greatly influence the overall production estimation accuracy in the United States. The loss of segments resulting from cloud cover appears to be a random phenomenon that introduces no significant bias into the estimates. This loss does increase the variance of the estimates.

Thunderstorms and flooding of August 17, 2007, with a context provided by a history of other large storm and flood events in the Black Hills area of South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Driscoll, Daniel G.; Bunkers, Matthew J.; Carter, Janet M.; Stamm, John F.; Williamson, Joyce E.

2010-01-01

The Black Hills area of western South Dakota has a history of damaging flash floods that have resulted primarily from exceptionally strong rain-producing thunderstorms. The best known example is the catastrophic storm system of June 9-10, 1972, which caused severe flooding in several major drainages near Rapid City and resulted in 238 deaths. More recently, severe thunderstorms caused flash flooding near Piedmont and Hermosa on August 17, 2007. Obtaining a thorough understanding of peak-flow characteristics for low-probability floods will require a comprehensive long-term approach involving (1) documentation of scientific information for extreme events such as these; (2) long-term collection of systematic peak-flow records; and (3) regional assessments of a wide variety of peak-flow information. To that end, the U.S. Geological Survey cooperated with the South Dakota Department of Transportation and National Weather Service to produce this report, which provides documentation regarding the August 17, 2007, storm and associated flooding and provides a context through examination of other large storm and flood events in the Black Hills area. The area affected by the August 17, 2007, storms and associated flooding generally was within the area affected by the larger storm of June 9-10, 1972. The maximum observed 2007 precipitation totals of between 10.00 and 10.50 inches occurred within about 2-3 hours in a small area about 5 miles west of Hermosa. The maximum documented precipitation amount in 1972 was 15.0 inches, and precipitation totals of 10.0 inches or more were documented for 34 locations within an area of about 76 square miles. A peak flow of less than 1 cubic foot per second occurred upstream from the 2007 storm extent for streamflow-gaging station 06404000 (Battle Creek near Keystone); whereas, the 1972 peak flow of 26,200 cubic feet per second was large, relative to the drainage area of only 58.6 square miles. Farther downstream along Battle Creek, a 2007 flow of 26,000 cubic feet per second was generated entirely within an intervening drainage area of only 44.4 square miles. An especially large flow of 44,100 cubic feet per second was documented for this location in 1972. The 2007 peak flow of 18,600 cubic feet per second for Battle Creek at Hermosa (station 06406000) was only slightly smaller than the 1972 peak flow of 21,400 cubic feet per second. Peak-flow values from 2007 for three sites with small drainage areas (less than 1.0 square mile) plot close to a regional envelope curve, indicating exceptionally large flow values, relative to drainage area. Physiographic factors that affect flooding in the area were examined. The limestone headwater hydrogeologic setting (within and near the Limestone Plateau area on the western flank of the Black Hills) has distinctively suppressed peak-flow characteristics for small recurrence intervals. Uncertainty is large, however, regarding characteristics for large recurrence intervals (low-probability floods) because of a dearth of information regarding the potential for generation of exceptionally strong rain-producing thunderstorms. In contrast, the greatest potential for exceptionally damaging floods is around the flanks of the rest of the Black Hills area because of steep topography and limited potential for attenuation of flood peaks in narrow canyons. Climatological factors that affect area flooding also were examined. Area thunderstorms are largely terrain-driven, especially with respect to their requisite upward motion, which can be initiated by orographic lifting effects, thermally enhanced circulations, and obstacle effects. Several other meteorological processes are influential in the development of especially heavy precipitation for the area, including storm cell training, storm anchoring or regeneration, storm mergers, supercell development, and weak upper-level air flow. A composite of storm total precipitation amounts for 13 recent individual storm events indicates

Transport of particle-associated elements in two agriculture-dominated boreal river systems.

PubMed

Marttila, Hannu; Saarinen, Tuomas; Celebi, Ahmet; Kløve, Bjørn

2013-09-01

Transport of particulate pollutants in fluvial systems can contribute greatly to total loads. Understanding transport mechanics under different hydrological conditions is key in successful load estimation. This study analysed trace elements and physico-chemical parameters in time-integrated suspended sediment samples, together with dissolved and total concentrations of pollutants, along two agriculture- and peatland-dominated boreal river systems. The samples were taken in a spatially and temporally comprehensive sampling programme during the ice-free seasons of 2010 and 2011. The hydrochemistry and transport of particle-bound elements in the rivers were strongly linked to intense land use and acid sulphate soils in the catchment area, with arable, pasture and peat areas in particular being main diffuse sources. There were significant seasonal and temporal variations in dissolved and particulate fluxes, but spatial variations were small. Continuous measurements of EC, turbidity and discharge proved to be an accurate indicator of dissolved and particulate fluxes. Overall, the results show that transport of particle-bound elements makes a major contribution to total transport fluxes in agriculture-dominated boreal rivers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Size of the California Brown Pelican Metapopulation During a Non-El Nino Year

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, Daniel W.; Henny, Charles J.; Godinez-Reyes, Carlos; Gress, Franklin; Palacios, Eduardo L.; Santos del Prado, Karina; Bredy, James

2007-01-01

Overall, we estimated a total metapopulation within the geographical range of the California brown pelican subspecies (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) as about 70,680 ? 2,640 breeding pairs (mean ? SD). Little change in at least three decades is indicated in the total metapopulation south of the Southern California Bight (SCB) subpopulation, but significant improvements in the breeding subpopulation size in the SCB reported elsewhere, support the present high numbers observed in this northernmost subpopulation. The largest breeding aggregation within the entire range (consisting of three immediately adjacent sub-colonies), at the San Lorenzo Archipelago, consisted of about 17,225 breeding pairs, or about 24.4% of the metapopulation in 2006. Other, smaller colonies are no less important, however, although each subpopulation defined by us seemed to have a single or small number of large 'core' breeding colonies, plus many smaller colonies (for example, in 2006, one colony consisted of only 2 breeding pairs). Small colonies (< about 70 nests) comprised about 35.6% of the total occupied colonies, but only about 0.87% of the total estimated numbers (values corrected for detectability). The modal colony-size throughout the range was much smaller (about 230 to 1,300 breeding pairs, depending on subpopulation), indicating that small, scattered colonies and sub-colonies, especially on the range peripheries, function in brown pelican population dynamics and are no less important from a conservation viewpoint. These smaller breeding colonies probably represent some colonies of antiquity, but also range expansions and contractions that occur within the typically-defined metapopulation, and local manifestations of source-sink phenomena. Given such dynamics, even unoccupied islands within the range in 2006 have conservation importance from the viewpoint of such dynamics as potential alternate nesting sites. Natural variations in the estimated population levels seem to be related to the natural cycles of El Ni?o/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomena where very low breeding populations (as low as no nesting in many areas) might be expected to occur in these same areas censused in 2006 at least 40% of the time. From the 2006 aerial survey, extensive commercial and sport-fishing activity, resort/tourist developments and associated human activities along the coastal areas and at offshore islands, and extensive aquacultural (and to a lesser degree, agricultural) developments seen from the Rio Colorado Delta region, Sonora, south at least through San Blas, Nayarit (the southern terminus of our 2006 aerial survey) may result in substantial loss of breeding habitat. Juvenile (young of the 2005 breeding season) plus subadult brown pelicans comprised 28.1% ? 0.33% (mean ? 95% CI) of the total numbers in age-ratio samples. Thus, our overall metapopulation estimate for P. o. californicus in 2006 was 195,900 ? 7,225 individuals.

Modelling the dependence of contrast sensitivity on grating area and spatial frequency.

PubMed

Rovamo, J; Luntinen, O; Näsänen, R

1993-12-01

We modelled the human foveal visual system in a detection task as a simple image processor comprising (i) low-pass filtering due to the optical transfer function of the eye, (ii) high-pass filtering of neural origin, (iii) addition of internal neural noise, and (iv) detection by a local matched filter. Its detection efficiency for gratings was constant up to a critical area but then decreased with increasing area. To test the model we measured Michelson contrast sensitivity as a function of grating area at spatial frequencies of 0.125-32 c/deg for simple vertical and circular cosine gratings. In circular gratings luminance was sinusoidally modulated as a function of the radius of the grating field. In agreement with the model, contrast sensitivity at all spatial frequencies increased in proportion to the square-root of grating area at small areas. When grating area exceeded critical area, the increase saturated and contrast sensitivity became independent of area at large grating areas. Spatial integration thus obeyed Piper's law at small grating areas. The critical area of spatial integration, marking the cessation of Piper's law, was constant in solid degrees at low spatial frequencies but inversely proportional to spatial frequency squared at medium and high spatial frequencies. At low spatial frequencies the maximum contrast sensitivity obtainable by spatial integration increased in proportion to spatial frequency but at high spatial frequencies it decreased in proportion to the cube of the increasing spatial frequency. The increase was due to high-pass filtering of neural origin (lateral inhibition) and the decrease was mainly due to the optical transfer function of the eye. Our model explained 95% of the total variance of the contrast sensitivity data.

Species traits modify the species-area relationship in ground-beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblages on islands in a boreal lake

PubMed Central

Spence, John R.

2017-01-01

Life-history traits influence colonization, persistence, and extinction of species on islands and are important aspects of theories predicting the geographical distribution and evolution of species. We used data collected from a large freshwater lake (1,413 km2) in central Canada to test the effects of island area and isolation on species richness and abundance of carabid beetles as a function of body size, wing length, and breeding season. A total of 10,018 individual beetles from 37 species were collected during the frost-free period of 2013 using transects of pitfall traps on 30 forested islands ranging in area from 0.2 to 980.7 ha. Life-history traits improved the predictive ability and significantly modified the shape of species-area and abundance-area curves. Abundance and richness of small-bodied (< 13.9 mm), macropterous (winged), and spring-breeding species decreased with island area and increased with isolation. In contrast, richness and abundance of larger-bodied (> 14.0 mm) and flightless species increased with area, but not isolation. Body size of female Carabus taedatus Fabricius, the largest-bodied species, was positively related to island area, while body size on the adjacent mainland was most similar to that on smaller islands. Overall, species with large body size and low dispersal ability, as indicated by flightlessness, were most sensitive to reductions in area. We suggest that large-bodied, flightless species are rare on small islands because habitat is less suitable for them and immigration rates are lower because they depend on freshwater drift for dispersal to islands. PMID:29261805

Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Investigation of Growth Modifiers on Hydrate Crystal Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Thomas; Hutter, Jeffrey L.; Lin, M.; King, H. E., Jr.

1998-03-01

Hydrates are crystals consisting of small molecules enclathrated within an ice-like water cage. Suppression of their growth is important in the oil industry. The presence of small quantities of specific polymers during hydrate crystallization can induce a transition from an octahedral to planar growth habit. This symmetry breaking is surprising because of the suppression of two 111 planes relative to the other six crystallographically equivalent faces. To better understand the surface effects leading to this behavior, we have studied the surface adsorption of these growth-modifing polymers onto the hydrate crytals using SANS. The total hydrate surface area, as measured by Porod scattering, increases in the presence of the growth modifier, but, no significant increase in polymer concentration on the crystal surfaces is found. Implications for possible growth mechanisms will be discussed.

Living in stressful neighbourhoods during pregnancy: an observational study of crime rates and birth outcomes

PubMed Central

Clemens, Tom

2017-01-01

Abstract Background: Patterns of adverse birth outcomes vary spatially and there is evidence that this may relate to features of the physical environment such as air pollution. However, other social characteristics of the environment such as levels of crime are relatively understudied. This study examines the association between crime rates and birth weight and prematurity. Methods: Maternity inpatient data recorded at birth, including residential postcode, was linked to a representative 5% sample of Scottish Census data and small area crime rates from Scottish Police forces. Coefficients associated with crime were reported from crude and confounder adjusted models predicting low birth weight (< 2500 g), mean birthweight, small for gestational age and prematurity for all singleton live births. Results: Total crime rates were associated with strong and significant reductions in mean birth weight and increases in the risks of both a small for gestational age baby and premature birth. These effects, with the exception of prematurity, were robust to adjustment for individual characteristics including smoking, ethnicity and other socio-economic variables as well as area based confounders including air pollution. Mean birth weight was robust to additional adjustment for neighbourhood income deprivation. Conclusion: The level of crime in a mother’s area of residence, which may be a proxy for the degree of threat felt and therefore stress experienced, appears to be an important determinant of the risk of adverse birth outcomes. PMID:27578830

Predictive modeling of slope deposits and comparisons of two small areas in Northern Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shary, Peter A.; Sharaya, Larisa S.; Mitusov, Andrew V.

2017-08-01

Methods for correct quantitative comparison of several terrains are important in the development and use of quantitative landscape evolution models, and they need to introduce specific modeling parameters. We introduce such parameters and compare two small terrains with respect to the link slope-valley for the description of slope deposits (colluvium) in them. We show that colluvium accumulation in small areas cannot be described by linear models and thus introduce non-linear models. Two small areas, Perdoel (0.29 ha) and Bornhöved (3.2 ha), are studied. Slope deposits in the both are mainly in dry valleys, with a total thickness Mtotal up to 2.0 m in Perdoel and up to 1.2 m in Bornhöved. Parent materials are mainly Pleistocene sands aged 30 kyr BP. Exponential models of multiple regression that use a 1-m LiDAR DEM (digital elevation model) explained 70-93% of spatial variability in Mtotal. Parameters DH12 and DV12 of horizontal and vertical distances are introduced that permit to characterize and compare conditions of colluvium formation for various terrains. The study areas differ 3.7 times by the parameter DH12 that describes a horizontal distance from thalwegs at which Mtotal diminishes 2.72 times. DH12 is greater in Bornhöved (29.7 m) than in Perdoel (8.12 m). We relate this difference in DH12 to the distinction between types of the link slope-valley: a regional type if catchment area of a region outside a given small area plays an important role, and a local type when accumulation of colluvium from valley banks within a small area is of more importance. We argue that the link slope-valley is regional in Perdoel and local in Bornhöved. Peaks of colluvium thickness were found on thalwegs of three studied valleys by both direct measurements in a trench, and model surfaces of Mtotal. A hypothesis on the formation mechanism of such peaks is discussed. The parameter DV12 describes a vertical distance from a peak of colluvium thickness along valley bottom at which Mtotal diminishes 2.72 times; values of this parameter differ 1.4 times for the study areas. DV12 is greater in Perdoel (3.0 m) than in Bornhöved (2.1 m) thus indicating more sharp peaks of Mtotal in Bornhöved. Exponential models allow construction of predictive maps of buried Pleistocene surfaces for both the terrains and calculate colluvium volumes with an error 4.2% for Perdoel and 7.1% for Bornhöved. Comparisons of buried and present surfaces showed that the latter are more smoothed, more strongly in valleys where flow branching is increased.

Performance of a Tracked Feller-Buncher with a Shear Head Operating in Small-Diameter Pine

Treesearch

J. Klepac

2013-01-01

A Tigercat 845D tracked feller-buncher equipped with a shear head was evaluated while performing a clearcut in a 15-year old Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantation and a 18-year old natural stand. Mean density of the plantation was 573 TPA (Trees per Acre) while the natural stand averaged 328 TPA, with a slightly higher density of 390 TPA in the study area. Total cycle...

Morphometric analysis of the neuronal numbers and densities of the inferior olivary complex in the donkey (Equus asinus).

PubMed

Alkafafy, Mohamed; Rashed, Reda; Attia, Hossam

2011-07-01

The morphometric interrelations between the compartments of the inferior olivary complex (IOC) in the donkey (Equus asinus) were ascertained by examining serial sections throughout the entire length of the IOC for both sides. Nissl-stained celloidin sections of four brainstems of donkeys were used. The IOC consisted of three major nuclei and four small cell groups. The total neuronal count in both sides of the IOC was 202,040±8480 cells. The medial accessory olivary nucleus (MAO) had the largest relative area (46%) and the highest number of neurons (90,800±7600). The dorsal accessory olivary nucleus (DAO) had the second largest relative area (33%), while the principal olivary nucleus (PO) had the lowest relative area (21%). However, the total neuron count in the PO was larger (60,840±1840) than DAO (50,360±4040). The average neuronal density was 2700±400 cells/mm(3). The numerical values of the current study of the IOC in the donkey were similar to those of other mammals. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

The changing food outlet distributions and local contextual factors in the United States.

PubMed

Chen, Hsin-Jen; Wang, Youfa

2014-01-16

Little is known about the dynamics of the food outlet distributions associated with local contextual factors in the U.S. This study examines the changes in food stores/services at the 5-digit Zip Code Tabulated Area (ZCTA5) level in the U.S., and assesses contextual factors associated with the changes. Data from 27,878 ZCTA5s in the contiguous United States without an extreme change in the number of 6 types of food stores/services (supermarkets, small-size grocery stores, convenience stores, fresh/specialty food markets, carry-out restaurants, and full-service restaurants) were used. ZCTA5s' contextual factors were from the 2000 Census. Numbers of food stores/services were derived from the Census Business Pattern databases. Linear regression models assessed contextual factors' influences (racial/ethnic compositions, poverty rate, urbanization level, and foreign-born population%) on 1-year changes in food stores/services during 2000-2001, adjusted for population size, total business change, and census regions. Small-size grocery stores and fresh/specialty food markets increased more and convenience stores decreased more in Hispanic-predominant than other areas. Among supermarket-free places, new supermarkets were less likely to be introduced into black-predominant than white-predominant areas (odds ratio (OR) = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.30-0.92). However, among areas without the following type of store at baseline, supermarket (OR = 0.48 (0.33-0.70)), small-size grocery stores (OR = 1.32 (1.08-1.62)), and fresh/specialty food markets (OR = 0.70 (0.53-0.92)) were less likely to be introduced into areas of low foreign-born population than into areas of high foreign-born population. Higher poverty rate was associated with a greater decrease in supermarket, a less decrease in small-size grocery stores, and a less increase in carry-out restaurants (all p for trends <0.001). Urban areas experienced more increases in full-service and carry-out restaurants than suburban areas. Local area characteristics affect 1-year changes in food environment in the U.S. Hispanic population was associated with more food stores/services capable of supplying fresh food items. Black-predominant and poverty-afflicted areas had a greater decrease in supermarkets. Full-service and carry-out restaurants increased more in urban than suburban areas. Foreign-born population density was associated with introduction of grocery stores and fresh/specialty food markets into the areas.

The changing food outlet distributions and local contextual factors in the United States

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Little is known about the dynamics of the food outlet distributions associated with local contextual factors in the U.S. This study examines the changes in food stores/services at the 5-digit Zip Code Tabulated Area (ZCTA5) level in the U.S., and assesses contextual factors associated with the changes. Methods Data from 27,878 ZCTA5s in the contiguous United States without an extreme change in the number of 6 types of food stores/services (supermarkets, small-size grocery stores, convenience stores, fresh/specialty food markets, carry-out restaurants, and full-service restaurants) were used. ZCTA5s’ contextual factors were from the 2000 Census. Numbers of food stores/services were derived from the Census Business Pattern databases. Linear regression models assessed contextual factors’ influences (racial/ethnic compositions, poverty rate, urbanization level, and foreign-born population%) on 1-year changes in food stores/services during 2000–2001, adjusted for population size, total business change, and census regions. Results Small-size grocery stores and fresh/specialty food markets increased more and convenience stores decreased more in Hispanic-predominant than other areas. Among supermarket-free places, new supermarkets were less likely to be introduced into black-predominant than white-predominant areas (odds ratio (OR) = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.30-0.92). However, among areas without the following type of store at baseline, supermarket (OR = 0.48 (0.33-0.70)), small-size grocery stores (OR = 1.32 (1.08-1.62)), and fresh/specialty food markets (OR = 0.70 (0.53-0.92)) were less likely to be introduced into areas of low foreign-born population than into areas of high foreign-born population. Higher poverty rate was associated with a greater decrease in supermarket, a less decrease in small-size grocery stores, and a less increase in carry-out restaurants (all p for trends <0.001). Urban areas experienced more increases in full-service and carry-out restaurants than suburban areas. Conclusions Local area characteristics affect 1-year changes in food environment in the U.S. Hispanic population was associated with more food stores/services capable of supplying fresh food items. Black-predominant and poverty-afflicted areas had a greater decrease in supermarkets. Full-service and carry-out restaurants increased more in urban than suburban areas. Foreign-born population density was associated with introduction of grocery stores and fresh/specialty food markets into the areas. PMID:24433323

Assessment of Wind Home System's Potential in Coastal Areas of Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Memon, Mujeebudin; Harijan, Khanji; Uqaili, Mohammad Aslam

2007-10-01

About 50 and 90 percent of the total population of rural coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan provinces respectively have no access to electricity and meet lighting requirements through kerosene and LPG. The population density in rural coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan provinces is about 100-150 and 10-50 persons per km2 respectively. Extension of existing centralized grid system to rural areas with very low population density and small-scattered loads is economically and technically unfeasible. In this situation, decentralized renewable electricity especially wind power appears to be one of the viable option. This paper presents the assessment of potential of wind home systems (WHS) for rural electrification in coastal areas of Pakistan using the wind speed data recorded by Pakistan Metrological Department (PMD) and power curve of a reference wind turbine. Pakistan has 1050 km long coastline, of which, 250 km is falling in Sindh and 800 km in Balochistan. A 150 Wp wind turbine could generate about 345 kWh and 250 kWh of electricity per year in coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan respectively, which would be sufficient for meeting the electricity demand of a rural household. The average theoretical potential of WHS in the coastal area of Sindh and Balochistan is about 2245 and 1800 FLH respectively. The total installed capacity and technical potential of WHS in the coastal area of the country has been estimated as 63.75 MW and 135 GWh/year respectively.

Courthouse Prototype Building

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

Malhotra, Mini; New, Joshua Ryan; Im, Piljae

As part of DOE's support of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 and IECC, researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) apply a suite of prototype buildings covering 80% of the commercial building floor area in the U.S. for new construction. Efforts have started on expanding the prototype building suite to cover 90% of the commercial building floor area in the U.S., by developing prototype models for additional building types including place of worship, public order and safety, public assembly. Courthouse is courthouse is a sub-category under the “Public Order and Safety" building type category; other sub-categories include police station, fire station, andmore » jail, reformatory or penitentiary.ORNL used building design guides, databases, and documented courthouse projects, supplemented by personal communication with courthouse facility planning and design experts, to systematically conduct research on the courthouse building and system characteristics. This report documents the research conducted for the courthouse building type and proposes building and system characteristics for developing a prototype building energy model to be included in the Commercial Building Prototype Model suite. According to the 2012 CBECS, courthouses occupy a total of 436 million sqft of floor space or 0.5% of the total floor space in all commercial buildings in the US, next to fast food (0.35%), grocery store or food market (0.88%), and restaurant or cafeteria (1.2%) building types currently included in the Commercial Prototype Building Model suite. Considering aggregated average, courthouse falls among the larger with a mean floor area of 69,400 sqft smaller fuel consumption intensity building types and an average of 94.7 kBtu/sqft compared to 77.8 kBtu/sqft for office and 80 kBtu/sqft for all commercial buildings.Courthouses range in size from 1000 sqft to over a million square foot building gross square feet and 1 courtroom to over 100 courtrooms. Small courthouses represent a majority of courthouse buildings. However, collectively they comprise a small fraction of total courthouse floor area in the US. Spaces and operation of courthouse also varies depending on the court type (federal court vs state court; district, appellate, versus Supreme Court) and jurisdiction (general jurisdiction, general jurisdiction trial, or special courts). Based on the statistics on courthouses, general jurisdiction trial court is considered for the prototype model. The model is assumed to be a 4-courtroom, small, 72,000 sqft three-story building including a ground level/ basement.« less

Performance of a Blunt-lip Side Inlet with Ramp Bleed, Bypass, and a Long Constant-area Duct Ahead of the Engine : Mach Numbers 0.66 and 1.5 to 2.1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, John L

1956-01-01

Unsteady shock-induced separation of the ramp boundary layer was reduced and stabilized more effectively by external perforations than by external or internal slots. At Mach 2.0 peak total-pressure recovery was increased from 0.802 to 0.89 and stable mass-flow range was increased 185 percent over that for the solid ramp. Peak pressure recovery occurred just before instability. The 7 and one-third-diameter duct ahead of the engine reduced large total-pressure distortions but was not as successful for small distortions as obtained with throat bleed. By removing boundary-layer air the bypass nearly recovered the total-pressure loss due to the long duct.

Explanatory models concerning the effects of small-area characteristics on individual health.

PubMed

Voigtländer, Sven; Vogt, Verena; Mielck, Andreas; Razum, Oliver

2014-06-01

Material and social living conditions at the small-area level are assumed to have an effect on individual health. We review existing explanatory models concerning the effects of small-area characteristics on health and describe the gaps future research should try to fill. Systematic literature search for, and analysis of, studies that propose an explanatory model of the relationship between small-area characteristics and health. Fourteen studies met our inclusion criteria. Using various theoretical approaches, almost all of the models are based on a three-tier structure linking social inequalities (posited at the macro-level), small-area characteristics (posited at the meso-level) and individual health (micro-level). No study explicitly defines the geographical borders of the small-area context. The health impact of the small-area characteristics is explained by specific pathways involving mediating factors (psychological, behavioural, biological). These pathways tend to be seen as uni-directional; often, causality is implied. They may be modified by individual factors. A number of issues need more attention in research on explanatory models concerning small-area effects on health. Among them are the (geographical) definition of the small-area context; the systematic description of pathways comprising small-area contextual as well as compositional factors; questions of direction of association and causality; and the integration of a time dimension.

Occurrence and behavior of the herbicide Prometon in the hydrologic system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Capel, P.D.; Spexet, A.H.; Larson, S.J.

1999-01-01

Prometon, a triazine herbicide, is used for total vegetation control on industrial sites, on noncrop areas on farms, in and under asphalt, and to a small extent by homeowners. Prometon has often been detected in surface water and groundwater in studies reported in the literature, but its presence is seldom discussed, partly because of its infrequent inclusion on lists of herbicides used in either agricultural or urban areas. In recent large-scale studies by the U.S. Geological Survey, prometon has been the most commonly detected herbicide in surface water and groundwater in urban areas and the third and fourth most commonly detected herbicide in groundwater and surface water, respectively, in agricultural areas. It also has been detected in rain. The frequent detection of prometon in the environment is discussed in relation to its use practices and predicted environmental behavior. Prometon is compared to atrazine, a structurally similar agricultural triazine herbicide that is one of the most studied and most commonly detected herbicides found in the hydrologic environment. The environmental data presented here demonstrate the wide-scale occurrence of prometon in all components of the hydrologic system, particularly in the surface water and groundwater of urban areas.Prometon, a triazine herbicide, is used for total vegetation control on industrial sites, on noncrop areas on farms, in and under asphalt, and to a small extent by homeowners. Prometon has often been detected in surface water and groundwater in studies reported in the literature, but its presence is seldom discussed, partly because of its infrequent inclusion on lists of herbicides used in either agricultural or urban areas. In recent large-scale studies by the U.S. Geological Survey, prometon has been the most commonly detected herbicide in surface water and groundwater in urban areas and the third and fourth most commonly detected herbicide in groundwater and surface water, respectively, in agricultural areas. It also has been detected in rain. The frequent detection of prometon in the environment is discussed in relation to its use practices and predicted environmental behavior. Prometon is compared to atrazine, a structurally similar agricultural triazine herbicide that is one of the most studied and most commonly detected herbicides found in the hydrologic environment. The environmental data presented here demonstrate the wide-scale occurrence of prometon in all components of the hydrologic system, particularly in the surface water and groundwater of urban areas.

[Nutrient spatiotemporal distribution and eutrophication process in subsidence waters of Huainan and Huaibei mining areas, China].

PubMed

Qu, Xi-Jie; Yi, Qi-Tao; Hu, You-Biao; Yan, Jia-Ping; Yu, Huai-Jun; Dong, Xiang-Lin

2013-11-01

A total of eight mining subsidence waters, including five sites in Huainan "Panxie" Mining Areas (PXS-1, PXS-2, PXS-3, PXS-4, and PXS-5) and three sites in Huaibei "Zhu-Yang huang" Mining Areas (HBDH, HBZH, HBNH), were selected to study the nutrient temporal and spatial distribution and trophic states. Among the sites, three sites (PXS-1, PXS-3, and HBDH) showed higher nutrient level and could be classified into moderate eutrophication, whereas the other five were in moderate nutrient level and mild eutrophication. Overall, the nutrient level of Huainan mining subsidence waters was higher than that of Huaibei mining subsidence waters. All the test samples in the two mining areas had a higher ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus (N:P), being 25-117 in Huainan and 17-157 in Huaibei, and with a seasonal variety, the lowest in growth season. The dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) in total phosphorous (TP) occupied a small percentage, being averagely 15.4% and 18.4% in Huainan and Huaibei mining areas, respectively. Nitrate was the main specie of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), with the ratio of nitrate to DIN being 74% and 89% in Huainan and Huaibei mining areas, respectively. Relative to the waters age, human activities could be one of the main factors responsible for the high nutrient level and the faster eutrophication process of these waters.

Geolocation applications of the Gonets LEO messaging satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vlasov, Vladimir N.; Ashjaee, Javad M.

Geostationary satellites carry a majority of the international telecommunications traffic not carried by transoceanic cable. However, because the radio path links to and from geostationary satellites total at least 70,000 km and because of inherent on-board spacecraft power limitations, earth stations used in conjunction with geostationary satellites are usually large and expensive. This limits their installation to areas with a well-developed industrial and economic infrastructure. This reality helps perpetuate a chicken egg dilemma for the developing countries and isolated regions. Economic integration with the developed world requires being 'networked'. But for many developing entities, even the initial price of entry exceeds their modest resources. Exclusion from the global information highways virtually assures retardation of economic growth for developing nations, remote and isolated areas. Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) earth stations are often thought of as a solution for networking developing regions. But economic considerations often forecloses this option. If VSAT size and cost is to be minimized, powerful spot beams from the satellite need to be focused on relatively small regions. This is not often feasible because of the high cost of the satellite itself. To dedicate a high power spot beam to a small region is usually not economically feasible.

Geolocation applications of the Gonets LEO messaging satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vlasov, Vladimir N.; Ashjaee, Javad M.

1993-01-01

Geostationary satellites carry a majority of the international telecommunications traffic not carried by transoceanic cable. However, because the radio path links to and from geostationary satellites total at least 70,000 km and because of inherent on-board spacecraft power limitations, earth stations used in conjunction with geostationary satellites are usually large and expensive. This limits their installation to areas with a well-developed industrial and economic infrastructure. This reality helps perpetuate a chicken egg dilemma for the developing countries and isolated regions. Economic integration with the developed world requires being 'networked'. But for many developing entities, even the initial price of entry exceeds their modest resources. Exclusion from the global information highways virtually assures retardation of economic growth for developing nations, remote and isolated areas. Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) earth stations are often thought of as a solution for networking developing regions. But economic considerations often forecloses this option. If VSAT size and cost is to be minimized, powerful spot beams from the satellite need to be focused on relatively small regions. This is not often feasible because of the high cost of the satellite itself. To dedicate a high power spot beam to a small region is usually not economically feasible.

12 CFR 25.22 - Lending test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... assessment area(s) through its lending activities by considering a bank's home mortgage, small business... mortgage, small business, small farm, and consumer loans, if applicable, in the bank's assessment area(s); (2) Geographic distribution. The geographic distribution of the bank's home mortgage, small business...

12 CFR 25.22 - Lending test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... assessment area(s) through its lending activities by considering a bank's home mortgage, small business... mortgage, small business, small farm, and consumer loans, if applicable, in the bank's assessment area(s); (2) Geographic distribution. The geographic distribution of the bank's home mortgage, small business...

12 CFR 25.22 - Lending test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... assessment area(s) through its lending activities by considering a bank's home mortgage, small business... mortgage, small business, small farm, and consumer loans, if applicable, in the bank's assessment area(s); (2) Geographic distribution. The geographic distribution of the bank's home mortgage, small business...

Use of Landsat imagery to estimate ground-water pumpage for irrigation on the Columbia Plateau in eastern Washington, 1985

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Metre, P.C.; Seevers, Paul

1991-01-01

A method for estimating ground-water pumpage for irrigation was developed for the Columbia Plateau in eastern Washington. The method combines water-application rates estimated from pumpage data with acreage of irrigated crops that was mapped by using Landsat imagery. The study area consisted of Grant, Lincoln, Adams, and Franklin Counties, an area of approximately 8,900 square miles, and accounts for approximately three-fourths of the ground-water pumpage in the Columbia Plateau in eastern Washington. Data from two passes of Landsat's multispectral scanner were analyzed by using a spectral band ratioing procedure to map irrigated crops for the study area. Data from one pass of Landsat's thematic mapper, covering approximately two-thirds of the study area, also were analyzed for determining irrigated crops in the area resulting in a 6-percent improvement in accuracy over the multispectral scanner analysis. A total of 576 annual water-application rates associated with particular crops, for the 1982 through 1985 seasons, were calculated. A regression equation was developed for estimating annual water-application rates as a function of crop type, annual precipitation, irrigation system type, and available water capacity of the soil. Crops were grouped into three water-use categories: (1) small grains, primarily wheat and barley; (2) high water-use crops consisting of corn, alfalfa, and potatoes; and (3) miscellaneous vegetable and row crops. Annual water-application rates, expressed as a depth of water, then were multiplied by irrigated area determined by Landsat to estimate a volume of water pumped for irrigation for 1985-620,000 acre-feet. An assessment of accuracy for estimating pumpage for 28 of the sites showed that total predicted pumpage was within 4 percent of the total observed pumpage.

Simultaneous analysis of small organic acids and humic acids using high performance size exclusion chromatography.

PubMed

Qin, Xiaopeng; Liu, Fei; Wang, Guangcai; Weng, Liping

2012-12-01

An accurate and fast method for simultaneous determination of small organic acids and much larger humic acids was developed using high performance size exclusion chromatography. Two small organic acids, i.e. salicylic acid and 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid, and one purified humic acid material were used in this study. Under the experimental conditions, the UV peaks of salicylic acid and 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid were well separated from the peaks of humic acid in the chromatogram. Concentrations of the two small organic acids could be accurately determined from their peak areas. The concentration of humic acid in the mixture could then be derived from mass balance calculations. The measured results agreed well with the nominal concentrations. The detection limits are 0.05 mg/L and 0.01 mg/L for salicylic acid and 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid, respectively. Applicability of the method to natural samples was tested using groundwater, glacier, and river water samples (both original and spiked with salicylic acid and 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid) with a total organic carbon concentration ranging from 2.1 to 179.5 mg C/L. The results obtained are promising, especially for groundwater samples and river water samples with a total organic carbon concentration below 9 mg C/L. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

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

Morgan, T.L.; George, W.E.; Hensley, W.K.

As part of the Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) of the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) sponsored by the US Department of Energy (DOE), the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) conducted a detailed hydrogeochemical survey of well waters in a 4250-km/sup 2/ area near Pie Town in west-central New Mexico. A total of 300 well samples was collected and analyzed for uranium and 23 other elements. The results of these analyses and carbonate and bicarbonate ion concentrations are presented in the Appendixes of this report. Uranium concentrations range from below the detection limit of 0.02 parts per billion (ppB)more » to 293.18 ppB and average 8.71 ppB. Samples containing high levels of uranium were collected from the Largo Creek valley west of Quemado, from a small area about 6 km east of Quemado, from a small area surrounding Pie Town, and from scattered locations in the area surrounding Adams Diggings north of Pie Town. Most of the samples containing high uranium concentrations were collected from wells associated with the volcanic sedimentary facies of the Datil formation. This formation is a likely source of mobile uranium that may be precipitating in the underlying Baca formation, a known uranium host unit. Bicarbonate ion concentration, while proportional to uranium concentration in some cases, is not a strong controlling factor in the uranium concentrations in samples from this area.« less

33 CFR 334.155 - Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area. 334.155 Section 334.155 Navigation and... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.155 Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area. (a) The area. The waters within the Naval Station Annapolis small boat basin and...

33 CFR 334.155 - Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area. 334.155 Section 334.155 Navigation and... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.155 Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area. (a) The area. The waters within the Naval Station Annapolis small boat basin and...

33 CFR 334.155 - Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area. 334.155 Section 334.155 Navigation and... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.155 Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area. (a) The area. The waters within the Naval Station Annapolis small boat basin and...

[Analysis of urban forest landscape pattern in Hefei].

PubMed

Wu, Zemin; Wu, Wenyou; Gao, Jian; Zhang, Shaojie

2003-12-01

Based on the theory and methodology of landscape ecology, the landscape pattern of the study area (17.6 km2) in the downtown of Hefei was analyzed by using the techniques of RS, GPS and GIS. The object was to provide a comprehensive method to study urban forest structure and its function in environmental improvement. The results showed that there were 5 major landscape elements, i.e., building and hard pavement surface, water, road, urban forest, and general green land in the area. The landscape matrix was building and pavement surface, occupied 73.13% of total land. Road was the typical corridor element in the city and occupied 6.89%. Green land occupied 11.44%, in which, urban forest patch occupied 9.18%. There were 408 urban forest patches, with an area of 161.16 hm2. The average area of the patch was 0.396 hm2, and the maximum area was 12 hm2. 48% of urban forest patch was identified as small scale patches with < 500 m2 of area, and only 8.6% of them was larger than 1 hm2. The number of general green land patch was 255, with an area of 39.74 hm2, which accounted for 2.26% of land area, and its average and maximum area was 0.1558 hm2 and 3.86 hm2, respectively. There were 147 water patches, with an area of 149.93 hm2, and occupied 8.54% of land, and the average and maximum area of the patch was 1.02 hm2 and 16 hm2, respectively. In the study area, both of the Shannon-Weiner landscape diversity index and evenness were low, only 0.928 and 0.576, respectively. In addition, the dominance of urban forest patch and general green land was 0.39 showing that the two landscape elements had a certain influence on the environment of the study area. The concept of interior habitat for forest was introduced in this paper, which was employed to make a scale class system of urban forest patch. The threshold area with interior habitat for urban forest patch was 9800 m2, and there was 31.69 hm2 of interior habitat of urban forest in total, which occupied 19.7% of the total area of urban forest patch. This situation was not favorable for providing more habitats to support species diversity. It's suggested that the concept of interior habitat could be employed to identify urban forest patch, and a scale system of small scale patch of urban forest-middle patch-large patch-extra large patch was build in the paper. Based on this system, the ratio of different scales of urban forest patch in the study area should be 2:2:2:3. The authors also suggested that larger pieces (1.5-3.0 hm2) of urban forest patch should be built, and more urban forests should be established in the northeastern part of the city in the future.

Comprehensive monitoring of Bangladesh tree cover inside and outside of forests, 2000-2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potapov, P.; Siddiqui, B. N.; Iqbal, Z.; Aziz, T.; Zzaman, B.; Islam, A.; Pickens, A.; Talero, Y.; Tyukavina, A.; Turubanova, S.; Hansen, M. C.

2017-10-01

A novel approach for satellite-based comprehensive national tree cover change assessment was developed and applied in Bangladesh, a country where trees outside of forests play an important role in the national economy and carbon sequestration. Tree cover change area was quantified using the integration of wall-to-wall Landsat-based mapping with a higher spatial resolution sample-based assessment. The total national tree canopy cover area was estimated as 3165 500 ± 186 600 ha in the year 2000, with trees outside forests making up 54% of total canopy cover. Total tree canopy cover increased by 135 700 (± 116 600) ha (4.3%) during the 2000-2014 time interval. Bangladesh exhibits a national tree cover dynamic where net change is rather small, but gross dynamics significant and variable by forest type. Despite the overall gain in tree cover, results revealed the ongoing clearing of natural forests, especially within the Chittagong hill tracts. While forests decreased their tree cover area by 83 600 ha, the trees outside forests (including tree plantations, village woodlots, and agroforestry) increased their canopy area by 219 300 ha. Our results demonstrated method capability to quantify tree canopy cover dynamics within a fine-scale agricultural landscape. Our approach for comprehensive monitoring of tree canopy cover may be recommended for operational implementation in Bangladesh and other countries with significant tree cover outside of forests.

Geographic Variations of Colorectal and Breast Cancer Late-Stage Diagnosis and the Effects of Neighborhood-Level Factors.

PubMed

Lin, Yan; Wimberly, Michael C

2017-04-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the geographic variations of late-stage diagnosis in colorectal cancer (CRC) and breast cancer as well as to investigate the effects of 3 neighborhood-level factors-socioeconomic deprivation, urban/rural residence, and spatial accessibility to health care-on the late-stage risks. This study used population-based South Dakota cancer registry data from 2001 to 2012. A total of 4,878 CRC cases and 6,418 breast cancer cases were included in the analyses. Two-level logistic regression models were used to analyze the risk of late-stage CRC and breast cancer. For CRC, there was a small geographic variation across census tracts in late-stage diagnosis, and residing in isolated small rural areas was significantly associated with late-stage risk. However, this association became nonsignificant after adjusting for census-tract level socioeconomic deprivation. Socioeconomic deprivation was an independent predictor of CRC late-stage risk, and it explained the elevated risk among American Indians. No relationship was found between spatial accessibility and CRC late-stage risk. For breast cancer, no geographic variation in the late-stage diagnosis was observed across census tracts, and none of the 3 neighborhood-level factors was significantly associated with late-stage risk. Results suggested that socioeconomic deprivation, rather than spatial accessibility, contributed to CRC late-stage risks in South Dakota as a rural state. CRC intervention programs could be developed to target isolated small rural areas, socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, as well as American Indians residing in these areas. © 2016 National Rural Health Association.

Tidal fluxes of mercury and methylmercury for Mendall Marsh, Penobscot River estuary, Maine.

PubMed

Turner, R R; Mitchell, C P J; Kopec, A D; Bodaly, R A

2018-05-08

Tidal marshes are both important sites of in situ methylmercury production and can be landscape sources of methylmercury to adjacent estuarine systems. As part of a regional investigation of the Hg-contaminated Penobscot River and Bay system, the tidal fluxes of total suspended solids, total mercury and methylmercury into and out of a regionally important mesohaline fluvial marsh complex, Mendall Marsh, were intensively measured over several tidal cycles and at two spatial scales to assess the source-sink function of the marsh with respect to the Penobscot River. Over four tidal cycles on the South Marsh River, the main channel through which water enters and exits Mendall Marsh, the marsh was a consistent sink over typical 12-h tidal cycles for total suspended solids (8.2 to 41 g m -2 ), total Hg (9.2 to 47 μg m -2 ), total filter-passing Hg (0.4 to 1.1 μg m -2 ), and total methylmercury (0.2 to 1.4 μg m -2 ). The marsh's source-sink function was variable for filter-passing methylmercury, acting as a net source during a large spring tide that inundated much of the marsh area and that is likely to occur during approximately 17% of tidal cycles. Additional measurements on a small tidal channel draining approximately 1% of the larger marsh area supported findings at the larger scale, but differences in the flux magnitude of filter-passing fractions suggest a highly non-conservative transport of these fractions through the tidal channels. Overall the results of this investigation demonstrate that Mendall Marsh is not a significant source of mercury or methylmercury to the receiving aquatic systems (Penobscot River and Bay). While there is evidence of a small net export of filter-passing (<0.4 μm pore size) methylmercury under some tidal conditions, the mass involved represents <3% of the mass of filter-passing methylmercury carried by the Penobscot River. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Spatial and temporal variability of greenhouse gas emissions from a small and shallow temperate lake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Praetzel, Leandra; Schmiedeskamp, Marcel; Broder, Tanja; Hüttemann, Caroline; Jansen, Laura; Metzelder, Ulrike; Wallis, Ronya; Knorr, Klaus-Holger; Blodau, Christian

2017-04-01

Small inland waters (< 1 km2) have recently been discovered as significant sources and sinks in the global carbon cycle because they cover larger areas than previously assumed and exhibit a higher metabolic activity than larger lakes. They are further expected to be susceptible to changing climate conditions. So far, little is known about the spatial and temporal variability of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions and in-lake dynamics of CH4 production and oxidation in small, epilimnetic lakes in the temperate zone. Of particular interest is the potential occurrence of "hot spots" and "hot moments" that could contribute significantly to total emissions. To address this knowledge gap, we determined CO2 and CH4 emissions and dynamics to identify their controlling environmental factors in a polymictic small (1.4 ha) and shallow (max. depth approx. 1.5 m) crater lake ("Windsborn") in the Eifel uplands in south-west Germany. As Lake Windsborn has a small catchment area (8 ha) and no surficial inflows, it serves well as a model system for the identification of factors and processes controlling emissions. In 2015, 2016 and 2017 we measured CO2 and CH4 gas fluxes with different techniques across the sediment/water and water/atmosphere interface. Atmospheric exchange was measured using mini-chambers equipped with CO2 sensors and with an infra-red greenhouse gas analyzer for high temporal resolution flux measurements. Ebullition of CH4 was quantified with funnel traps. Sediment properties were examined using pore-water peepers. All measurements were carried out along a transect covering both littoral and central parts of the lake. Moreover, a weather station on a floating platform in the center of the lake recorded meteorological data as well as CO2 concentration in different depths of the water column. So far, Lake Windsborn seems to be a source for both CO2 and CH4 on an annual scale. CO2 emissions generally increased from spring to summer. Even though CO2 uptake could be observed during some periods in spring and fall, CO2 emissions in the summer exceeded the uptake. CO2 and CH4 emissions also appeared to be spatially variable between littoral areas and the inner lake. Shallow areas turned out to be "hot spots" of CO2 emissions whereas CH4 emissions were - against our expectations - highest in the center of the lake. Moreover, CH4 ebullition contributed substantially to total CH4 emissions. Our results show the importance of spatially and temporally highly resolved long-term measurements of greenhouse gas emissions and of potential controlling factors to address diurnal, seasonal and inter-annual variability as well as possible feedbacks to climate change.

Ionospheric acoustic and gravity waves associated with midlatitude thunderstorms

DOE PAGES

Lay, Erin H.; Shao, Xuan -Min; Kendrick, Alexander K.; ...

2015-07-30

Acoustic waves with periods of 2 - 4 minutes and gravity waves with periods of 6 - 16 minutes have been detected at ionospheric heights (250-350 km) using GPS Total Electron Content (TEC) measurements. The area disturbed by these waves and the wave amplitudes have been associated with underlying thunderstorm activity. A statistical study comparing NEXRAD radar thunderstorm measurements with ionospheric acoustic and gravity waves in the mid-latitude U.S. Great Plains region was performed for the time period of May - July 2005. An increase of ionospheric acoustic wave disturbed area and amplitude is primarily associated with large thunderstorms (mesoscalemore » convective systems). Ionospheric gravity wave disturbed area and amplitude scale with thunderstorm activity, with even small storms (i.e. individual storm cells) producing an increase of gravity waves.« less

Ice-Shelf Melting Around Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rignot, E.; Jacobs, S.; Mouginot, J.; Scheuchl, B.

2013-07-01

We compare the volume flux divergence of Antarctic ice shelves in 2007 and 2008 with 1979 to 2010 surface accumulation and 2003 to 2008 thinning to determine their rates of melting and mass balance. Basal melt of 1325 ± 235 gigatons per year (Gt/year) exceeds a calving flux of 1089 ± 139 Gt/year, making ice-shelf melting the largest ablation process in Antarctica. The giant cold-cavity Ross, Filchner, and Ronne ice shelves covering two-thirds of the total ice-shelf area account for only 15% of net melting. Half of the meltwater comes from 10 small, warm-cavity Southeast Pacific ice shelves occupying 8% of the area. A similar high melt/area ratio is found for six East Antarctic ice shelves, implying undocumented strong ocean thermal forcing on their deep grounding lines.

Persistent Organic Pollutants and Heavy Metal Concentrations in Soil from the Metropolitan Area of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

PubMed

Orta-García, Sandra Teresa; Ochoa-Martinez, Angeles Catalina; Carrizalez-Yáñez, Leticia; Varela-Silva, José Antonio; Pérez-Vázquez, Francisco Javier; Pruneda-Álvarez, Lucia Guadalupe; Torres-Dosal, Arturo; Guzmán-Mar, Jorge Luis; Pérez-Maldonado, Iván N

2016-04-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDE), and four heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, and lead) in outdoor surface soils (50 samples) collected from the metropolitan area of Monterrey in Mexico. Total PBDEs levels ranged from 1.80 to 127 µg/kg, with mean total PBDEs level of 14.2 ± 21.5 µg/kg (geometric mean ± standard deviation). For PCBs, the mean total level in the studied soils was 23.5 ± 20.2 µg/kg (range 4.0-65.5 µg/kg). An important finding in our study was that all soil samples (100%) had detectable levels of the metabolite p,p'-DDE. Moreover, the mean total DDT level (∑p'p-DDT and p'p-DDE) was approximately 132 ± 175 µg/kg. The mean levels for arsenic, cadmium, and lead in soil were 5.30 ± 1.35 (range 1.55-7.85) mg/kg, 2.20 ± 1.20 (range 0.65-6.40) mg/kg, and 455 ± 204 (range 224-1230) mg/kg, respectively. Our study has several limitations, the most notable of which is the small sample of soils evaluated. However, this screening study provided concentration data for the occurrence of POPs and four heavy metals in soil from the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, and taking into consideration that soil is an important pathway of exposure for people, a biomonitoring program for the surveillance of the general population in the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon is deemed necessary.

A small subset of protected areas are a highly significant source of carbon emissions

PubMed Central

Collins, Murray B.; Mitchard, Edward T. A.

2017-01-01

Protected areas (PAs) aim to protect multiple ecosystem services. However, not all are well protected. For the first time, using published carbon and forest loss maps, we estimate carbon emissions in large forest PAs in tropical countries (N = 2018). We found 36 ± 16 Pg C stored in PA trees, representing 14.5% of all tropical forest biomass carbon. However the PAs lost forest at a mean rate of 0.18% yr−1 from 2000–2012. Lower protection status areas experienced higher forest losses (e.g. 0.39% yr−1 in IUCN cat III), yet even highest status areas lost 0.13% yr−1 (IUCN Cat I). Emissions were not evenly distributed: 80% of emissions derived from 8.3% of PAs (112 ± 49.5 Tg CO2 yr−1; n = 171). Unsurprisingly the largest emissions derived from PAs that started with the greatest total forest area; accounting for starting forest area and relating that to carbon lost using a linear model (r2 = 0.41), we found 1.1% outlying PAs (residuals >2σ; N = 23), representing 1.3% of the total PA forest area, yet causing 27.3% of all PA emissions. These results suggest PAs have been a successful means of protecting biomass carbon, yet a subset causing a disproportionately high share of emissions should be an urgent priority for management interventions. PMID:28186155

Measuring morale--does practice area deprivation affect doctors' well-being?

PubMed Central

Grieve, S

1997-01-01

BACKGROUND: Morale is a perennial concern in general practice and, over the years, a variety of tools have been used to examine doctors' mental well-being in a range of psychological and sociological studies. Despite perceived associations between low morale and practice area deprivation, this has not been investigated previously. AIM: To devise and apply a measure of mental well-being in general practitioners, and to use this to investigate the effect of practice area deprivation. METHOD: A questionnaire was devised and piloted, then used in an anonymous postal survey of a random sample of 500 London general practitioners, with questions on demography, workload, practice characteristics, patient centredness, and practice area deprivation. RESULTS: A total of 334 (68%) doctors replied to the questionnaire. Of these, 45% often feel exhausted, 46% are often frustrated by trivial consultations, and a third are seriously disenchanted with work. The resulting well-being score had a normal distribution, was reproducible (test-retest reliability = 0.91), and was internally consistent (Cronbach's alpha = 0.76). Comments from respondents suggested good face validity. Low well-being was not associated with practice area deprivation, but was associated with time stress, small practices and primary care teams, and lack of patient centredness. CONCLUSION: The instrument provided a useful tool for examining doctors' well-being and the associations thereof. Well-being was not associated with practice area deprivation. Help for small primary care teams and measures to reduce time stress should help to improve morale. PMID:9406487

Observations over Hurricanes from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joiner, J.; Vasilkov, A.; Yang, K.; Bhartia, P. K.

2006-01-01

There is an apparent inconsistency between the total column ozone derived from the total ozone mapping spectrometer (TOMS) and aircraft observations within the eye region of tropical cyclones. The higher spectral resolution, coverage, and sampling of the ozone monitoring instrument (OMI) on NASA s Aura satellite as compared with TOMS allows for improved ozone retrievals by including estimates of cloud pressure derived simultaneously using the effects of rotational Raman scattering. The retrieved cloud pressures from OM1 are more appropriate than the climatological cloud-top pressures based on infrared measurements used in the TOMS and initial OM1 algorithms. We find that total ozone within the eye of hurricane Katrina is significantly overestimated when we use climatological cloud pressures. Using OMI-retrieved cloud pressures, total ozone in the eye is similar to that in the surrounding area. The corrected total ozone is in better agreement with aircraft measurements that imply relatively small or negligible amounts of stratospheric intrusion into the eye region of tropical cyclones.

SPECS: The Kilometer-baseline Far-IR Interferometer in NASA’s Space Science Roadmap

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-01-01

planetary debris disks – are detectable with cryogenically cooled telescopes having total light collecting areas in the tens of square meters. If this...of the Hubble Space Telescope. At such resolution galaxies at high redshift, protostars, and nascent planetary systems will be resolved, and...protogalaxies, the nearest star forming regions, and all but a small handful of debris disks subtend sub- arcsecond angles in the sky. To build a single

The distribution of mercury around the small-scale gold mining area along the Cikaniki river, Bogor, Indonesia.

PubMed

Tomiyasu, Takashi; Kono, Yuriko; Kodamatani, Hitoshi; Hidayati, Nuril; Rahajoe, Joeni Setijo

2013-08-01

The distribution of mercury in the soil, sediment and river water around the artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) area along the Cikaniki River, West Java, Indonesia, was investigated. The total mercury concentration (T-Hg) in the forest soil ranged from 0.11 to 7.0mgkg(-1), and the highest value was observed at the ASGM village. In the vertical T-Hg profile around the villages, the highest value was observed at the soil surface, and the concentration decreased with depth. This result suggested that the mercury released by mining activity was dispersed through the atmosphere and deposited on the surface. The total organic carbon content (TOC) showed a similar vertical profile as the T-Hg, and a linear relationship was found between T-Hg and TOC. Mercury deposited on the surface can be absorbed by organic matter. The slope of the line was larger near the ASGM village, implying a higher rate of deposition of mercury. The T-Hg in the sediment ranged from 10 to 70mgkg(-1), decreasing gradually toward the lower reaches of the river. Mining waste can be transported with the river flow and deposited along the river. The distribution of the mining waste can be determined using the mineralogical composition measured by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Alien reef-building polychaete drives long-term changes in invertebrate biomass and diversity in a small, urban estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McQuaid, K. A.; Griffiths, C. L.

2014-02-01

Two of the greatest threats to native biodiversity are the construction of artificial structures in natural environments and the introduction of invasive species. As the development and urbanisation of estuaries continues at an increasing rate worldwide, these environments are being simultaneously affected by these threats. This study quantifies the spread of an invasive reef-building polychaete, Ficopomatus enigmaticus, in a small, highly manipulated urban estuary in South Africa and investigates its role as an ecosystem engineer. Anthropogenic changes to the Zandvlei Estuary, including construction of a rubble weir and canalisation near the estuary mouth, construction of an extensive marina development and hardening of the banks with concrete, have facilitated the expansion of F. enigmaticus. The standing stock of F. enigmaticus increased from 13.69 t, as measured in 1986, to 50.03 t in 2012, due both to increase in the total area colonised and standing stock per m2. Since F. enigmaticus reefs support a greater biomass of infauna than adjacent sandy areas, total invertebrate biomass in the estuary is estimated to have increased from less than 0.30 t in 1942, to over 56.80 t in 2012, due mainly to hardening of banks in parts of the main estuary with concrete and construction of a marina system. A positive correlation between reef mass and infaunal biomass, density and diversity was also found.

A high-gain, compact, nonimaging concentrator: RXI.

PubMed

Miñano, J C; Gonźlez, J C; Benítez, P

1995-12-01

The design procedure of a new nonimaging concentrator (called an RXI) is explained. Rays that impinge on the concentrator aperture, within the acceptance angle, are directed to the receiver by means of one refraction, one reflection, and one total internal reflection. The concentrator can be made as a single dielectric piece (in which the receiver is immersed) whose aspect ratio (thickness/aperture diameter) is close to 1/3. Ray-tracing analysis of a rotational symmetric RXI shows total transmissions of greater than 94.5% (no absorption or reflection losses are considered) when the acceptance angle of the incoming rays is small (<3°) and when the receiver area is the smallest possible (maximal concentration.).

Spatial distribution of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen based on GIS and geostatistics in a small watershed in a hilly area of northern China.

PubMed

Peng, Gao; Bing, Wang; Guangpo, Geng; Guangcan, Zhang

2013-01-01

The spatial variability of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (STN) levels is important in both global carbon-nitrogen cycle and climate change research. There has been little research on the spatial distribution of SOC and STN at the watershed scale based on geographic information systems (GIS) and geostatistics. Ninety-seven soil samples taken at depths of 0-20 cm were collected during October 2010 and 2011 from the Matiyu small watershed (4.2 km(2)) of a hilly area in Shandong Province, northern China. The impacts of different land use types, elevation, vegetation coverage and other factors on SOC and STN spatial distributions were examined using GIS and a geostatistical method, regression-kriging. The results show that the concentration variations of SOC and STN in the Matiyu small watershed were moderate variation based on the mean, median, minimum and maximum, and the coefficients of variation (CV). Residual values of SOC and STN had moderate spatial autocorrelations, and the Nugget/Sill were 0.2% and 0.1%, respectively. Distribution maps of regression-kriging revealed that both SOC and STN concentrations in the Matiyu watershed decreased from southeast to northwest. This result was similar to the watershed DEM trend and significantly correlated with land use type, elevation and aspect. SOC and STN predictions with the regression-kriging method were more accurate than those obtained using ordinary kriging. This research indicates that geostatistical characteristics of SOC and STN concentrations in the watershed were closely related to both land-use type and spatial topographic structure and that regression-kriging is suitable for investigating the spatial distributions of SOC and STN in the complex topography of the watershed.

Spatial Distribution of Soil Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen Based on GIS and Geostatistics in a Small Watershed in a Hilly Area of Northern China

PubMed Central

Peng, Gao; Bing, Wang; Guangpo, Geng; Guangcan, Zhang

2013-01-01

The spatial variability of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (STN) levels is important in both global carbon-nitrogen cycle and climate change research. There has been little research on the spatial distribution of SOC and STN at the watershed scale based on geographic information systems (GIS) and geostatistics. Ninety-seven soil samples taken at depths of 0–20 cm were collected during October 2010 and 2011 from the Matiyu small watershed (4.2 km2) of a hilly area in Shandong Province, northern China. The impacts of different land use types, elevation, vegetation coverage and other factors on SOC and STN spatial distributions were examined using GIS and a geostatistical method, regression-kriging. The results show that the concentration variations of SOC and STN in the Matiyu small watershed were moderate variation based on the mean, median, minimum and maximum, and the coefficients of variation (CV). Residual values of SOC and STN had moderate spatial autocorrelations, and the Nugget/Sill were 0.2% and 0.1%, respectively. Distribution maps of regression-kriging revealed that both SOC and STN concentrations in the Matiyu watershed decreased from southeast to northwest. This result was similar to the watershed DEM trend and significantly correlated with land use type, elevation and aspect. SOC and STN predictions with the regression-kriging method were more accurate than those obtained using ordinary kriging. This research indicates that geostatistical characteristics of SOC and STN concentrations in the watershed were closely related to both land-use type and spatial topographic structure and that regression-kriging is suitable for investigating the spatial distributions of SOC and STN in the complex topography of the watershed. PMID:24391791

Silicon on Ceramic Process: Silicon Sheet Growth and Device Development for the Large-area Silicon Sheet and Cell Development Tasks of the Low-cost Solar Array Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chapman, P. W.; Zook, J. D.; Heaps, J. D.; Pickering, C.; Grung, B. L.; Koepke, B.; Schuldt, S. B.

1979-01-01

The technical and economic feasibility of producing solar cell quality sheet silicon was investigated. It was hoped this could be done by coating one surface of carbonized ceramic substrates with a thin layer of large-grain polycrystalline silicon from the melt. Work was directed towards the solution of unique cell processing/design problems encountered with the silicon-ceramic (SOC) material due to its intimate contact with the ceramic substrate. Significant progress was demonstrated in the following areas; (1) the continuous coater succeeded in producing small-area coatings exhibiting unidirectional solidification and substatial grain size; (2) dip coater succeeded in producing thick (more than 500 micron) dendritic layers at coating speeds of 0.2-0.3 cm/sec; and (3) a standard for producing total area SOC solar cells using slotted ceramic substrates was developed.

Development of population structure and spatial distribution patterns of a restored forest during 17-year succession (1993-2010) in Pingshuo opencast mine spoil, China.

PubMed

Zhao, Zhongqiu; Wang, Lianhua; Bai, Zhongke; Pan, Ziguan; Wang, Yun

2015-07-01

Afforestation of native tree species is often recommended for ecological restoration in mining areas, but the understanding of the ecological processes of restored vegetation is quite limited. In order to provide insight of the ecological processes of restored vegetation, in this study, we investigate the development of the population structure and spatial distribution patterns of restored Robinia pseudoacacia (ROPS) and Pinus tabuliformis (PITA) mixed forests during the 17 years of the mine spoil period of the Pingshuo opencast mine, Shanxi Province, China. After a 17-year succession, apart from the two planted species, Ulmus pumila (ULPU), as an invasive species, settled in the plot along with a large number of small diameter at breast height (DBH) size. In total, there are 10,062 living individual plants, much more than that at the plantation (5105), and ROPS had become the dominant species with a section area with a breast height of 9.40 m(2) hm(-2) and a mean DBH of 6.72 cm, much higher than both PITA and ULPU. The DBH size classes of all the total species showed inverted J-shaped distributions, which may have been a result of the large number of small regenerated ULPU trees. The DBH size classes of both ROPS and PITA showed peak-type structures with individuals mainly gathering in the moderate DBH size class, indicating a relatively healthy DBH size class structure. Meanwhile, invasive ULPU were distributed in a clear L shape, concentrating on the small DBH size class, indicating a relatively low survival rate for adult trees. Both ROPS and PITA species survival in the plantation showed uniform and aggregated distribution at small scales and random with scales increasing. ULPU showed a strong aggregation at small scales as well as random with scales increasing. Both the population structure and spatial distribution indicated that ROPS dominates and will continue to dominate the community in the future succession, which should be continuously monitored.

Evaluating the Availability, Role, and Performance of Subcontractors in the Aerospace Industry

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-07-15

all establishments can be classified as small and about one-third of total employment is within such establishments. Small establishments in...Establishments Employment SMALL APPARENT SMALL LARGE TOTAL 4,036.0 566.0 137.0 5,009.0 30,262.0 14,329.0 48,487.0 93,078.0...Enterprises by Employment Class: Total , Manufacturing and Service. 1980 (1000 Employees) ^^to Iria 2St=M. 100-4qQ 500 - over ALL U.S.Total

Preliminary study of brain glucose metabolism changes in patients with lung cancer of different histological types.

PubMed

Li, Wei-Ling; Fu, Chang; Xuan, Ang; Shi, Da-Peng; Gao, Yong-Ju; Zhang, Jie; Xu, Jun-Ling

2015-02-05

Cerebral glucose metabolism changes are always observed in patients suffering from malignant tumors. This preliminary study aimed to investigate the brain glucose metabolism changes in patients with lung cancer of different histological types. One hundred and twenty patients with primary untreated lung cancer, who visited People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University from February 2012 to July 2013, were divided into three groups based on histological types confirmed by biopsy or surgical pathology, which included adenocarcinoma (52 cases), squamous cell carcinoma (43 cases), and small-cell carcinoma (25 cases). The whole body 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) of these cases was retrospectively studied. The brain PET data of three groups were analyzed individually using statistical parametric maps (SPM) software, with 50 age-matched and gender-matched healthy controls for comparison. The brain resting glucose metabolism in all three lung cancer groups showed regional cerebral metabolic reduction. The hypo-metabolic cerebral regions were mainly distributed at the left superior and middle frontal, bilateral superior and middle temporal and inferior and middle temporal gyrus. Besides, the hypo-metabolic regions were also found in the right inferior parietal lobule and hippocampus in the small-cell carcinoma group. The area of the total hypo-metabolic cerebral regions in the small-cell carcinoma group (total voxel value 3255) was larger than those in the adenocarcinoma group (total voxel value 1217) and squamous cell carcinoma group (total voxel value 1292). The brain resting glucose metabolism in patients with lung cancer shows regional cerebral metabolic reduction and the brain hypo-metabolic changes are related to the histological types of lung cancer.

Effects of small-scale hydrogeologic heterogeneity on submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) dynamics in river dominated estuaries: example of Mobile Bay, Alabama

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montiel, D.; Dimova, N.

2017-12-01

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is known to be an important pathway for nutrients and dissolved constituents in estuarine environments worldwide. Despite its limited contribution to the total fresh water flux to the ocean (5 - 10 %), SGD-derived material loadings can rival riverine inputs. Therefore, a good understanding of the coastal hydrogeology and subsequent SGD dynamics is crucial to further investigate constituent fluxes and its implications on small and large scale coastal ecosystems. We evaluated SGD in Mobile Bay (Alabama), the fourth largest estuary in the US, using a combination of radiotracer techniques (223Ra, 226Ra, and 222Rn), stable isotopes (δ 18O and δ 2H), geophysical surveys (continuous resistivity profiling (CRP) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT)), and seepage meters during three consecutive years. A detailed examination of the entire shoreline of Mobile Bay using CRP, ERT imaging, and multiple sediment cores collection unveiled a heterogeneous (horizontal and vertical) distribution of the surficial coastal aquifer. This was reflected and confirmed by groundwater tracer measurements and direct measurements of SGD in the coastal zone. We found that SGD occurs mainly in the northeast section of Mobile Bay with a total flux that ranged between 0.9 and 13 × 105 m3 d-1 during dry and wet periods, which represents 0.4 - 2 % of the total fresh water inputs into the Bay. While total SGD is insignificant when accounting the whole water budget of Mobile Bay, we found that small-scale geology variations produce groundwater flow preferential pathways in particular areas where SGD inputs play an important role in the water and nutrient budgets.

Analysis of sediment production from two small semiarid basins in Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rankl, J.G.

1987-01-01

Data were collected at two small, semiarid basins in Wyoming to determine the relation between rainfall, runoff, and sediment production. The basins were Dugout Creek tributary and Saint Marys Ditch tributary. Sufficient rainfall and runoff data were collected at Dugout Creek tributary to determine the source of sediment and the dominant sediment production processes. Because runoff from only one storm occurred in Saint Marys Ditch tributary, emphasis of the study was placed on the analysis of data collected at Dugout Creek tributary. At Dugout Creek tributary, detailed measurements were made to establish the source of sediment. To determine the quantity of material removed from headcuts during the study, two headcuts were surveyed. Aerial photographs were used to define movement of all headcuts. The total quantity of sediment removed from all headcuts between September 26, 1982, and September 26, 1983, was estimated to be 1,220 tons, or 15%-25% of the estimated total sediment load passing the streamflow-gaging station. A soil plot was used to sample upland erosion. A rainfall and runoff modeling system was used to evaluate the interaction between the physical processes which control sediment production. The greatest change in computed sediment load was caused by changing the parameter values for equations used to compute the detachment of sediment particles by rainfall and overland flow resulted in very small changes in computed sediment load. The upland areas were the primary source of sediment. A relationship was developed between the peak of storm runoff and the total sediment load for that storm runoff. The sediment concentration used to compute the total sediment load for the storm runoff was determined from sediment samples collected by two automatic pumping samplers. The coefficient of variation of the relationship is 34% with a 0.99 correlation coefficient. (Author 's abstract)

48 CFR 1852.219-74 - Use of rural area small businesses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... and Clauses 1852.219-74 Use of rural area small businesses. As prescribed in 1819.7103, insert the following clause: Use of Rural Area Small Business (SEP 1990) (a) Definitions. Rural area means any county with a population of fewer than twenty thousand individuals. Small business concern, as used in this...

48 CFR 1852.219-74 - Use of rural area small businesses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... and Clauses 1852.219-74 Use of rural area small businesses. As prescribed in 1819.7103, insert the following clause: Use of Rural Area Small Business (SEP 1990) (a) Definitions. Rural area means any county with a population of fewer than twenty thousand individuals. Small business concern, as used in this...

48 CFR 1852.219-74 - Use of rural area small businesses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... and Clauses 1852.219-74 Use of rural area small businesses. As prescribed in 1819.7103, insert the following clause: Use of Rural Area Small Business (SEP 1990) (a) Definitions. Rural area means any county with a population of fewer than twenty thousand individuals. Small business concern, as used in this...

48 CFR 1852.219-74 - Use of rural area small businesses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... and Clauses 1852.219-74 Use of rural area small businesses. As prescribed in 1819.7103, insert the following clause: Use of Rural Area Small Business (SEP 1990) (a) Definitions. Rural area means any county with a population of fewer than twenty thousand individuals. Small business concern, as used in this...

48 CFR 52.219-30 - Notice of Total Set-Aside for Women-Owned Small Business Concerns Eligible Under the Women-Owned...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... for Women-Owned Small Business Concerns Eligible Under the Women-Owned Small Business Program. 52.219... Notice of Total Set-Aside for Women-Owned Small Business Concerns Eligible Under the Women-Owned Small... Women-Owned Small Business Concerns Eligible Under the Women-Owned Small Business Program (APR 2011) (a...

Constraining relationships between rainfall and landsliding with satellite derived rainfall measurements and landslide inventories.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marc, Odin; Malet, Jean-Philippe; Stumpf, Andre; Gosset, Marielle

2017-04-01

In mountainous and hilly regions, landslides are an important source of damage and fatalities. Landsliding correlates with extreme rainfall events and may increase with climate change. Still, how precipitation drives landsliding at regional scales is poorly understood quantitatively in part because constraining simultaneously landsliding and rainfall across large areas is challenging. By combining optical images acquired from satellite observation platforms and rainfall measurements from satellite constellations we are building a database of landslide events caused by with single storm events. We present results from storm-induced landslides from Brazil, Taiwan, Micronesia, Central America, Europe and the USA. We present scaling laws between rainfall metrics derived by satellites (total rainfall, mean intensity, antecedent rainfall, ...) and statistical descriptors of landslide events (total area and volume, size distribution, mean runout, ...). Total rainfall seems to be the most important parameter driving non-linearly the increase in total landslide number, and area and volume. The maximum size of bedrock landslides correlates with the total number of landslides, and thus with total rainfall, within the limits of available topographic relief. In contrast, the power-law scaling exponent of the size distribution, controlling the relative abundance of small and large landslides, appears rather independent of the rainfall metrics (intensity, duration and total rainfall). These scaling laws seem to explain both the intra-storm pattern of landsliding, at the scale of satellite rainfall measurements ( 25kmx25km), and the different impacts observed for various storms. Where possible, we evaluate the limits of standard rainfall products (TRMM, GPM, GSMaP) by comparing them to in-situ data. Then we discuss how slope distribution and other geomorphic factors (lithology, soil presence,...) modulate these scaling laws. Such scaling laws at the basin scale and based only on a-priori information (topography, lithology, …) and rainfall metrics available from meteorological forecast may allow to better anticipate and mitigates landsliding associated with extreme rainfall events.

USLE-Based Assessment of Soil Erosion by Water in the Nyabarongo River Catchment, Rwanda

PubMed Central

Karamage, Fidele; Zhang, Chi; Kayiranga, Alphonse; Shao, Hua; Fang, Xia; Ndayisaba, Felix; Nahayo, Lamek; Mupenzi, Christophe; Tian, Guangjin

2016-01-01

Soil erosion has become a serious problem in recent decades due to unhalted trends of unsustainable land use practices. Assessment of soil erosion is a prominent tool in planning and conservation of soil and water resource ecosystems. The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) was applied to Nyabarongo River Catchment that drains about 8413.75 km2 (33%) of the total Rwanda coverage and a small part of the Southern Uganda (about 64.50 km2) using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing technologies. The estimated total annual actual soil loss was approximately estimated at 409 million tons with a mean erosion rate of 490 t·ha−1·y−1 (i.e., 32.67 mm·y−1). The cropland that occupied 74.85% of the total catchment presented a mean erosion rate of 618 t·ha−1·y−1 (i.e., 41.20 mm·y−1) and was responsible for 95.8% of total annual soil loss. Emergency soil erosion control is required with a priority accorded to cropland area of 173,244 ha, which is extremely exposed to actual soil erosion rate of 2222 t·ha−1·y−1 (i.e., 148.13 mm·y−1) and contributed to 96.2% of the total extreme soil loss in the catchment. According to this study, terracing cultivation method could reduce the current erosion rate in cropland areas by about 78%. Therefore, the present study suggests the catchment management by constructing check dams, terracing, agroforestry and reforestation of highly exposed areas as suitable measures for erosion and water pollution control within the Nyabarongo River Catchment and in other regions facing the same problems. PMID:27556474

USLE-Based Assessment of Soil Erosion by Water in the Nyabarongo River Catchment, Rwanda.

PubMed

Karamage, Fidele; Zhang, Chi; Kayiranga, Alphonse; Shao, Hua; Fang, Xia; Ndayisaba, Felix; Nahayo, Lamek; Mupenzi, Christophe; Tian, Guangjin

2016-08-20

Soil erosion has become a serious problem in recent decades due to unhalted trends of unsustainable land use practices. Assessment of soil erosion is a prominent tool in planning and conservation of soil and water resource ecosystems. The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) was applied to Nyabarongo River Catchment that drains about 8413.75 km² (33%) of the total Rwanda coverage and a small part of the Southern Uganda (about 64.50 km²) using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing technologies. The estimated total annual actual soil loss was approximately estimated at 409 million tons with a mean erosion rate of 490 t·ha(-1)·y(-1) (i.e., 32.67 mm·y(-1)). The cropland that occupied 74.85% of the total catchment presented a mean erosion rate of 618 t·ha(-1)·y(-1) (i.e., 41.20 mm·y(-1)) and was responsible for 95.8% of total annual soil loss. Emergency soil erosion control is required with a priority accorded to cropland area of 173,244 ha, which is extremely exposed to actual soil erosion rate of 2222 t·ha(-1)·y(-1) (i.e., 148.13 mm·y(-1)) and contributed to 96.2% of the total extreme soil loss in the catchment. According to this study, terracing cultivation method could reduce the current erosion rate in cropland areas by about 78%. Therefore, the present study suggests the catchment management by constructing check dams, terracing, agroforestry and reforestation of highly exposed areas as suitable measures for erosion and water pollution control within the Nyabarongo River Catchment and in other regions facing the same problems.

Estimating wind-turbine-caused bird and bat fatality when zero carcasses are observed.

PubMed

Huso, Manuela M P; Dalthorp, Dan; Dail, David; Madsen, Lisa

2015-07-01

Many wind-power facilities in the United States have established effective monitoring programs to determine turbine-caused fatality rates of birds and bats, but estimating the number of fatalities of rare species poses special difficulties. The loss of even small numbers of individuals may adversely affect fragile populations, but typically, few (if any) carcasses are observed during monitoring. If monitoring design results in only a small proportion of carcasses detected, then finding zero carcasses may give little assurance that the number of actual fatalities is small. Fatality monitoring at wind-power facilities commonly involves conducting experiments to estimate the probability (g) an individual will be observed, accounting for the possibilities that it falls in an unsearched area, is scavenged prior to detection, or remains undetected even when present. When g < 1, the total carcass count (X) underestimates the total number of fatalities (M). Total counts can be 0 when M is small or when M is large and g < 1. Distinguishing these two cases is critical when estimating fatality of a rare species. Observing no individuals during searches may erroneously be interpreted as evidence of absence. We present an approach that uses Bayes' theorem to construct a posterior distribution for M, i.e., P(M \\ X, ĝ), reflecting the observed carcass count and previously estimated g. From this distribution, we calculate two values important to conservation: the probability that M is below a predetermined limit and the upper bound (M*) of the 100(1 - α)% credible interval for M. We investigate the dependence of M* on α, g, and the prior distribution of M, asking what value of g is required to attain a desired M for a given α. We found that when g < -0.15, M* was clearly influenced by the mean and variance of ĝ and the choice of prior distribution for M, but the influence of these factors is minimal when g > -0.45. Further, we develop extensions for temporal replication that can inform prior distributions of M and methods for combining information across several areas or time periods. We apply the method to data collected at a wind-power facility where scheduled searches yielded X = 0 raptor carcasses.

Overview of some biomedical research projects in tropical medicine conducted at the Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas.

PubMed

Romano, E; Cesari, I; Escalante, A; Liprandi, F; O'Daly, J A; Perez, H; Takiff, H

2000-01-01

The Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas (IVIC) is a government-funded multidisciplinary academic institution dedicated to research, development and technology in many areas of knowledge. Biomedical projects and publications comprise about 40% of the total at IVIC. In this article, we present an overview of some selected research and development projects conducted at IVIC which we believe contain new and important aspects related to malaria, ancylostomiasis, dengue fever, leishmaniasis and tuberculosis. Other projects considered of interest in the general area of tropical medicine are briefly described. This article was prepared as a small contribution to honor and commemorate the centenary of the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz.

A power-efficient analog integrated circuit for amplification and detection of neural signals.

PubMed

Borghi, T; Bonfanti, A; Gusmeroli, R; Zambra, G; Spinelli, A S

2008-01-01

We present a neural amplifier that optimizes the trade-off between power consumption and noise performance down to the best so far reported. In the perspective of realizing a fully autonomous implantable system we also address the problem of spike detection by using a new simple algorithm and we discuss the implementation with analog integrated circuits. Implemented in 0.35-microm CMOS technology and with total current consumption of about 20 microA, the whole circuit occupies an area of 0.18 mm(2). Reduced power consumption and small area make it suited to be used in chronic multichannel recording systems for neural prosthetics and neuroscience experiments.

X-ray EM simulation tool for ptychography dataset construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoevelaar, L. Pjotr; Gerini, Giampiero

2018-03-01

In this paper, we present an electromagnetic full-wave modeling framework, as a support EM tool providing data sets for X-ray ptychographic imaging. Modeling the entire scattering problem with Finite Element Method (FEM) tools is, in fact, a prohibitive task, because of the large area illuminated by the beam (due to the poor focusing power at these wavelengths) and the very small features to be imaged. To overcome this problem, the spectrum of the illumination beam is decomposed into a discrete set of plane waves. This allows reducing the electromagnetic modeling volume to the one enclosing the area to be imaged. The total scattered field is reconstructed by superimposing the solutions for each plane wave illumination.

Trophic structure and microbial activity in a spawning area of Engraulis encrasicolus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaccone, R.; Azzaro, M.; Azzaro, F.; Caruso, G.; Caroppo, C.; Decembrini, F.; Diociaiuti, T.; Fonda Umani, S.; Leonardi, M.; Maimone, G.; Monticelli, L. S.; Paranhos, R.; Placenti, F.; Cuttitta, A.; Patti, B.; La Ferla, R.

2018-07-01

The abundance, biomass and size-structure of planktonic populations, and the microbial metabolic processes were studied in the Sicily Channel, one of the most important spawning areas in the Mediterranean for anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus), a pelagic species of commercial interest. Results showed that prokaryotes contribute for the 83% of total carbon biomass. Microphytoplankton abundances and biomasses were dominated by autotrophic nanoflagellates and dinoflagellates (36 identified species) and contribute 11% of total biomass. The microzooplanktonic biomass showed its maximum at the surface or subsurface and its contribution was low (4%). In agreement with the general oligotrophy of the investigated area, the study highlights the prevalence of pico-sized fractions within the whole phytoplankton biomass expressed as chlorophyll content, suggesting the importance of picophytoplankton in sustaining the microbial food web. At the same time, the levels of microbial hydrolytic activities are related to productive processes recycling the organic matter and releasing nutrients (P and N), indicating also an active functioning of ecosystem at low trophic levels. Autotrophic production exceeded oxidation by respiration; at the same time, the co-variation of prokaryotic activities and eggs distribution with temperature in summer was observed. The results obtained confirmed that the area acted as a nursery for small fish and both autotrophic and heterotrophic processes supported by microorganisms were in synergy.

Ancient Nursery Area for the Extinct Giant Shark Megalodon from the Miocene of Panama

PubMed Central

Pimiento, Catalina; Ehret, Dana J.; MacFadden, Bruce J.; Hubbell, Gordon

2010-01-01

Background As we know from modern species, nursery areas are essential shark habitats for vulnerable young. Nurseries are typically highly productive, shallow-water habitats that are characterized by the presence of juveniles and neonates. It has been suggested that in these areas, sharks can find ample food resources and protection from predators. Based on the fossil record, we know that the extinct Carcharocles megalodon was the biggest shark that ever lived. Previous proposed paleo-nursery areas for this species were based on the anecdotal presence of juvenile fossil teeth accompanied by fossil marine mammals. We now present the first definitive evidence of ancient nurseries for C. megalodon from the late Miocene of Panama, about 10 million years ago. Methodology/Principal Findings We collected and measured fossil shark teeth of C. megalodon, within the highly productive, shallow marine Gatun Formation from the Miocene of Panama. Surprisingly, and in contrast to other fossil accumulations, the majority of the teeth from Gatun are very small. Here we compare the tooth sizes from the Gatun with specimens from different, but analogous localities. In addition we calculate the total length of the individuals found in Gatun. These comparisons and estimates suggest that the small size of Gatun's C. megalodon is neither related to a small population of this species nor the tooth position within the jaw. Thus, the individuals from Gatun were mostly juveniles and neonates, with estimated body lengths between 2 and 10.5 meters. Conclusions/Significance We propose that the Miocene Gatun Formation represents the first documented paleo-nursery area for C. megalodon from the Neotropics, and one of the few recorded in the fossil record for an extinct selachian. We therefore show that sharks have used nursery areas at least for 10 millions of years as an adaptive strategy during their life histories. PMID:20479893

Avian use of Sheyenne Lake and associated habitats in central North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Faanes, Craig A.

1982-01-01

A study of avian use of various habitats was conducted in the Sheyenne Lake region of central North Dakota during April-June 1980. Population counts of birds were made in wetlands of various classes, prairie thickets, upland native prairie, shelterbelts, and cropland. About 22,000 breeding bird pairs including 92 species that nested occupied the area. Population means for most species were equal to or greater than statewide means. Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), yellow-headed blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus), mourning dove (Zenaida macroura), and blue-winged teal (Anas discors) were the most numerous species, and made up 32.9% of the total population . Highest densities of breeding birds occurred in shelterbelts, semipermanent wetlands, and prairie thickets. Lowest densities occurred in upland native prairie and cropland. The study area was used by 49.6% of the total avifauna of the State, and 51% of the breeding avifauna of North Dakota probably nested in the study area. The diversity of birds using the area was unusual in that such a large number of species occupied a relatively small area. The close interspersion of many native habitats, several of which are unique in North Dakota, probably accounted for this diversity. Data on dates of occurrence, nesting records, and habitat use are presented for the 175 species recorded in 1980. Observations of significance by refuge staff are also provided.

Synthesis and characterization of high-surface-area millimeter-sized silica beads with hierarchical multi-modal pore structure by the addition of agar

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

Han, Yosep; Choi, Junhyun; Tong, Meiping, E-mail: tongmeiping@iee.pku.edu.cn

2014-04-01

Millimeter-sized spherical silica foams (SSFs) with hierarchical multi-modal pore structure featuring high specific surface area and ordered mesoporous frameworks were successfully prepared using aqueous agar addition, foaming and drop-in-oil processes. The pore-related properties of the prepared spherical silica (SSs) and SSFs were systematically characterized by field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXRD), Hg intrusion porosimetry, and N{sub 2} adsorption–desorption isotherm measurements. Improvements in the BET surface area and total pore volume were observed at 504 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} and 5.45 cm{sup 3} g{sup −1}, respectively, after an agar addition and foaming process. Despitemore » the increase in the BET surface area, the mesopore wall thickness and the pore size of the mesopores generated from the block copolymer with agar addition were unchanged based on the SAXRD, TEM, and BJH methods. The SSFs prepared in the present study were confirmed to have improved BET surface area and micropore volume through the agar loading, and to exhibit interconnected 3-dimensional network macropore structure leading to the enhancement of total porosity and BET surface area via the foaming process. - Highlights: • Millimeter-sized spherical silica foams (SSFs) are successfully prepared. • SSFs exhibit high BET surface area and ordered hierarchical pore structure. • Agar addition improves BET surface area and micropore volume of SSFs. • Foaming process generates interconnected 3-D network macropore structure of SSFs.« less

Relation between selected well-construction characteristics and occurrence of bacteria in private household-supply wells, south-central and southeastern Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zimmerman, Tammy M.; Zimmerman, Michele L.; Lindsey, Bruce D.

2001-01-01

Total coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria were analyzed in ground water sampled from 78 private household-supply wells as part of a study by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to evaluate the relation between well construction characteristics and the occurrence of bacteria in ground water. Sampling was done in eight counties in south-central and southeastern Pennsylvania from September 2000 to March 2001. All samples were collected from wells in close proximity to agricultural land-use areas.Total coliform bacteria were found in water from 62 percent (48 of 78) of the wells, and bacteria were just as likely to be found in sanitary wells (grouted/loose-fitting well cap or grouted/sanitary sealed well cap) as in nonsanitary wells (nongrouted/ loose-fitting well cap). The areas underlain by carbonate bedrock had the highest percentages of total coliform detected (about 75 percent). Nearly half of the samples collected in the areas underlain by noncarbonate bedrock also were found to have total coliform present. E. coli bacteria were found in water from 10 percent of the wells. Seventeen percent of the samples that were positive for total coliform also were positive for E. coli. The presence of E. coli bacteria was more likely in water from nonsanitary wells. Additionally, the presence of E. coli bacteria was more likely in ground water from wells underlain by carbonate bedrock. A further breakdown of the data into four groups on the basis of sanitary construction and bedrock type indicated the presence of E. coli was more likely in water from nonsanitary wells in areas underlain by carbonate bedrock.Statistical analysis of other well-construction characteristics that might relate to occurrence of bacteria showed that the presence of total coliform bacteria was related to the depth to water-bearing zone in both sanitary and nonsanitary wells in areas underlain by carbonate bedrock. Relations also are present between the presence of total coliform bacteria and casing length in nonsanitary wells in areas underlain by noncarbonate bedrock. Bacteria were found in wells both with and without insects observed on the underside of the well cap. Because of the small number of wells sampled that had sanitary sealed caps, it is uncertain whether installation of sanitary sealed well caps would reduce the incidence of bacteria in ground water from wells or if the presence of bacteria is because of a combination of well-construction characteristics or aquifer-wide contamination of limited or broad areal extent.

Spatial and temporal variation in reef-scale carbonate storage of large benthic foraminifera: a case study on One Tree Reef

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doo, Steve S.; Hamylton, Sarah; Finfer, Joshua; Byrne, Maria

2017-03-01

Large benthic foraminifera (LBFs) are a vital component of coral reef carbonate production, often overlooked due to their small size. These super-abundant calcifiers are crucial to reef calcification by generation of lagoon and beach sands. Reef-scale carbonate production by LBFs is not well understood, and seasonal fluctuations in this important process are largely unquantified. The biomass of five LBF species in their algal flat habitat was quantified in the austral winter (July 2013), spring (October 2013), and summer (February 2014) at One Tree Reef. WorldView-2 satellite images were used to characterize and create LBF habitat maps based on ground-referenced photographs of algal cover. Habitat maps and LBF biomass measurements were combined to estimate carbonate storage across the entire reef flat. Total carbonate storage of LBFs on the reef flat ranged from 270 tonnes (winter) to 380 tonnes (summer). Satellite images indicate that the habitat area used by LBFs ranged from 0.6 (winter) to 0.71 km2 (spring) of a total possible area of 0.96 km2. LBF biomass was highest in the winter when algal habitat area was lowest, but total carbonate storage was the highest in the summer, when algal habitat area was intermediate. Our data suggest that biomass measurements alone do not capture total abundance of LBF populations (carbonate storage), as the area of available habitat is variable. These results suggest LBF carbonate production studies that measure biomass in discrete locations and single time points fail to capture accurate reef-scale production by not incorporating estimates of the associated algal habitat. Reef-scale measurements in this study can be incorporated into carbonate production models to determine the role of LBFs in sedimentary landforms (lagoons, beaches, etc.). Based on previous models of entire reef metabolism, our estimates indicate that LBFs contribute approximately 3.9-5.4% of reef carbonate budgets, a previously underappreciated carbon sink.

Herbicide and degradate flux in the Yazoo River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coupe, R.H.; Welch, H.L.; Pell, A.B.; Thurman, E.M.

2005-01-01

During 1996-1997, water samples were collected from five sites in the Yazoo River Basin and analysed for 14 herbicides and nine degradates. These included acetochlor, alachlor, atrazine, cyanazine, fluometuron, metolachlor, metribuzin, molinate, norflurazon, prometryn, propanil, propazine, simazine, trifluralin, three degradates of fluometuron, two degradates of atrazine, one degradate of cyanazine, norflurazon, prometryn, and propanil. Fluxes generally were higher in 1997 than in 1996 due to a greater rainfall in 1997 than 1996. Fluxes were much larger from streams in the alluvial plain (an area of very productive farmland) than from the Skuna River in the bluff hills (an area of small farms, pasture, and forest). Adding the flux of the atrazine degradates to the atrazine flux increased the total atrazine flux by an average of 14.5%. The fluometuron degradates added about 10% to the total fluometuron flux, and adding the norflurazon degradate flux to the norflurazon flux increased the flux by 82% in 1996 and by 171% in 1997. ?? 2005 Taylor & Francis.

Interactions of Multiple Factors in Creating Small Patterned-Ground Features Across the Arctic Bioclimate Gradient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, D. A.; Epstein, H. E.; Kuss, P.; Michaelson, G. J.; Ping, C. L.; Raynolds, M. K.; Romanovsky, V. E.; Tarnocai, C. T.

2004-12-01

Small patterned-ground landforms are described along a bioclimate gradient in northern Canada and Alaska and summarized in tables and figures showing strength of influence of contraction cracking, differential frost heave, and vegetation - within five bioclimate subzones and four major soil texture classes. In the coldest parts of the Arctic (bioclimate subzones A and B), contraction cracking at small scales (10-30 cm between cracks) is the dominant process and contributes to the formation of hummocky terrain; differential frost heave has a small role here except in course rocky terrain where sorted circles are common. The presence of contraction cracks on all surfaces, wet and dry, and on all soil types indicate that the majority of the contraction cracks are caused by thermal processes and not desiccation. Larger mounds, apparently the result of differential frost heave, occur in some areas of Subzone B where there is more vegetation and peat. In the Middle Arctic (bioclimate subzone C), both small turf hummocks and well-developed non-sorted circles occur. Turf hummocks are dominant on hill slopes; erosion of the inter-hummock areas and accumulation of eolian material on the hummock tops creates taller hummocks. Non-sorted stripes occur on many slopes. In the northern Low Arctic (Subzone D), non-sorted circles are the most common features; and turf hummocks are restricted to small areas - generally steep snow beds. The centers of most frost boils are barren or partially vegetated in Subzone D. In the sourthern Low Arctic (Subzone E), the vegetation is very active and able to colonize and totally cover frost boils. Large vegetated mounds are apparently the remnants of once active frost boils. In areas with more clayey soils of subzones D and E, well-developed tightly packed mounds are common, and frost boils often occur on the tops of the mounds. The spacing of the mound centers is often 2-3 m. Mounds are also common south of treeline. Soil texture affects frost boil morphology and heave characteristics. In silty areas of northern Alaska non-sorted circles have annual differential heave in the order of 20 cm - apparently contributing to the strong patterning in many areas (spotted tundra in the Russian literature). Areas with sandy soil have little differential heave and no frost boils in areas of pure sand; whereas, areas with clayey soils have mound shaped frost boils with little annual heave. Vegetation plays a major role in defining the boundaries of the patterned-ground features, possibly affecting differential frost heave by decreasing the soil temperature and thickness of the active layer in the inter-circle areas; however, at two sites on sandy soils with well-developed non-sorted circles only minor differential soil heave was measured. The cause of the barren centers at these sites is probably unrelated to heave and may be due to the accumulation of salts within the frost-boils. Needle ice is another major contributing cause of barrenness on frost boils and appears to develop most strongly on saturated silts.

Living in stressful neighbourhoods during pregnancy: an observational study of crime rates and birth outcomes.

PubMed

Clemens, Tom; Dibben, Chris

2017-04-01

Patterns of adverse birth outcomes vary spatially and there is evidence that this may relate to features of the physical environment such as air pollution. However, other social characteristics of the environment such as levels of crime are relatively understudied. This study examines the association between crime rates and birth weight and prematurity. Maternity inpatient data recorded at birth, including residential postcode, was linked to a representative 5% sample of Scottish Census data and small area crime rates from Scottish Police forces. Coefficients associated with crime were reported from crude and confounder adjusted models predicting low birth weight (< 2500 g), mean birthweight, small for gestational age and prematurity for all singleton live births. Total crime rates were associated with strong and significant reductions in mean birth weight and increases in the risks of both a small for gestational age baby and premature birth. These effects, with the exception of prematurity, were robust to adjustment for individual characteristics including smoking, ethnicity and other socio-economic variables as well as area based confounders including air pollution. Mean birth weight was robust to additional adjustment for neighbourhood income deprivation. The level of crime in a mother's area of residence, which may be a proxy for the degree of threat felt and therefore stress experienced, appears to be an important determinant of the risk of adverse birth outcomes. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association.

Cyclic deformation of bidisperse two-dimensional foams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fátima Vaz, M.; Cox, S. J.; Teixeira, P. I. C.

2011-12-01

In-plane deformation of foams was studied experimentally by subjecting bidisperse foams to cycles of traction and compression at a prescribed rate. Each foam contained bubbles of two sizes with given area ratio and one of three initial arrangements: sorted perpendicular to the axis of deformation (iso-strain), sorted parallel to the axis of deformation (iso-stress), or randomly mixed. Image analysis was used to measure the characteristics of the foams, including the number of edges separating small from large bubbles N sl , the perimeter (surface energy), the distribution of the number of sides of the bubbles, and the topological disorder μ2(N). Foams that were initially mixed were found to remain mixed after the deformation. The response of sorted foams, however, depended on the initial geometry, including the area fraction of small bubbles and the total number of bubbles. For a given experiment we found that (i) the perimeter of a sorted foam varied little; (ii) each foam tended towards a mixed state, measured through the saturation of N sl ; and (iii) the topological disorder μ2(N) increased up to an "equilibrium" value. The results of different experiments showed that (i) the change in disorder, ? decreased with the area fraction of small bubbles under iso-strain, but was independent of it under iso-stress; and (ii) ? increased with ? under iso-strain, but was again independent of it under iso-stress. We offer explanations for these effects in terms of elementary topological processes induced by the deformations that occur at the bubble scale.

Soil aggregate mediates the impacts of land uses on organic carbon, total nitrogen, and microbial activity in a Karst ecosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Shuangshuang; Zhang, Wei; Ye, Yingying; Zhao, Jie; Wang, Kelin

2017-02-01

Understanding the effect of land use on soil carbon, nitrogen, and microbial activity associated with aggregates is critical for thorough comprehension of the C and N dynamics of karst landscapes/ecosystems. We monitored soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and Cmic: Corg ratio in large macro- (>2 mm), small macro- (0.25-2 mm), and micro- (0.053-0.25 mm) aggregates to determine the changes in soil properties under different land uses in the karst area of Southwest China. Five common land-use types—enclosure land (natural system, control), prescribed-burning land, fuel-wood shrubland, pasture and maize fields—were selected. Results showed that pasture and maize fields remarkably decreased the SOC and TN concentrations in aggregates. Conversion of natural system to other land uses decreased MBC (except for prescribed-burning) and increased Cmic: Corg ratios in aggregates. The extent of the response to land uses of SOC and TN concentrations was similar whereas that of MBC and Cmic: Corg ratios differed across the three aggregate sizes. Further, the SOC concentrations were significantly higher in macro-aggregates than micro-aggregates; the MBC and Cmic: Corg ratios were highest in small macro-aggregates. Therefore, small macro-aggregates might have more active C dynamics.

Invited Talks at Naples and Coimbra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jordan, Stuart

2003-01-01

Prior to observations of the solar irradiance from space that began in 1979 there was no hope of obtaining even rough estimates of the solar irradiance variation over a solar cycle, since the space observations made since showed that the magnitude of the variation over a cycle to date is less than 0.1 %, a value too small to measure from the ground. At the same time, it would be useful to know the cycle-dependent variation over more than just the two recent cycles. Lacking a complete theory for the solar dynamo responsible for this variation, the current hope is to determine what proxy might yield the best values. Because there is an excellent database on sunspot umbral and penumbral areas from the Greenwich Observatory for the years 1874-1976 (but not beyond), the possibility exists that these data could be used. This talk will summarize results of a joint study in which satellite measurements of the solar irradiance variation are compared with ground-based measurements from the Coimbra Observatory of sunspot number, umbral area, and total sunspot area to determine which would serve as the best proxy for using the Greenwich observations back to 1874. From the near constancy of sunspot umbral magnetic fields upon which the useful parameter photometric sunspot index is based, we expected that umbral area would yield the beat proxy. To our surprise, after performing a statistical study of the observations over the period 1980-1990, preliminary indications are that sunspot number (a parameter available back into the 18th century) may be just as useful as the umbral area. As expected, both are quite superior as proxies to total sunspot area, which includes the penumbral area. This conclusion is consistent with earlier work of Hop and Schatten, who sought a proxy by studies of the umbral-penumbral area ratio. A second motivation for pursuing this work is the possibility that relatively small variations in the solar irradiance may induce larger responses in Earth's climate than would occur from simply introducing the corresponding heat differential into the terrestrial atmosphere. The talk will conclude with a description of why some climatologists are beginning to explore this possibility, which is suggest by some of the space observations used in the above search for a solar irradiance variation proxy.

Limnological characterization of freshwater systems of the Thomas Point Oasis (Admiralty Bay, King George Island, West Antarctica)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nędzarek, Arkadiusz; Pociecha, Agnieszka

2010-12-01

Hydrochemical research into the small, shallow water bodies and wetland areas around the Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station (King George Island) is presented. Concentrations of nitrite, nitrate, ammonium, and total nitrogen in these waters were determined, as were those of reactive and total phosphorous, inorganic carbon, organic carbon, total carbon, silicate, and chloride and sulfate ions. Conductivity and pH were also measured. Average concentrations ranged widely, e.g., total nitrogen 0.176-29.21 mg L -1, total phosphorus 0.022-18.35 mg L -1, total carbon 1.38-26.90 mg L -1, Cl - 30.17-850 mg L -1, and SO 42- 2.11-236 mg L -1. The trophic status was influenced by influxes of nitrogen and phosphorus from penguin rookeries. Selected water bodies supported 31 taxa of algae and 11 invertebrate taxa, with Euglenophyta dominating in waters with high concentrations of ammonium-nitrogen, whereas diatoms characterized Lake Wujka, with low ammonium concentrations. All water bodies studied had rotifers, but crustaceans were only represented in Lake Wujka.

Sonographic features of incidentally detected, small, nonpalpable ovarian dermoids.

PubMed

Serafini, G; Quadri, P G; Gandolfo, N G; Gandolfo, N; Martinoli, C; Derchi, L E

1999-09-01

We describe the transvaginal sonographic features of incidentally detected, small, nonpalpable ovarian dermoid cysts. A total of 38 small (less than 3 cm in diameter), nonpalpable, incidentally discovered ovarian dermoids in 35 women were retrospectively reviewed; 3 patients had small bilateral lesions, and 7 had a small ovarian dermoid detected during preoperative evaluation of a symptomatic, large, contralateral lesion. Transvaginal sonography permitted identification of all 38 dermoids, whereas abdominal sonography detected only 22 of the lesions. Three main structural patterns were observed with transvaginal sonography: (1) 20 of 38 lesions had a solid, hyperechoic appearance, either homogeneous (11) or heterogeneous (9); (2) a fluid-filled area with a hyperechoic focus in its wall was seen in 10 cases; and (3) a mixed pattern, with solid and liquid areas, was seen in 8 cases. Calcifications were appreciated in 7 lesions. Acoustic shadowing was noted in 30 cases, either as a shadow posterior to the hyperechoic portion of the mass or as an edge shadow lateral to the lesion. Doppler studies were obtained for 20 lesions but proved inconclusive: 4 mixed-pattern dermoids had a few internal signals with a low resistance pattern; in the remaining cases, there were signals at the periphery of the cysts, but it could not be determined whether these were from vessels within the lesions or from vessels in the surrounding ovarian parenchyma. Surgery confirmed benign cystic dermoids in all 38 cases. Sonographically, small ovarian dermoids have a variety of textural patterns quite similar to those encountered in large, symptomatic lesions. The increased resolution capabilities provided by transvaginal sonography allow incidental detection of previously unsuspected dermoids and permit identification of their nature. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Analysis and Design of a Local Area Network Information Support System for the Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Arizona.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-01

Accounting and Budgeting Reporting (SABR) system, a joint Headquarters, U. S . Marine Corps and Marine Corps Finance Center financial system. The Naval...be retyped because of changes to the content. Even though information production costs account for a small percentage of the total business costs ... COSTS $16,580.11 ** Z-248s were procured by HQMC *155 * S .*5’ ~ ~ p~--J .~-~ J".*II 9 ~ ,1 *’Jb ~ S ~ ~ 9 Facilities Management Hardware Requirements Qty

Proceedings of a Seminar on Water Quality Evaluation. 22-24 January 1980, Tampa, Florida.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-01-01

Columbia River system from the Pacific Ocean to Lewiston , Idaho , a distance of 465 miles. Tugs and barges are raised a total of 738 feet in this distance by...States of Washington, Oregon, Idaho , Montana and small areas in Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. It drains 259,000 square miles, about 15% of which are in...million acres of agricultural land in Oregon, Washington and Idaho were irrigated with water from the river system in 1979. - Fisheries In the Columbia

Flotation and Survival Equipment Studies

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-01-01

the hearing of Lhe latter ditching that he saw no reason to have expected any loss of life with the two exceptions that did occur: failure of life...jackets to inflate and loss of six infants. It is the purpose of this paper to examine the requirements of infant and small-child flotation devices and...surface area immersed, one may crudely estimate the heat loss due to Newtonian cooling at 3 kcal per °C. The total basal heat productivity of a 2

Using small area estimation and Lidar-derived variables for multivariate prediction of forest attributes

Treesearch

F. Mauro; Vicente Monleon; H. Temesgen

2015-01-01

Small area estimation (SAE) techniques have been successfully applied in forest inventories to provide reliable estimates for domains where the sample size is small (i.e. small areas). Previous studies have explored the use of either Area Level or Unit Level Empirical Best Linear Unbiased Predictors (EBLUPs) in a univariate framework, modeling each variable of interest...

Small area estimation of proportions with different levels of auxiliary data.

PubMed

Chandra, Hukum; Kumar, Sushil; Aditya, Kaustav

2018-03-01

Binary data are often of interest in many small areas of applications. The use of standard small area estimation methods based on linear mixed models becomes problematic for such data. An empirical plug-in predictor (EPP) under a unit-level generalized linear mixed model with logit link function is often used for the estimation of a small area proportion. However, this EPP requires the availability of unit-level population information for auxiliary data that may not be always accessible. As a consequence, in many practical situations, this EPP approach cannot be applied. Based on the level of auxiliary information available, different small area predictors for estimation of proportions are proposed. Analytic and bootstrap approaches to estimating the mean squared error of the proposed small area predictors are also developed. Monte Carlo simulations based on both simulated and real data show that the proposed small area predictors work well for generating the small area estimates of proportions and represent a practical alternative to the above approach. The developed predictor is applied to generate estimates of the proportions of indebted farm households at district-level using debt investment survey data from India. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Mineral Resources of the Mount Nutt Wilderness Study Area, Mohave County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gray, Floyd; Jachens, Robert C.; Miller, Robert J.; Turner, Robert L.; Livo, Eric K.; Knepper, Daniel H.; Mariano, John; Almquist, Carl L.

1990-01-01

The Mount Nutt Wilderness Study Area (AZ-020-024) is located in the Black Mountains about 15 mi west of Kingman, Arizona. At the request of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, approximately 27,210 acres of the wilderness study area was evaluated for mineral resources (known) and mineral resource potential (undiscovered). In this report, the area studied is referred to as the 'wilderness study area' or simply 'the study area'; any reference to the Mount Nutt Wilderness Study Area refers only to that part of the wilderness study area (27,210 acres) for which a mineral survey was requested. The U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted geological, geochemical, and geophysical surveys to assess the identified mineral resources and mineral resource potential of the study area. Fieldwork for this report was carried out in 1987 and 1988. A gold resource totaling at least 56,000 troy oz has been identified at two sites in Secret Pass Canyon, less than 0.5 mi north of the study area. No other metallic mineral resources were identified inside the study area. An area near the center of the study area contains fire agate, a gem stone. On the basis of tonnage, site accessibility, and current production methods, this area is considered an indicated subeconomic fire-agate resource for the foreseeable future. Sand and gravel are present in the study area. An area surrounding the Tincup mine and including a small portion of the extreme north-central part of the study area has high potential for gold and low potential for silver, lead, and mercury. Three areas in the extreme northwestern, north-central, and southwestern parts of the study area have moderate potential for gold and low potential for silver, lead, and mercury. A small area near the known fire-agate resource in the south-central part of the study area has low potential for fire agate. Large areas in the eastern and central parts of the study area have low potential for perlite and zeolite resources. The entire study area has no potential for oil and gas and no potential for geothermal resources.

Potential contribution of exposed resin to ecosystem emissions of monoterpenes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eller, Allyson S. D.; Harley, Peter; Monson, Russell K.

2013-10-01

Conifers, especially pines, produce and store under pressure monoterpene-laden resin in canals located throughout the plant. When the plants are damaged and resin canals punctured, the resin is exuded and the monoterpenes are released into the atmosphere, a process that has been shown to influence ecosystem-level monoterpene emissions. Less attention has been paid to the small amounts of resin that are exuded from branches, expanding needles, developing pollen cones, and terminal buds in the absence of any damage. The goal of this study was to provide the first estimate of the potential of this naturally-exposed resin to influence emissions of monoterpenes from ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) ecosystems. When resin is first exuded as small spherical beads from undamaged tissues it emits monoterpenes to the atmosphere at a rate that is four orders of magnitude greater than needle tissue with an equivalent exposed surface area and the emissions from exuded beads decline exponentially as the resin dries. We made measurements of resin beads on the branches of ponderosa pine trees in the middle of the growing season and found, on average, 0.15 cm2 of exposed resin bead surface area and 1250 cm2 of total needle surface area per branch tip. If the resin emerged over the course of 10 days, resin emissions would make up 10% of the ecosystem emissions each day. Since we only accounted for exposed resin at a single point in time, this is probably an underestimate of how much total resin is exuded from undamaged pine tissues over the course of a growing season. Our observations, however, reveal the importance of this previously unrecognized source of monoterpenes emitted from pine forests and its potential to influence regional atmospheric chemistry dynamics.

The ratio of cancer cells to stroma after induction therapy in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

PubMed

Goto, Masaki; Naito, Masahito; Saruwatari, Koichi; Hisakane, Kakeru; Kojima, Motohiro; Fujii, Satoshi; Kuwata, Takeshi; Ochiai, Atsushi; Nomura, Shogo; Aokage, Keiju; Hishida, Tomoyuki; Yoshida, Junji; Yokoi, Kohei; Tsuboi, Masahiro; Ishii, Genichiro

2017-02-01

Induction therapy induces degenerative changes of various degrees in both cancerous and non-cancerous cells of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The effect of induction therapy on histological characteristics, in particular the ratio of residual cancer cells to non-cancerous components, is unknown. Seventy-four NSCLC patients treated with induction therapy followed by surgery were enrolled. Residual cancer cells were identified using anti-pan-cytokeratin antibody (AE1/AE3). We analyzed and quantified the following three factors via digital image analysis; (1) the tumor area containing cancer cells and non-cancerous components (TA), (2) the total area of AE1/AE3 positive cancer cells (TACC), (3) the percentage of TACC to TA (%TACC). These factors were also analyzed in a matched control group (surgery alone, n = 80). The median TACC of the induction therapy group was significantly lower than that of the control group (p < 0.01). In addition, the median %TACC of the induction therapy group (5.9 %) was significantly lower than that of the control group (58.6 %) (p < 0.01). TACC had a strong positive correlation with TA in the control group (r = 0.93), but not in the induction therapy group. Conversely, TACC had a strong positive correlation with %TACC in the induction therapy group (r = 0.95), but not in the control group. Unlike the control group, the smaller the total area of residual cancer cells, the higher residual tumor contained non-cancerous components in the induction group, which may be the characteristic histological feature of NSCLC after induction therapy.

Effects of marine reserves versus nursery habitat availability on structure of reef fish communities.

PubMed

Nagelkerken, Ivan; Grol, Monique G G; Mumby, Peter J

2012-01-01

No-take marine fishery reserves sustain commercial stocks by acting as buffers against overexploitation and enhancing fishery catches in adjacent areas through spillover. Likewise, nursery habitats such as mangroves enhance populations of some species in adjacent habitats. However, there is lack of understanding of the magnitude of stock enhancement and the effects on community structure when both protection from fishing and access to nurseries concurrently act as drivers of fish population dynamics. In this study we test the separate as well as interactive effects of marine reserves and nursery habitat proximity on structure and abundance of coral reef fish communities. Reserves had no effect on fish community composition, while proximity to nursery habitat only had a significant effect on community structure of species that use mangroves or seagrass beds as nurseries. In terms of reef fish biomass, proximity to nursery habitat by far outweighed (biomass 249% higher than that in areas with no nursery access) the effects of protection from fishing in reserves (biomass 21% lower than non-reserve areas) for small nursery fish (≤ 25 cm total length). For large-bodied individuals of nursery species (>25 cm total length), an additive effect was present for these two factors, although fish benefited more from fishing protection (203% higher biomass) than from proximity to nurseries (139% higher). The magnitude of elevated biomass for small fish on coral reefs due to proximity to nurseries was such that nursery habitats seem able to overrule the usually positive effects on fish biomass by reef reserves. As a result, conservation of nursery habitats gains importance and more consideration should be given to the ecological processes that occur along nursery-reef boundaries that connect neighboring ecosystems.

Effects of Marine Reserves versus Nursery Habitat Availability on Structure of Reef Fish Communities

PubMed Central

Nagelkerken, Ivan; Grol, Monique G. G.; Mumby, Peter J.

2012-01-01

No-take marine fishery reserves sustain commercial stocks by acting as buffers against overexploitation and enhancing fishery catches in adjacent areas through spillover. Likewise, nursery habitats such as mangroves enhance populations of some species in adjacent habitats. However, there is lack of understanding of the magnitude of stock enhancement and the effects on community structure when both protection from fishing and access to nurseries concurrently act as drivers of fish population dynamics. In this study we test the separate as well as interactive effects of marine reserves and nursery habitat proximity on structure and abundance of coral reef fish communities. Reserves had no effect on fish community composition, while proximity to nursery habitat only had a significant effect on community structure of species that use mangroves or seagrass beds as nurseries. In terms of reef fish biomass, proximity to nursery habitat by far outweighed (biomass 249% higher than that in areas with no nursery access) the effects of protection from fishing in reserves (biomass 21% lower than non-reserve areas) for small nursery fish (≤25 cm total length). For large-bodied individuals of nursery species (>25 cm total length), an additive effect was present for these two factors, although fish benefited more from fishing protection (203% higher biomass) than from proximity to nurseries (139% higher). The magnitude of elevated biomass for small fish on coral reefs due to proximity to nurseries was such that nursery habitats seem able to overrule the usually positive effects on fish biomass by reef reserves. As a result, conservation of nursery habitats gains importance and more consideration should be given to the ecological processes that occur along nursery-reef boundaries that connect neighboring ecosystems. PMID:22675474

[Spatial heterogeneity of surface soil mineral components in a small catchment in Karst peak-cluster depression area, South China].

PubMed

Gao, Peng; Fu, Tong-Gang; Wang, Ke-Lin; Chen, Hong-Song; Zeng, Fu-Ping

2013-11-01

A total of 163 soil samples (0-20 cm layer) were collected from the grid sampling plots (80 m x 80 m) in Huanjiang Observation and Research Station of Karst Ecosystem in a small catchment in Karst cluster-peak depression area, South China. By using classical statistics and geostatistics, the spatial heterogeneity of mineral components (SiO2, Fe2O3, CaO, MgO, Al2O3, MnO, and TiO2) in the soils were studied. The contents of the seven soil mineral components in the study area differed greatly, being in the order of SiO2 > Al2O3 > CaO > MgO > Fe2O3 > TiO2 > MnO, and the variance coefficients also varied obviously, in the order of CaO > MgO > Fe2O3 > TiO2 > SiO2 > Al2O3 > MnO. The seven mineral components accounted for 69.4% of the total soil mass. The spatial patterns and the fittest models of the seven soil mineral components differed from each other. All the seven soil mineral components had a strong spatial autocorrelation, with shorter variation ranges and stronger spatial dependence. The Kriging contour maps indicated that the distribution patterns of soil SiO2, Fe2O3, Al2O3, MnO, and TiO2 were similar, being higher in south and east, lower in north and west, higher in depression, and lower in slope, while the distribution patterns of soil CaO and MgO were in adverse. Natural conditions (vegetation, bare rock rate, slope degree, and slope aspect, etc. ) and human disturbance were the most important factors affecting the spatial patterns of the soil mineral components.

Dose-per-fraction escalation of accelerated hypofractionated three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

PubMed

Kepka, Lucyna; Tyc-Szczepaniak, Dobromira; Bujko, Krzysztof

2009-07-01

To determine the efficacy of accelerated hypofractionated three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) with dose-per-fraction escalation for treatment of stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Between 2001 and 2007, 173 patients with stage III NSCLC were treated using accelerated 3D-CRT and the simultaneous boost technique. Initially, the total dose of 56.7 Gy (including 39.9 Gy to the elective area) was delivered over 4 weeks in fractions of 2.7 Gy (1.9 Gy to the elective area). The dose-per-fraction escalation study commenced after the outcomes of 70 patients had been evaluated. The dose per fraction was increased from 2.7 through 2.8 Gy (level 1 escalation) to 2.9 Gy (level 2 escalation); the total dose increased, respectively, from 56.7 Gy through 58.8 Gy to 60.9 Gy. The dose to the elective area and the overall treatment time remained unchanged. Fit patients received two to three courses of chemotherapy before radiotherapy. The 2- and 3-year overall survival rates were 32 and 19%, respectively (median survival = 17 months). Of the patients, 7% had grade III acute esophageal toxicity and 6% had grade III or greater late pulmonary toxicity. Two of the nine patients who received the level 2 escalation (60.9 Gy) died of pulmonary toxicity. The study was terminated at a dose of 58.8 Gy and this schema was adopted as the institutional policy for treatment of stage III NSCLC. Although dose escalation with accelerated hypofractionated 3D-CRT was limited, the results and toxicity profiles obtained using this technique are promising.

Individual Income, Area Deprivation, and Health: Do Income-Related Health Inequalities Vary by Small Area Deprivation?

PubMed

Siegel, Martin; Mielck, Andreas; Maier, Werner

2015-11-01

This paper aims to explore potential associations between health inequalities related to socioeconomic deprivation at the individual and the small area level. We use German cross-sectional survey data for the years 2002 and 2006, and measure small area deprivation via the German Index of Multiple Deprivation. We test the differences between concentration indices of income-related and small area deprivation related inequalities in obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Our results suggest that small area deprivation and individual income both yield inequalities in health favoring the better-off, where individual income-related inequalities are significantly more pronounced than those related to small area deprivation. We then apply a semiparametric extension of Wagstaff's corrected concentration index to explore how individual-level health inequalities vary with the degree of regional deprivation. We find that the concentration of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes among lower income groups also exists at the small area level. The degree of deprivation-specific income-related inequalities in the three health outcomes exhibits only little variations across different levels of multiple deprivation for both sexes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A first application of marine-controlled source method on gas-hydrate study off SW Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiang, C.; Hsu, S.; Chen, C.; Evans, R. L.

2011-12-01

Bottom simulating reflector (BSR), high methane flux, shallow sulfide/methane interface, fluid gushed from the seafloor, self-carbonate within sediment, methane reef, and self-biome are widely distributed in the offshore of the southwestern Taiwan. These geophysical and geochemistry signatures imply a high gas hydrate reservoir area. However, the upper bound of the gas hydrate and shallow section of the sediment are still unclear. This study shows the results of our first marine controlled-source electromagnetic survey in 2010 and provides the information of shallow sediment around the offshore of southwestern Taiwan. Three target areas were conducted: the southeast of Small Ryukyu Islands (seepage, G96), west of Yung-An Ridge (YAR) and northwest of Good Weather Ridge (GWR). In total, fourteen survey lines have been carried out, and the total survey length is about 72 km. Our preliminary result shows that the resistivity/porosity anomalies within pockmarks and seepages correspond to the features from the sub-bottom profilers. The range of porosity change is 4 % in G96 and YAR sites, while in the GWR site there is up to 8 % of porosity change and implies a high gas hydrate potential area.

Collagen organization in canine myxomatous mitral valve disease: an x-ray diffraction study.

PubMed

Hadian, Mojtaba; Corcoran, Brendan M; Han, Richard I; Grossmann, J Günter; Bradshaw, Jeremy P

2007-10-01

Collagen fibrils, a major component of mitral valve leaflets, play an important role in defining shape and providing mechanical strength and flexibility. Histopathological studies show that collagen fibrils undergo dramatic changes in the course of myxomatous mitral valve disease in both dogs and humans. However, little is known about the detailed organization of collagen in this disease. This study was designed to analyze and compare collagen fibril organization in healthy and lesional areas of myxomatous mitral valves of dogs, using synchrotron small-angle x-ray diffraction. The orientation, density, and alignment of collagen fibrils were mapped across six different valves. The findings reveal a preferred collagen alignment in the main body of the leaflets between two commissures. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data showed significant differences between affected and lesion-free areas in terms of collagen content, fibril alignment, and total tissue volume. Regression analysis of the amount of collagen compared to the total tissue content at each point revealed a significant relationship between these two parameters in lesion-free but not in affected areas. This is the first time this technique has been used to map collagen fibrils in cardiac tissue; the findings have important applications to human cardiology.

Aggressive venous invasion in the area of carcinoma correlates with liver metastasis as an index of metastasis for invasive ductal carcinoma of the pancreas.

PubMed

Hamada, Yoshihiro; Nakayama, Yoshifuku

Invasive ductal carcinoma of the pancreas (IDCP) predominantly causes death through liver metastasis (LM) and peritoneal dissemination with local recurrence. However, whether its venous invasion is from the enlarged carcinoma accompanied by tumor growth, or from a distinct carcinoma group, for which venous invasion is facilitated by proximity to the origin, is unclear. We analyzed the correlation between LM and venous invasion in patients with small IDCP tumors. Of 388 patients who were diagnosed with IDCP, 20 (5.2%) had tumors with diameters <2 cm. The follow-up period of the 20 patients with smaller tumors was 1-24 years. The small-tumor group (n = 20) included 11 men and 9 women, aged 51-80 years. Five died of liver metastasis (LM group, n = 5) and 15 patients (non-LM group, n = 15) were either alive without recurrence (n = 11) or died of peritonitis carcinomatosa following local recurrence, subarachnoid hemorrhage, primary lung cancer, or old age (n = 1 for each cause of death). The LM and non-LM groups did not significantly differ in numbers of venous invasion by the carcinoma in IDCP and non-IDCP area of the pancreas. However, median numbers of invaded veins in the area of IDCP and percentage of invaded vein/total number of vein in IDCP area were significantly higher in the LM group. Among patients with small IDCP tumors, the LM group showed more aggressive venous invasion by IDPC. Patients in whom ≥60% of veins were invaded by IDCP should be prepared for LM. Copyright © 2017 IAP and EPC. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Small-area distribution of multiple sclerosis incidence in western France: in search of environmental triggers.

PubMed

Hammas, Karima; Yaouanq, Jacqueline; Lannes, Morgane; Edan, Gilles; Viel, Jean-François

2017-09-21

Despite intensive research over several decades, the etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) remains poorly understood, although environmental factors are supposedly implicated. Our goal was to identify spatial clusters of MS incident cases at the small-area level to provide clues to local environmental risk factors that might cause or trigger the disease. A population-based and multi-stage study was performed in the French Brittany region to accurately ascertain the clinical onset of disease during the 2000-2004 period. The municipality of residence at the time of clinical onset was geocoded. To test for the presence of MS incidence clusters and to identify their approximate locations, we used a spatial scan statistic. We adjusted for socioeconomic deprivation, known to be strongly associated with increased MS incident rates, and scanned simultaneously for areas with either high or low rates. Sensitivity analyses (focusing on relapsing-remitting forms and/or places of residence available within the year following clinical onset) were performed. A total of 848 incident cases of MS were registered in Brittany, corresponding to a crude annual incidence rate of 5.8 per 100,000 inhabitants. The spatial scan statistic did not find a significant cluster of MS incidence in either the primary analysis (p value ≥ 0.56) or in the sensitivity analyses (p value ≥ 0.16). The findings of this study indicate that MS incidence is not markedly affected across space, suggesting that in the years preceding the first clinical expression of the disease, no environmental trigger is operative at the small-area population level in the French Brittany region.

Modeling Thermal Contact Resistance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kittel, Peter; Sperans, Joel (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

One difficulty in using cryocoolers is making good thermal contact between the cooler and the instrument being cooled. The connection is often made through a bolted joint. The temperature drop associated with this joint has been the subject of many experimental and theoretical studies. The low temperature behavior of dry joints have shown some anomalous dependence on the surface condition of the mating parts. There is also some doubts on how well one can extrapolate from the test samples to predicting the performance of a real system. Both finite element and analytic models of a simple contact system have been developed. The model assumes (a) the contact is dry (contact limited to a small portion of the total available area and the spaces in-between the actual contact patches are perfect insulators), (b) contacts are clean (conductivity of the actual contact is the same as the bulk), (c) small temperature gradients (the bulk conductance may be assumed to be temperature independent), (d) the absolute temperature is low (thermal radiation effects are ignored), and (e) the dimensions of the nominal contact area are small compared to the thickness of the bulk material (the contact effects are localized near the contact). The models show that in the limit of actual contact area much less than the nominal area (a much less than A), that the excess temperature drop due to a single point of contact scales as a(exp -1/2). This disturbance only extends a distance approx. A(exp 1/2) into the bulk material. A group of identical contacts will result in an excess temperature drop that scales as n(exp -1/2), where n is the number of contacts and n dot a is constant. This implies that flat rough surfaces will have a lower excess temperature drop than flat polished surfaces.

Characterization of Three-Stream Jet Flow Fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henderson, Brenda S.; Wernet, Mark P.

2016-01-01

Flow-field measurements were conducted on single-, dual- and three-stream jets using two-component and stereo Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The flow-field measurements complimented previous acoustic measurements. The exhaust system consisted of externally-plugged, externally-mixed, convergent nozzles. The study used bypass-to-core area ratios equal to 1.0 and 2.5 and tertiary-to-core area ratios equal to 0.6 and 1.0. Axisymmetric and offset tertiary nozzles were investigated for heated and unheated high-subsonic conditions. Centerline velocity decay rates for the single-, dual- and three-stream axisymmetric jets compared well when axial distance was normalized by an equivalent diameter based on the nozzle system total exit area. The tertiary stream had a greater impact on the mean axial velocity for the small bypass-to-core area ratio nozzles than for large bypass-to-core area ratio nozzles. Normalized turbulence intensities were similar for the single-, dual-, and three-stream unheated jets due to the small difference (10 percent) in the core and bypass velocities for the dual-stream jets and the low tertiary velocity (50 percent of the core stream) for the three-stream jets. For heated jet conditions where the bypass velocity was 65 percent of the core velocity, additional regions of high turbulence intensity occurred near the plug tip which were not present for the unheated jets. Offsetting the tertiary stream moved the peak turbulence intensity levels upstream relative to those for all axisymmetric jets investigated.

Characterization of Three-Stream Jet Flow Fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henderson, Brenda S.; Wernet, Mark P.

2016-01-01

Flow-field measurements were conducted on single-, dual- and three-stream jets using two-component and stereo Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The flow-field measurements complimented previous acoustic measurements. The exhaust system consisted of externally-plugged, externally-mixed, convergent nozzles. The study used bypass-to-core area ratios equal to 1.0 and 2.5 and tertiary-to-core area ratios equal to 0.6 and 1.0. Axisymmetric and offset tertiary nozzles were investigated for heated and unheated high-subsonic conditions. Centerline velocity decay rates for the single-, dual- and three-stream axisymmetric jets compared well when axial distance was normalized by an equivalent diameter based on the nozzle system total exit area. The tertiary stream had a greater impact on the mean axial velocity for the small bypass-to-core area ratio nozzles than for large bypass-to-core area ratio nozzles. Normalized turbulence intensities were similar for the single-, dual-, and three-stream unheated jets due to the small difference (10%) in the core and bypass velocities for the dual-stream jets and the low tertiary velocity (50% of the core stream) for the three-stream jets. For heated jet conditions where the bypass velocity was 65% of the core velocity, additional regions of high turbulence intensity occurred near the plug tip which were not present for the unheated jets. Offsetting the tertiary stream moved the peak turbulence intensity levels upstream relative to those for all axisymmetric jets investigated.

The effectiveness of using standardized patients to improve community physician skills in mammography counseling and clinical breast exam.

PubMed

Costanza, M E; Luckmann, R; Quirk, M E; Clemow, L; White, M J; Stoddard, A M

1999-10-01

Traditional didactic continuing education is relatively ineffective in improving physicians' clinical skills. We hypothesized that a centralized course including small group workshops utilizing standardized patients could improve clinical skills for a reasonable cost. We designed a 5-h course aimed at improving physicians' counseling skills (re: screening mammography) and clinical breast exam (CBE) skills. The course included lectures, demonstrations, and small group skills sessions utilizing standardized patients and was offered to 156 typical community-based primary care physicians. Pre- and postcourse evaluation included in-office assessments of physician CBE and counseling performance by standardized patients and a written test of knowledge and attitudes. A total of 54.5% of eligible physicians participated. They improved modestly in only one of three areas of counseling skills measured (providing counseling appropriate to the patient's readiness to accept mammography, P = 0.01). The overall CBE score increased substantially from 24.8 to 34.7 (P < 0.0001). Knowledge in all areas measured and confidence in counseling patients also increased. The basic course cost $202 per physician trained. Most community-based primary care physicians may find small group training and in-office evaluation involving standardized patients acceptable. Such training may be more effective in improving physical exam skills than complex communication skills.

Feeding habits of the deep-snouted pipefish Syngnathus typhle in a temperate coastal lagoon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira, Frederico; Erzini, Karim; Gonçalves, Jorge M. S.

2007-03-01

Feeding habits of Syngnathus typhle were determined based on monthly sampling during experimental fishing in a coastal lagoon (Ria Formosa, South Portugal) from April 2001 to May 2002. The gut contents of 856 individuals were analysed and quantified with numerical and gravimetric methods, as well as with some complementary indices and measures (vacuity, fullness and relative importance). In this study, this species fed mainly on Copepoda, Mysidacea, small caridean grass shrimps (Hippolytidae and Palaemonidae) and small fishes (Gobiidae) and to a lesser degree on other small invertebrates. No significant differences were found between the diets of males and females. However, significant differences in the fullness indexes of both sexes were observed during the reproductive period. Significant differences in the diet among seasons were also verified but no seasonal trends were discovered. Snout length showed a linear increase with growth while mouth area and total length displayed an allometric relation. Mouth shape varied between an ellipse and an almost perfect circle. The increase in mouth area and snout length as S. typhle grows contributed to the observed ontogenic diet shift with specimens smaller than 10 cm feeding almost exclusively on Copepoda, medium sized specimens feeding mainly on Hippolytidae and Mysidacea, while larger specimens preyed on Hippolytidae, Palaemonidae and Gobiidae. Prey size generally increased with size of S. typhle.

[Ecology of Glossina palpalis VANDERPLANK, 1949 (Diptera: Glossinidae) in mangrove area of Guinea: influence of tides on tsetse densities].

PubMed

Kagbadouno, S M; Salou, E; Rayaisse, J B; Courtin, F; Sanon, A; Solano, P; Camara, M

2016-05-01

The mangrove area on the Guinea littoral constitutes a favourable habitat for transmission of Trypanosoma brucei gambiens, the parasite causing sleeping sickness also called Human African Trypanosmosis (HAT), due the simultaneous presence of the vector (tsetse flies) and the human hosts. In order to assess the influence of the sea tides on the densities of Glossina palpalis gambiensis (Gpg), major vector of HAT in the mangrove, entomological surveys were performed using two transects, according to tides coefficient (great and small) and tide daily fluctuations (high and low). On each transect, 12 biconical traps were deployed through the mangrove to the continent. In total, up to 612 Gpg were caught, giving a density of 2.13 flies/trap/day (f/t/d). Highest captures were recorded during small tides and more tsetse were caught during the dry season than in the wet season. There were significant differences between captures when considering the different biotopes, and highest tsetse densities were recorded at the junction of the river and the channel of the mangrove (6.17±5.24); and in the channels of mangrove (3.50±3.76), during high tides of small coefficients. The results of this study may be used to improve vector control methods.

Small gray matter volume in orbitofrontal cortex in Prader-Willi syndrome: a voxel-based MRI study.

PubMed

Ogura, Kaeko; Fujii, Toshikatsu; Abe, Nobuhito; Hosokai, Yoshiyuki; Shinohara, Mayumi; Takahashi, Shoki; Mori, Etsuro

2011-07-01

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetically determined neurodevelopmental disorder presenting with behavioral symptoms including hyperphagia, disinhibition, and compulsive behavior. The behavioral problems in individuals with PWS are strikingly similar to those in patients with frontal pathologies, particularly those affecting the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). However, neuroanatomical abnormalities in the frontal lobe have not been established in PWS. The aim of this study was to look, using volumetric analysis, for morphological changes in the frontal lobe, especially the OFC, of the brains of individuals with PWS. Twelve adults with PWS and 13 age- and gender-matched control subjects participated in structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. The whole-brain images were segmented and normalized to a standard stereotactic space. Regional gray matter volumes were compared between the PWS group and the control group using voxel-based morphometry. The PWS subjects showed small gray-matter volume in several regions, including the OFC, caudate nucleus, inferior temporal gyrus, precentral gyrus, supplementary motor area, postcentral gyrus, and cerebellum. The small gray-matter volume in the OFC remained significant in a separate analysis that included total gray matter volume as a covariate. These preliminary findings suggest that the neurobehavioral symptoms in individuals with PWS are related to structural brain abnormalities in these areas. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The contribution of small vessel disease to subtypes of Alzheimer's disease: a study on cerebrospinal fluid and imaging biomarkers.

PubMed

Ferreira, Daniel; Shams, Sara; Cavallin, Lena; Viitanen, Matti; Martola, Juha; Granberg, Tobias; Shams, Mana; Aspelin, Peter; Kristoffersen-Wiberg, Maria; Nordberg, Agneta; Wahlund, Lars-Olof; Westman, Eric

2018-05-30

We investigated whether subtypes of Alzheimer's disease (AD), that is, typical, limbic-predominant, hippocampal-sparing, and minimal atrophy AD, had a specific signature of small vessel disease and neurodegeneration. Four hundred twenty-three clinically diagnosed AD patients were included (161 typical, 121 limbic-predominant, 70 hippocampal-sparing, 71 minimal atrophy). One hundred fifty-six fulfilled a biomarkers-based AD diagnosis. White matter hyperintensities and cerebral microbleeds (CMB) had the highest prevalence in limbic-predominant AD, and the lowest prevalence in minimal atrophy AD. CMB existed evenly in lobar and deep brain areas in limbic-predominant, typical, and hippocampal-sparing AD. In minimal atrophy AD, CMB were mainly located in brain lobar areas. Perivascular spaces in the centrum semiovale were more prevalent in typical AD. Small vessel disease contributed to the prediction of Mini-Mental State Examination. Minimal atrophy AD showed highly pathological levels of cerebrospinal fluid Aß 1-42 , total tau, and phosphorylated tau, in the absence of overt brain atrophy. Cerebral amyloid angiopathy seems to have a stronger contribution to hippocampal-sparing and minimal atrophy AD, whereas hypertensive arteriopathy may have a stronger contribution to typical and limbic-predominant AD. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

48 CFR 819.7009 - Contract clauses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned and Veteran-Owned Small Business..., Notice of Total Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside or 852.219-11, Notice of Total...

48 CFR 819.7009 - Contract clauses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned and Veteran-Owned Small Business..., Notice of Total Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside or 852.219-11, Notice of Total...

Using GIS mapping of the extent of nearshore rocky reefs to estimate the abundance and reproductive output of important fishery species.

PubMed

Claisse, Jeremy T; Pondella, Daniel J; Williams, Jonathan P; Sadd, James

2012-01-01

Kelp Bass (Paralabrax clathratus) and California Sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) are economically and ecologically valuable rocky reef fishes in southern California, making them likely indicator species for evaluating resource management actions. Multiple spatial datasets, aerial and satellite photography, underwater observations and expert judgment were used to produce a comprehensive map of nearshore natural rocky reef habitat for the Santa Monica Bay region (California, USA). It was then used to examine the relative contribution of individual reefs to a regional estimate of abundance and reproductive potential of the focal species. For the reefs surveyed for fishes (i.e. 18 out of the 22 in the region, comprising 82% the natural rocky reef habitat <30 m depth, with a total area of 1850 ha), total abundance and annual egg production of California Sheephead were 451 thousand fish (95% CI: 369 to 533 thousand) and 203 billion eggs (95% CI: 135 to 272 billion). For Kelp Bass, estimates were 805 thousand fish (95% CI: 669 to 941 thousand) and 512 billion eggs (95% CI: 414 to 610 billion). Size structure and reef area were key factors in reef-specific contributions to the regional egg production. The size structures of both species illustrated impacts from fishing, and results demonstrate the potential that relatively small increases in the proportion of large females on larger reefs could have on regional egg production. For California Sheephead, a substantial proportion of the regional egg production estimate (>30%) was produced from a relatively small proportion of the regional reef area (c. 10%). Natural nearshore rocky reefs make up only 11% of the area in the newly designated MPAs in this region, but results provide some optimism that regional fisheries could benefit through an increase in overall reproductive output, if adequate increases in size structure of targeted species are realized.

Using GIS Mapping of the Extent of Nearshore Rocky Reefs to Estimate the Abundance and Reproductive Output of Important Fishery Species

PubMed Central

Claisse, Jeremy T.; Pondella, Daniel J.; Williams, Jonathan P.; Sadd, James

2012-01-01

Kelp Bass (Paralabrax clathratus) and California Sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) are economically and ecologically valuable rocky reef fishes in southern California, making them likely indicator species for evaluating resource management actions. Multiple spatial datasets, aerial and satellite photography, underwater observations and expert judgment were used to produce a comprehensive map of nearshore natural rocky reef habitat for the Santa Monica Bay region (California, USA). It was then used to examine the relative contribution of individual reefs to a regional estimate of abundance and reproductive potential of the focal species. For the reefs surveyed for fishes (i.e. 18 out of the 22 in the region, comprising 82% the natural rocky reef habitat <30 m depth, with a total area of 1850 ha), total abundance and annual egg production of California Sheephead were 451 thousand fish (95% CI: 369 to 533 thousand) and 203 billion eggs (95% CI: 135 to 272 billion). For Kelp Bass, estimates were 805 thousand fish (95% CI: 669 to 941thousand) and 512 billion eggs (95% CI: 414 to 610 billion). Size structure and reef area were key factors in reef-specific contributions to the regional egg production. The size structures of both species illustrated impacts from fishing, and results demonstrate the potential that relatively small increases in the proportion of large females on larger reefs could have on regional egg production. For California Sheephead, a substantial proportion of the regional egg production estimate (>30%) was produced from a relatively small proportion of the regional reef area (c. 10%). Natural nearshore rocky reefs make up only 11% of the area in the newly designated MPAs in this region, but results provide some optimism that regional fisheries could benefit through an increase in overall reproductive output, if adequate increases in size structure of targeted species are realized. PMID:22272326

Polarimetric Radar Retrievals in Southeast Texas During Hurricane Harvey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolff, D. B.; Petersen, W. A.; Tokay, A.; Marks, D. A.; Pippitt, J. L.; Kirstetter, P. E.

2017-12-01

Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas Gulf Coast as a major hurricane on August 25, 2017 before exiting the state as a tropical storm on September 1, 2017. In its wake, it left a flood of historic proportions, with some areas measuring 60 inches of rain over a five-day period. Although the storm center stayed west of the immediate Houston area training bands of precipitation impacted the Houston area for five full days. The National Weather Service (NWS) WSR88D dual-polarimetric radar (KHGX), located southeast of Houston, maintained operations for the entirety of the event. The Harris County Flood Warning System (HCFWS) had 150 rain gauges deployed in its network and seven NWS Automated Surface Observing Systems (ASOS) rain gauges are also located in the area. In this study, we used the full radar data set to retrieve daily and event-total precipitation estimates within 120 km of the KHGX radar for the period August 25-29, 2017. These estimates were then compared to the HCFWS and ASOS gauges. Three different polarimetric hybrid rainfall retrievals were used: Ciffeli et al. 2011; Bringi et al. 2004; and, Chen et al. 2017. Each of these hybrid retrievals have demonstrated robust performance in the past. However, both daily and event-total comparisons from each of these retrievals compared to those of HCFWS and ASOS rain gauge networks resulted in significant underestimates by the radar retrievals. These radar underestimates are concerning. Sources of error and variance will be investigated to understand the source of radar-gauge disagreement. One current hypothesis is that due to the large number of small drops often found in hurricanes, the differential reflectivity and specific differential phase are relatively small so that the hybrid algorithms use only the reflectivity/rain rate procedure (so called Z-R relationships), and hence rarely invoke the ZDR or KDP procedures. Thus, an alternative Z-R relationship must be invoked to retrieve accurate rain rate estimates.

[Dynamics of soil erosion at upper reaches of Minjiang River based on GIS].

PubMed

He, Xingyuan; Hu, Zhibi; Li, Yuehui; Hu, Yuanman

2005-12-01

Based on TM and ETM imagines, and employing GIS technique and empirical Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model, this paper studied the dynamics of soil erosion at the upper reaches of Minjiang River during three typical periods, with the main affecting factors analyzed. The results showed that the soil erosion area was increased by 1.28%, 1.84 % and 1.70% in 1986, 1995 and 2000, respectively. The average erosion modulus was increased from 832.64 t x km(-2) x yr(-1) in 1986 to 1048.74 t x km(-2) yr(-2) in 1995 and reached 1362.11 t x km(-2) yr(-1) in 2000, and soil loss was mainly of slight and light erosion, companying with a small quantity of middling erosion. The area of soil erosion was small, and the degree was light. There was a significant correlation between slope and soil loss, which mainly happened in the regions with a slope larger than 25 degrees, and accounted for 93.65%, 93.81% and 92.71% of the total erosion in 1986, 1995 and 2000, respectively. As for the altitude, middling, semi-high and high mountains and dry valley were liable to soil erosion, which accounted for 98.21%, 97.63% and 99.27% of the total erosion in 1986, 1995 and 2000, respectively. Different vegetation had a significant effect on soil erosion, and shrub and newly restored forest were the main erosion area. Excessive depasture not only resulted in the degradation of pasture, but also led to slight soil erosion. Land use type and soil type also contributed to soil loss, among which, dry-cinnamon soil and calcic gray-cinnamon soil were the most dangerous ones needing more protection. Soil loss was also linearly increased with increasing population and households, which suggested that the increase of population and households was the driving factor for soil loss increase in this area.

Effects of Habitual Physical Activity and Fitness on Tibial Cortical Bone Mass, Structure and Mass Distribution in Pre-pubertal Boys and Girls: The Look Study.

PubMed

Duckham, Rachel L; Rantalainen, Timo; Ducher, Gaele; Hill, Briony; Telford, Richard D; Telford, Rohan M; Daly, Robin M

2016-07-01

Targeted weight-bearing activities during the pre-pubertal years can improve cortical bone mass, structure and distribution, but less is known about the influence of habitual physical activity (PA) and fitness. This study examined the effects of contrasting habitual PA and fitness levels on cortical bone density, geometry and mass distribution in pre-pubertal children. Boys (n = 241) and girls (n = 245) aged 7-9 years had a pQCT scan to measure tibial mid-shaft total, cortical and medullary area, cortical thickness, density, polar strength strain index (SSIpolar) and the mass/density distribution through the bone cortex (radial distribution divided into endo-, mid- and pericortical regions) and around the centre of mass (polar distribution). Four contrasting PA and fitness groups (inactive-unfit, inactive-fit, active-unfit, active-fit) were generated based on daily step counts (pedometer, 7-days) and fitness levels (20-m shuttle test and vertical jump) for boys and girls separately. Active-fit boys had 7.3-7.7 % greater cortical area and thickness compared to inactive-unfit boys (P < 0.05), which was largely due to a 6.4-7.8 % (P < 0.05) greater cortical mass in the posterior-lateral, medial and posterior-medial 66 % tibial regions. Cortical area was not significantly different across PA-fitness categories in girls, but active-fit girls had 6.1 % (P < 0.05) greater SSIpolar compared to inactive-fit girls, which was likely due to their 6.7 % (P < 0.05) greater total bone area. There was also a small region-specific cortical mass benefit in the posterior-medial 66 % tibia cortex in active-fit girls. Higher levels of habitual PA-fitness were associated with small regional-specific gains in 66 % tibial cortical bone mass in pre-pubertal children, particularly boys.

Atmospheric energetics in regions of intense convective activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuelberg, H. E.

1977-01-01

Synoptic-scale budgets of kinetic and total potential energy are computed using 3- and 6-h data at nine times from NASA's fourth Atmospheric Variability Experiment (AVE IV). Two intense squall lines occurred during the period. Energy budgets for areas that enclose regions of intense convection are shown to have systematic changes that relate to the life cycles of the convection. Some of the synoptic-scale energy processes associated with the convection are found to be larger than those observed in the vicinity of mature cyclones. Volumes enclosing intense convection are found to have large values of cross-contour conversion of potential to kinetic energy and large horizontal export of kinetic energy. Although small net vertical transport of kinetic energy is observed, values at individual layers indicate large upward transport. Transfer of kinetic energy from grid to subgrid scales of motion occurs in the volumes. Latent heat release is large in the middle and upper troposphere and is thought to be the cause of the observed cyclic changes in the budget terms. Total potential energy is found to be imported horizontally in the lower half of the atmosphere, transported aloft, and then exported horizontally. Although local changes of kinetic energy and total potential energy are small, interaction between volumes enclosing convection with surrounding larger volumes is quite large.

Statistical, graphical, and trend summaries of selected water-quality and streamflow data from the Trinity River near Crockett, Texas, 1964-85

USGS Publications Warehouse

Goss, Richard L.

1987-01-01

As part of the statistical summaries, trend tests were conducted. Several small uptrends were detected for total nitrogen, total organic nitrogen, total ammonia nitrogen, total nitrite nitrogen, total nitrate nitrogen, total organic plus ammonia nitrogen, total nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, and total phosphorus. Small downtrends were detected for biochemical oxygen demand and dissolved magnesium.

Contributions to Crustal Mechanics on Europa from Subterranean Ocean Vibrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayes, Robert

2016-03-01

The recent discovery of subduction zones on Europa demonstrated a significant step forward in understanding the moon's surface mechanics. This work promotes the additional consideration that the surface mechanics have contributions from small relative pressure differentials in the subsurface ocean that create cracks in the surface which are then filled, sealed and healed. Crack formation can be small, as interior pressure can relatively easily breach the surface crust, generating cracks followed by common fracture formation backfilled with frozen liquid. This process will slowly increase the overall surface area of the moon with each sealed crack and fracture increasing the total surface area. This creeping growth of surface area monotonically decreases subsurface pressure which can eventually catastrophically subduct large areas of surface and so is consistent with current knowledge of observational topology on Europa. This tendency is attributed to a relatively lower energy threshold to crack the surface from interior overpressures, but a higher energy threshold to crush the spherical surface due to subsurface underpressures. Proposed mechanisms for pressure differentials include tidal forces whose Fourier components build up the resonant oscillatory modes of the subsurface ocean creating periodic under and overpressure events below the crust. This mechanism provides a means to continually reform the surface of the moon over short geological time scales. This work supported in part by federal Grant NRC-HQ-84-14-G-0059.

Deforestation and Forest Fires in Roraima and Their Relationship with Phytoclimatic Regions in the Northern Brazilian Amazon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barni, Paulo Eduardo; Pereira, Vaneza Barreto; Manzi, Antonio Ocimar; Barbosa, Reinaldo Imbrozio

2015-05-01

Deforestation and forest fires in the Brazilian Amazon are a regional-scale anthropogenic process related to biomass burning, which has a direct impact on global warming due to greenhouse gas emissions. Containment of this process requires characterizing its spatial distribution and that of the environmental factors related to its occurrence. The aim of this study is to investigate the spatial and temporal distribution of deforested areas and forest fires in the State of Roraima from 2000 to 2010. We mapped deforested areas and forest fires using Landsat images and associated their occurrence with two phytoclimatic zones: zone with savanna influence (ZIS), and zone without savanna influence (ZOS). Total deforested area during the interval was estimated at 3.06 × 103 km2 (ZIS = 55 %; ZOS = 45 %) while total area affected by forest fires was estimated at 3.02 × 103 km2 (ZIS = 97.7 %; ZOS = 2.3 %). Magnitude of deforestation in Roraima was not related to the phytoclimatic zones, but small deforested areas (≤17.9 ha) predominated in ZOS while larger deforestation classes (>17.9 ha) predominated in ZIS, which is an area with a longer history of human activities. The largest occurrence of forest fires was observed in the ZIS in years with El Niño events. Our analysis indicates that the areas most affected by forest fires in Roraima during 2000-2010 were associated with strong climatic events and the occurrence these fires was amplified in ZIS, a sensitive phytoclimatic zone with a higher risk of anthropogenic fires given its drier climate and open forest structure.

Water-quality assessment of the Rio Grande Valley, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas : shallow ground-water quality and land use in the Albuquerque area, central New Mexico, 1993

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderholm, Scott K.

1997-01-01

This report describes the quality of shallow ground water and the relations between land use and the quality of that shallow ground water in an urban area in and adjacent to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Water samples were collected from 24 shallow wells. Samples were analyzed for selected common constituents, nutrients, trace elements, radionuclides, volatile organic compounds, and pesticides. The study area, which is in the Albuquerque Basin in central New Mexico, was limited to the Rio Grande flood plain; depth to water in this area generally is less than 25 feet. The amount and composition of recharge to the shallow ground-water system are important factors that affect shallow ground-water composition in this area. Important sources of recharge that affect shallow ground-water quality in the area include infiltration of surface water, which is used in agricultural land-use areas to irrigate crops, and infiltration of septic-system effluent in residential areas. Agricultural land use represents about 28 percent of the area, and residential land use represents about 35 percent of the total study area. In most of the study area, agricultural land use is interspersed with residential land use and neither is the dominant land use in the area. Land use in the study area historically has been changing from agricultural to urban. The composition of shallow ground water in the study area varies considerably. The dissolved solids concentration in shallow ground water in the study area ranges from 272 to 1,650 milligrams per liter, although the relative percentages of selected cations and anions do not vary substantially. Calcium generally is the dominant cation and bicarbonate generally is the dominant anion. Concentrations of nutrients generally were less than 1 milligram per liter. The concentration of many trace elements in shallow ground water was below or slightly above 1 microgram per liter and there was little variation in the concentrations. Barium, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and uranium were the only trace elements analyzed for that had median concentrations greater than 5 micrograms per liter. Volatile organic compounds were detected in 5 of 24 samples. Cis-1,2-dichloroethene and 1,1-dichloroethane were the most commonly detected volatile organic compounds (detected in two samples each). Pesticides were detected in 8 of 24 samples. Prometon was the most commonly detected pesticide (detected in 5 of 24 samples). Concentrations of volatile organic compounds and pesticides detected were much smaller than any U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards that have been established. Infiltration of surface water and the evaporation or transpiration of this water, which partially is the result of past and present agricultural land use, seem to affect the concentrations of common constituents in shallow ground water in the study area. The small excess chloride in shallow ground water relative to surface water that has been affected by evaporation or transpiration could be due to mixing of shallow ground water with small amounts of precipitation/bulk deposition or septic-system effluent. Infiltration of septic-system effluent (residential land use) has affected the shallow ground-water composition in parts of the study area on the basis of the small dissolved oxygen concentrations, large dissolved organic carbon concentrations, and excess chloride. Despite the loading of nitrogen to the shallow ground-water system as the result of infiltration of septic-system effluent, the small nitrogen concentrations in shallow ground water probably are due to the small dissolved oxygen concentrations and relatively large dissolved organic carbon concentrations. The small concentrations and lack of variation of most trace elements indicate that land use has not substantially affected the concentration

Farm Safety Practices and Farm Size in New South Wales.

PubMed

Bailey, Jannine; Dutton, Tegan; Payne, Kristy; Wilson, Ross; Brew, Bronwyn K

2017-01-01

There is some evidence to suggest that safety on small-area farms may not be high priority due to economic constraints and lack of knowledge. This has important ramifications for injury and economic burden. The objective of this research was to conduct a pilot study to investigate whether small- to medium-area farms implement fewer safety practices than large-area farms. Farmers were recruited from farm safety training days, field days, and produce stores in rural New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Small- and medium-area farms less than 500 ha (1235 acres) in size were aggregated for analysis and compared with large-area farms (≥500 ha) for survey items, including safety equipment owned and used, safety practices protecting children, barriers to improving safety, and causes of injury. Overall, small/medium-area farms were found to own less safety equipment and to employ less safety practices than large-area farms. In particular, fewer tractors were fitted with rollover protection structures, there was less signage, less hearing protection, and fewer machinery guides. Injury rates were slightly less for small/medium-area farms, particularly involving vehicles. Small- and medium-area farmers were more likely to report lack of skills as barriers to making safety improvements. This pilot study found some evidence that small/medium-area farms implement fewer safety practices than large-area farms. A larger study is warranted to investigate this further, with particular focus on barriers and ways to overcome them. This could have important ramifications for government policies supporting struggling farmers on small/medium-area farms.

Soil quality and soil degradation in agricultural loess soils in Central Europe - impacts of traditional small-scale and modernized large-scale agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Christian

2017-04-01

The study analyzes the impact of different farming systems on soil quality and soil degradation in European loess landscapes. The analyses are based on geo-chemical soil properties, landscape metrics and geomorphological indicators. The German Middle Saxonian Loess Region represents loess landscapes whose ecological functions were shaped by land consolidation measures resulting in large-scale high-input farming systems. The Polish Proszowice Plateau is still characterized by a traditional small-scale peasant agriculture. The research areas were analyzed on different scale levels combining GIS, field, and laboratory methods. A digital terrain classification was used to identify representative catchment basins for detailed pedological studies which were focused on soil properties that responded to soil management within several years, like pH-value, total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), inorganic carbon (IC), soil organic carbon (TOC=TC-IC), hot-water extractable carbon (HWC), hot-water extractable nitrogen (HWN), total phosphorus, plant-available phosphorus (P), plant-available potassium (K) and the potential cation exchange capacity (CEC). The study has shown that significant differences in major soil properties can be observed because of different fertilizer inputs and partly because of different cultivation techniques. Also the traditional system increases soil heterogeneity. Contrary to expectations the study has shown that the small-scale peasant farming system resulted in similar mean soil organic carbon and phosphorus contents like the industrialized high-input farming system. A further study could include investigations of the effects of soil amendments like herbicides and pesticide on soil degradation.

Responses of aquatic macrophytes to anthropogenic pressures: comparison between macrophyte metrics and indices.

PubMed

Camargo, Julio A

2018-02-26

Macrophyte responses to anthropogenic pressures in two rivers of Central Spain were assessed to check if simple metrics can exhibit a greater discriminatory and explanatory power than complex indices at small spatial scales. Field surveys were undertaken during the summer of 2014 (Duraton River) and the spring of 2015 (Tajuña River). Aquatic macrophytes were sampled using a sampling square (45 × 45 cm). In the middle Duraton River, macrophytes responded positively to the presence of a hydropower dam and a small weir, with Myriophyllum spicatum and Potamogeton pectinatus being relatively favored. Index of Macrophytes (IM) was better than Macroscopic Aquatic Vegetation Index (MAVI) and Fluvial Macrophyte Index (FMI) in detecting these responses, showing positive and significant correlations with total coverage, species richness, and species diversity. In the upper Tajuña River, macrophytes responded both negatively and positively to the occurrence of a trout farm effluent and a small weir, with Leptodictyum riparium and Veronica anagallis-aquatica being relatively favored. Although IM, MAVI, and FMI detected both negative and positive responses, correlations of IM with total coverage, species richness, and species diversity were higher. Species evenness was not sensitive enough to detect either positive or negative responses of aquatic macrophytes along the study areas. Overall, traditional and simple metrics (species composition, total coverage, species richness, species diversity) exhibited a greater discriminatory and explanatory power than more recent and complex indices (IM, MAVI, FMI) when assessing responses of aquatic macrophytes to anthropogenic pressures at impacted specific sites.

A comparison of small-area estimation techniques to estimate selected stand attributes using LiDAR-derived auxiliary variables

Treesearch

Michael E. Goerndt; Vicente J. Monleon; Hailemariam Temesgen

2011-01-01

One of the challenges often faced in forestry is the estimation of forest attributes for smaller areas of interest within a larger population. Small-area estimation (SAE) is a set of techniques well suited to estimation of forest attributes for small areas in which the existing sample size is small and auxiliary information is available. Selected SAE methods were...

Design of a portable artificial heart drive system based on efficiency analysis.

PubMed

Kitamura, T

1986-11-01

This paper discusses a computer simulation of a pneumatic portable piston-type artificial heart drive system with a linear d-c-motor. The purpose of the design is to obtain an artificial heart drive system with high efficiency and small dimensions to enhance portability. The design employs two factors contributing the total efficiency of the drive system. First, the dimensions of the pneumatic actuator were optimized under a cost function of the total efficiency. Second, the motor performance was studied in terms of efficiency. More than 50 percent of the input energy of the actuator with practical loads is consumed in the armature circuit in all linear d-c-motors with brushes. An optimal design is: the piston cross-sectional area of 10.5 cm2 cylinder longitudinal length of 10 cm. The total efficiency could be up to 25 percent by improving the gasket to reduce the frictional force.

Correlation of residual strength with acoustic emission from impact-damaged composite structures under constant biaxial load

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamstad, M. A.; Whittaker, J. W.; Brosey, W. D.

1992-01-01

Small, filament-wound, Kevlar/epoxy, biaxial test specimens were subjected to various levels of impact damage. The specimens were pressurized in a proof test cycle to 58 percent of their nominal, undamaged strength and then pressurized to failure. Acoustic emission data were gathered by multiple sensors during a 10 minute hold at peak proof pressure. Post-test filtering of the data was performed to study composite behavior in the damaged region and other areas. The rate and total amount of AE produced depends on the duration of the static load and degree of damage. The concept of the event rate moment is introduced as a method of quantifying a structure's total AE behavior when under static load. Average event rate, total long duration events, and event rate moments provided various degrees of correlation between AE and residual strength.

A model for gas and nutrient exchange in the chorionic vasculature system of the mouse placenta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirbod, Parisa; Sled, John

2015-11-01

The aim of this study is to develop an analytical model for the oxygen and nutrient transport from the umbilical cord to the small villous capillaries. The nutrient and carbon dioxide removal from the fetal cotyledons in the mouse placental system has also been considered. This model describes the mass transfer between the fetal and the maternal red blood cells in the chorionic arterial vasculature system. The model reveals the detail fetal vasculature system and its geometry and the precise mechanisms of mass transfer through the placenta. The dimensions of the villous capillaries, the total length of the villous trees, the total villi surface area, and the total resistance to mass transport in the fetal villous trees has also been defined. This is the first effort to explain the reason why there are at least 7 lobules in the mouse placenta from the fluid dynamics point of view.

Apron tracheostome.

PubMed

Talaat, M

1991-08-01

Stenosis of the tracheostome following total laryngectomy is not an infrequent complication, either immediately postoperatively or years later, and it poses a common problem for head and neck surgeons. The opening becomes inadequate and the patient is uncomfortable and panicky. A secondary plastic operation is necessary in order to improve the airway, or a laryngectomy tube must be worn constantly. I have developed a satisfactory technique for tailoring the tracheostome during total laryngectomy so as to minimize postoperative stenosis even in irradiated cases and allow the patient to dispense with the laryngectomy tube. It may render the posterosuperior wall of the tracheostome more suitable for a tracheoesophageal puncture tract for voice restoration after total laryngectomy. These goals are achieved by interdigitating a small skin-thick superiorly based apron flap, raised from the lower midline of the front of the neck, into a similar recipient area at the upper posterior tracheal wall after removal of an equal mucosal apron.

SO2 damage to forests recorded by ERTS-1. [Ontario, Canada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murtha, P. A.

1974-01-01

Sulfur dioxide fumes have been affecting the forests around Wawa, Ontario, which have been under surveillance for a number of years and were recently covered by ultra-small-scale (1:160,000) air photography for damage-assessment purposes. Image interpretation supported by electronic color enhancement was used to delineate on ERTS imagery three damage zones (total-kill, heavy-kill and medium-damage zones). The zones delineated on ERTS imagery are similar to the results of aerial sketch-mapping and air photo interpretation. Band 5 provided the greatest detail for assessing the damage to the forests, followed in successive order by bands 4, 6 and 7. Comparison with ERTS images obtained in the winter showed that even though the total-kill could be separated from heavy-kill damage zones, total-kill could not be consistently separated from clear-cut logging, burned areas, frozen lakes and bogs.

Geochemical variability of natural soils and reclaimed minespoil soils in the San Juan Basin, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gough, L.P.; Severson, R.C.

1981-01-01

An inventory of total-and extractable-element concentrations in soils was made for three areas of the San Juan Basin in New Mexico: (1) the broad area likely to be affected by energy-related development. (2) an area of soils considered to have potential for use as topsoil in mined-land reclamation. and (3) an area of the San Juan coal mine that has been regraded. topsoiled, and revegetated. Maps made of concentrations of 16 elements in area 1 soils show no gradational pattern across the region. Further. these maps do not correspond to those showing geology or soil types. Sodic or saline problems, and a possible but unproven deficiency of zinc available to plants. may make some of the soils in this area undesirable for use as topsoil in mined-land reclamation. Taxonomic great groups of soil in this area cannot be distinguished because each great group tends to have a large within-group variability if compared to the between-group variability. In area 2 the major soils sampled were of the Sheppard. Shiprock. and Doak association. These soils are quite uniform in chemical composition and are not greatly saline or sodic. As in area 1 soils. zinc deficiency may cause a problem in revegetating most of these soils. It is difficult to distinguish soil taxonomic families by using their respective chemical compositions. because of small between-family variability. Topsoil from a reclaimed area of the San Juan mine (area 3) most closely resembles the chemical composition of natural C horizons of soil from area 1. Spoil material that has not been topsoiled is likely to cause sodic-and saline-related problems in revegetation and may cause boron toxicity in plants. Topsoiling has apparently ameliorated these potential problems for plant growth on mine spoil. Total and extractable concentrations for elements and other parameters for each area of the San Juan Basin provide background information for the evaluation of the chemical quality of soils in each area.

Soil surface lowering due to soil erosion in villages near Lake Victoria, Uganda

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Meyer, A.; Deckers, J.; Poesen, J.; Isabirye, M.

2009-04-01

In the effort to pinpoint the sources of sediment pollution in Lake Victoria, the contribution of sedi-ment from compounds, landing sites, main roads and footpaths is determined in the catchment of Na-bera Bay and Kafunda Bay at the northern shore of Lake Victoria in southern Uganda. The amount of soil loss in compounds and landing sites is determined by the reconstruction of the original and current soil surface according to botanical and man-made datable objects. The soil erosion rate is then deter-mined by dividing the eroded soil volume (corrected for compaction) by the age of the oldest datable object. In the study area, the average soil erosion rate in compounds amounts to 107 Mg ha-1 year-1 (per unit compound) and in landing sites to 207 Mg ha-1 year-1 (per unit landing site). Although com-pounds and landing sites occupy a small area of the study area (1.1 %), they are a major source of sediment to Lake Victoria (63 %). The soil loss on footpaths and main roads is calculated by multip-lying the total length of footpaths and main roads with the average width and depth (measured towards a reference surface). After the correction for compaction is carried out, the soil erosion rate on foot-paths amounts to 34 Mg ha-1 year-1 and on main roads to 35 Mg ha-1 year-1. Also footpaths and main roads occupy a small area of the study area (1.1 %), but contribute disproportionately to the total soil loss in the catchment (22 %). In this research, the information about the village/compound given by the villager/owner is indispensable. In accordance to an adaptation of the model of McHugh et al. (2002), 32 % of the sediment that is generated in the catchment, is deposited in Lake Victoria (i.e. 2 209 Mg year-1 or 0.7 Mg ha-1 year-1). The main buffer in the study area is papyrus at the shore of Lake Victoria. Also sugarcane can be a major buffer. However, the sugarcane-area is intersected by com-pounds, landing sites, footpaths and main roads that generate large amounts of sediment and function as main bypass mechanisms (high CR) facilitating and enhancing sediment delivery to Lake Victoria.

Experimental investigation of the subsonic high-altitude operation of the NASA Lewis 10- by 10-foot supersonic wind tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, Christopher E.; Jeracki, Robert J.

1988-01-01

An experimental investigation was conducted in the NASA Lewis 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel during subsonic tunnel operation in the aerodynamic cycle to determine the test section flow characteristics near the Advanced Turboprop Project propeller model plane of rotation. The investigation used an eight-probe pitot static flow survey rake to measure total and static pressures at two locations in the wind tunnel: the test section and the bellmouth section (upstream of the two-dimensional flexible-wall nozzle). A cone angularity probe was used to measure any flow angularity in the test section. The evaluation was conducted at tunnel Mach numbers from 0.10 to 0.35 and at three operating altitudes from 2,000 to 50,000 ft. which correspond to tunnel reference total pressures from 1960 to 245 psfa, respectively. The results of this experimental investigation indicate a total-pressure loss area in the center of the test section and a static-pressure gradient from the test section centerline to the wall. These total and static pressure differences were observed at all tunnel operating altitudes and diminished at lower tunnel velocities. The total-pressure loss area was also found in the bellmouth section, which indicates that the loss mechanism is not the tunnel flexible-wall nozzle. The flow in the test section is essentially axial since very small flow angles were measured. The results also indicate that a correction to the tunnel total and static pressures must be applied in order to determine accurate freestream conditions at the test section centerline.

Chromosomal Aberrations in Wild Mice Captured in Areas Differentially Contaminated by the Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident.

PubMed

Kubota, Yoshihisa; Tsuji, Hideo; Kawagoshi, Taiki; Shiomi, Naoko; Takahashi, Hiroyuki; Watanabe, Yoshito; Fuma, Shoichi; Doi, Kazutaka; Kawaguchi, Isao; Aoki, Masanari; Kubota, Masahide; Furuhata, Yoshiaki; Shigemura, Yusaku; Mizoguchi, Masahiko; Yamada, Fumio; Tomozawa, Morihiko; Sakamoto, Shinsuke H; Yoshida, Satoshi

2015-08-18

Following the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, radiation effects on nonhuman biota in the contaminated areas have been a great concern. The induction of chromosomal aberrations in splenic lymphocytes of small Japanese field mice (Apodemus argenteus) and house mice (Mus musculus) inhabiting Fukushima Prefecture was investigated. In mice inhabiting the slightly contaminated area, the average frequency of dicentric chromosomes was similar to that seen in mice inhabiting a noncontaminated control area. In contrast, mice inhabiting the moderately and heavily contaminated areas showed a significant increase in the average frequencies of dicentric chromosomes. Total absorbed dose rate was estimated to be approximately 1 mGy d(-1) and 3 mGy d(-1) in the moderately and heavily contaminated areas, respectively. Chromosomal aberrations tended to roughly increase with dose rate. Although theoretically, the frequency of chromosomal aberrations was considered proportional to the absorbed dose, chromosomal aberrations in old mice (estimated median age 300 days) did not increase with radiation dose at the same rate as that observed in young mice (estimated median age 105 days).

Martian cratering 11. Utilizing decameter scale crater populations to study Martian history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartmann, W. K.; Daubar, I. J.

2017-03-01

New information has been obtained in recent years regarding formation rates and the production size-frequency distribution (PSFD) of decameter-scale primary Martian craters formed during recent orbiter missions. Here we compare the PSFD of the currently forming small primaries (P) with new data on the PSFD of the total small crater population that includes primaries and field secondaries (P + fS), which represents an average over longer time periods. The two data sets, if used in a combined manner, have extraordinary potential for clarifying not only the evolutionary history and resurfacing episodes of small Martian geological formations (as small as one or few km2) but also possible episodes of recent climatic change. In response to recent discussions of statistical methodologies, we point out that crater counts do not produce idealized statistics, and that inherent uncertainties limit improvements that can be made by more sophisticated statistical analyses. We propose three mutually supportive procedures for interpreting crater counts of small craters in this context. Applications of these procedures support suggestions that topographic features in upper meters of mid-latitude ice-rich areas date only from the last few periods of extreme Martian obliquity, and associated predicted climate excursions.

Small nonnative fishes as predators of larval razorback suckers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carpenter, J.; Mueller, G.A.

2008-01-01

The razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus), an endangered big-river fish of the Colorado River basin, has demonstrated no sustainable recruitment in 4 decades, despite presence of spawning adults and larvae. Lack of adequate recruitment has been attributed to several factors, including predation by nonnative fishes. Substantial funding and effort has been expended on mechanically removing nonnative game fishes, typically targeting large predators. As a result, abundance of larger predators has declined, but the abundance of small nonnative fishes has increased in some areas. We conducted laboratory experiments to determine if small nonnative fishes would consume larval razorback suckers. We tested adults of three small species (threadfin shad, Dorosoma petenense; red shiner, Cyprinella lutrensis; fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas) and juveniles of six larger species (common carp, Cyprinus carpio; yellow bullhead, Ameiurus natalis; channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus; rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss; green sunfish, Lepomis cyanellus; bluegill, L. macrochirus). These nonnative fishes span a broad ecological range and are abundant within the historical range of the razorback sucker. All nine species fed on larval razorback suckers (total length, 9-16 mm). Our results suggest that predation by small nonnative fishes could be responsible for limiting recovery of this endangered species.

48 CFR 52.219-29 - Notice of Total Set-Aside for Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... for Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) Concerns. 52.219-29 Section 52.219... Total Set-Aside for Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) Concerns. As... Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) Concerns (APR 2011) (a) Definitions. Economically disadvantaged...

Health assessment for William Dick Lagoons, Honeybrook, Pennsylvania, Region 3. CERCLIS No. PAD980537773. Preliminary report

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

Not Available

1988-09-30

The William Dick Lagoon site consists of three unlined lagoons (approximately 2.5 acres total area) which previously contained over four million gallons of rinse water from cleaning chemical tank trailers. In 1970, two of the lagoons breached and released approximately 300,000 gallons of wastewater into the nearby area and a small tributary. Trichloroethylene, toluene, 4,4-DDE, and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons have been reported in the soil on the site. Trichloroethylene was detected in a nearby spring, previously used as a water source by a small number of residents. Potential human exposure pathways include ingestion of contaminated water, dermal exposure to contaminatedmore » water and soil, and inhalation of contaminated dust and organics in the contaminated groundwater. The site is considered to be of potential public health concern because of the risk to human health caused by the possibility of exposure to hazardous substances. However, it does not appear that a human population is currently exposed to site contaminants at levels of health concern.« less

A Large Array of Small Antennas to Support Future NASA Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, D. L.; Weinreb, S.; Preston, R. A.

2001-01-01

A team of engineers and scientists at JPL is currently working on the design of an array of small radio antennas with a total collecting area up to twenty times that of the largest existing (70 m) DSN antennas. An array of this size would provide obvious advantages for high data rate telemetry reception and for spacecraft navigation. Among these advantages are an order-of-magnitude increase in sensitivity for telemetry downlink, flexible sub-arraying to track multiple spacecraft simultaneously, increased reliability through the use of large numbers of identical array elements, very accurate real-time angular spacecraft tracking, and a dramatic reduction in cost per unit area. NASA missions in many disciplines, including planetary science, would benefit from this increased DSN capability. The science return from planned missions could be increased, and opportunities for less expensive or completely new kinds of missions would be created. The DSN array would also bean immensely valuable instrument for radio astronomy. Indeed, it would be by far the most sensitive radio telescope in the world. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

The significance of a small, level-3 'semi evacuation' hospital in a terrorist attack in a nearby town.

PubMed

Pinkert, Moshe; Leiba, Adi; Zaltsman, Eilon; Erez, Onn; Blumenfeld, Amir; Avinoam, Shkolnick; Laor, Daniel; Schwartz, Dagan; Goldberg, Avishay; Levi, Yehezkel; Bar-Dayan, Yaron

2007-09-01

Terrorist attacks can occur in remote areas causing mass-casualty incidents MCIs far away from level-1 trauma centres. This study draws lessons from an MCI pertaining to the management of primary and secondary evacuation and the operational mode practiced. Data was collected from formal debriefings during and after the event, and the medical response, interactions and main outcomes analysed using Disastrous Incidents Systematic Analysis through Components, Interactions and Results (DISAST-CIR) methodology. A total of 112 people were evacuated from the scene-66 to the nearby level 3 Laniado hospital, including the eight critically and severely injured patients. Laniado hospital was instructed to act as an evacuation hospital but the flow of patients ended rapidly and it was decided to admit moderately injured victims. We introduce a novel concept of a 'semi-evacuation hospital'. This mode of operation should be selected for small-scale events in which the evacuation hospital has hospitalization capacity and is not geographically isolated. We suggest that level-3 hospitals in remote areas should be prepared and drilled to work in semi-evacuation mode during MCIs.

Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome following Small Bowel Obstruction

PubMed Central

Deb, Shoumitro; Law-Min, Richard; Fearnley, David

2002-01-01

We report a case of a 64-year-old lady who developed clinical features of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome following a laparotomy for small bowel obstruction. Following the operation she developed paralytic ileus and required total parenteral nutrition for one month. A suspected history of average 40 units of weekly alcohol consumption prior to the operation could not be confirmed and the patient did not show any sign of alcohol dependence. Within a few months of treatment with a daily oral dose of thiamine 200 mgs supplemented by multivitamins the patient showed subjective evidence of improvement in confusion, confabulation, and anterograde amnesia, although objective tests showed residual deficits in many areas of cognitive functioning, including immediate and delayed recall of verbal and non-verbal materials, planning and switching of attention. PMID:12446948

Some physicochemical properties of surface layer soils shelterbelts in agricultural landscape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaskulska, R.; Szajdak, L.

2009-04-01

Shelterbelts belong to very efficient biogeochemical barriers. They decrease the migration of chemical compounds between ecosystems. The investigations were carried out in the Chlapowski's Agroecological Park in Turew situated 40 km South-West of Poznań, Poland. This area is located on loamy soils, which contains 70% cultivated fields and 14% shelterbelts and small afforestations. The shelterbelts represent different ages and the content of plants as well as humus quantity in surface layer. The first one is 100-year-old shelterbelt, where predominant species is Crataegus monogyna Jacq., Quercus rober L., and Fraxinus excelsior (L.) and is characterized by a well-developed humus level. The other one is 14-year-old shelterbelt. It includes 13 species of trees and revealed a small amount of humus. The soil under both shelterbelts is mineral, grey-brown podzolic in surface layer compound from light loamy sands and weakly loamy sands. The soil samples were taken from surface layer (0-20 cm). pH 1N KCl, hydrolytic acidity, cation-exchange capacity, total proper area, total organic carbon and dissociation constants were determined in soils. The study showed that the soil under shelterbelts revealed acidic properties. It was observed that soils of 100-year-old shelterbelt characterizing lowest values pH = 4.2 revealed highest values of hydrolytic acidity equaled to 7.8 cmol(+)ṡkg-1. The physicochemical properties of investigated soils shoved specific surface areas (22.8 m2ṡg-1), cationic sorptive capacity (12.9 cmol(+)ṡkg-1). TOC (1.6%) 100-year-old shelterbelt was higher than in 14-year-old shelterbelt. The dissociation constants were determined by potentiometric titration. This investigation revealed that the pK value was the highest in the humus of 100-year-old shelterbelt (pKa = 3.1). However, soils of 14-year-old shelterbelt characterized by the lovest pK equaled to 2.8. The surface layer soils shelterbelts in agricultural landscape with good humus development are the most acidic of the soils studied. Most values of acidity, full specific surface areas and sorption capacity are specific to the surface layer of 100-year-old shelterbelt with the highest total organic carbon content. This work was supported by a grant No. 2295/B/P01/2008/35 founded by Polish Ministry of Education.

Design and Development of the Space Technology 5 (ST5) Solar Arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyons, John; Fatemi, Navid; Gamica, Robert; Sharma, Surya; Senft, Donna; Maybery, Clay

2005-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Space Technology 5 (ST5) is designed to flight-test the concept of miniaturized 'small size" satellites and innovative technologies in Earth's magnetosphere. Three satellites will map the intensity and direction of the magnetic fields within the inner magnetosphere. Due to the small area available for the solar arrays, and to meet the mission power requirements, very high-efficiency multijunction solar cells were selected to power the spacecraft built by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). This was done in partnership with the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) through the Dual-Use Science and Technology (DUS&T) program. Emcore's InGaP/lnGaAs/Ge Advanced triple-junction (ATJ) solar cells, exhibiting an average air mass zero (AMO) efficiency of 28.0% (one-sun, 28 C), were used to populate the arrays. Each spacecraft employs 8 identical solar panels (total area of about 0.3 square meters), with 15 large-area solar cells per panel. The requirement for power is to support on-orbit average load of 13.5 W at 8.4 V, with plus or minus 5% off pointing. The details of the solar array design, development and qualification considerations, as well as ground electrical performance & shadowing analysis results are presented.

Temporal Variations of Different Solar Activity Indices Through the Solar Cycles 21-23

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Göker, Ü. D.; Singh, J.; Nutku, F.; Priyal, M.

2017-12-01

Here, we compare the sunspot counts and the number of sunspot groups (SGs) with variations of total solar irradiance (TSI), magnetic activity, Ca II K-flux, faculae and plage areas. We applied a time series method for extracting the data over the descending phases of solar activity cycles (SACs) 21, 22 and 23, and the ascending phases 22 and 23. Our results suggest that there is a strong correlation between solar activity indices and the changes in small (A, B, C and H-modified Zurich Classification) and large (D, E and F) SGs. This somewhat unexpected finding suggests that plage regions substantially decreased in spite of the higher number of large SGs in SAC 23 while the Ca II K-flux did not decrease by a large amount nor was it comparable with SAC 22 and relates with C and DEF type SGs. In addition to this, the increase of facular areas which are influenced by large SGs, caused a small percentage decrease in TSI while the decrement of plage areas triggered a higher decrease in the magnetic field flux. Our results thus reveal the potential of such a detailed comparison of the SG analysis with solar activity indices for better understanding and predicting future trends in the SACs.

The management of small area burns and unexpected illness after burn in children under five years of age - A costing study in the English healthcare setting.

PubMed

Kandiyali, R; Sarginson, J H; Hollén, L I; Spickett-Jones, F; Young, A E R

2018-02-01

The objective of this economic study was to evaluate the resource use and cost associated with the management of small area burns, including the additional costs associated with unexpected illness after burn in children of less than five years of age. This study was conducted as a secondary analysis of a multi-centre prospective observational cohort study investigating the physiological response to burns in children. 452 children were included in the economic analysis (median age=1.60years, 61.3% boys, median total burn surface area [TBSA]=1.00%) with a mean length of stay of 0.69 days. Of these children, 21.5% re-presented to medical care with an unexpected illness within fourteen days of injury. The cost of managing a burn of less than 10% TBSA in a child less than five years of age was £785. The additional cost associated with the management of illness after burn was £1381. A generalised linear regression model was used to determine the association between an unexpected illness after burn, presenting child characteristics and NHS cost. Our findings may be of value to those planning economic evaluations of novel technologies in burn care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Water resources of part of Canyonlands National Park, southeastern Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sumsion, C.T.; Bloke, E.L.

1972-01-01

Canyonlands National Park is in about the center of the Canyon Lands section of the Colorado Plateaus physiographic province in southeastern Utah. The part of the park discussed embraces an area of about 400 square miles comprising isolated mesas, precipitous canyons, and dissected broad benches near the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers, the only perennial streams in the area. The climate is arid to semiarid; normal annual precipitation ranges from less than 8 to about 10 inches. Potential evapotranspiration is about 41 inches annually.Geology of the park is characterized by nearly horizontal strata that dip gently northward. Exposed rock formations and deposits range in age from Middle Pennsylvanian to Holocene. Owing to the elevated and deeply dissected topography, only parts of the Cedar Mesa and White Rim Sandstone Members of the Cutler Formation of Permian age have potential for development of wells. Strata above and below them support only small springs, are dry, or contain brine.In the northwest part of the park, the Green River at Taylor Canyon is a potential source of surface water for public supplies for the Island In The Sky area and a small part of the northwest White Rim area. It will require filtration and treatment before use. In the same area, two unused wells in Taylor Canyon will supply enough water for present requirements from the White Rim Sandstone Member of the Cutler Formation, about 140 gallons per minute combined, but yield mineralized water that will require treatment before use. Springs yielding good water at the Island In The Sky and White Rim are mostly intermittent and too small for public-water supply. Most of the White Rim area is dry, having no usable ground water. In The Needles area, wells provide water of good quality from the Cedar Mesa Sandstone Member of the Cutler Formation. Springs yielding good water in the same area are available for supplementary supplies. West of The Needles, The Grabens area is without springs or potential aquifers bearing usable water.During 1970 about 510,000 gallons of water was used in Canyonlands National Park. Of this amount, 110,000 gallons was supplied to Island In The Sky by tank truck from a source outside the park, and about 400,000 gallons was withdrawn from the well in use at The Needles. Estimated total annual requirements in 10 years (1980) may be as much as 6 million gallons. Sources of water supplies within the park now in use and potential sources of surface water or ground water outlined by this investigation will meet the estimated requirements. Development of rainfall-collection and cistern-storage systems could furnish small emergency sources of water for waterless areas on the White Rim and in The Grabens.

Small-area variation in screening for cancer, glucose and cholesterol in Ontario: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Fernandes, Kimberly A; Sutradhar, Rinku; Borkhoff, Cornelia M; Baxter, Nancy; Lofters, Aisha; Rabeneck, Linda; Tinmouth, Jill; Paszat, Lawrence

2015-01-01

Screening for cervical, breast and colon cancers, and elevations of cholesterol and glucose, reduces premature cause-specific mortality from these cancers and circulatory diseases. Despite primary care reforms and incentives, and promotion of cancer-screening programs among individuals, participation is suboptimal. We aimed to examine participation as of Dec. 31, 2011, by factors of deprivation, demographics and primary care at the small-area level. From health care administrative databases, we identified people eligible for each screening test, and their participation, in each dissemination area (referred to as small areas, n = 18 950) in Ontario. We calculated rates for each test among small areas (overall and stratified by demographic, socioeconomic and primary care descriptors) and stratified by sex for all tests combined. We loaded all data into a geographic information system. Funnel plots were generated showing the percentage of eligible people who completed screening for all tests by small area, stratified by sex. Overall and stratified screening prevalence ratios were calculated among small areas. Among small areas, the mean and SD for participation in all tests combined was 31.6% (SD 11.0%) for women and 41.2% (SD 12.0%) for men. Screening prevalence among small areas, for each test and for all tests combined, overall and stratified by sex, declined with decreasing percentage with high school completion, decreasing socioeconomic quintile, and decreasing percentage with an identifiable primary care physician. Our results show that the rate of participation in all eligible screening tests among small areas is much lower than the rate of participation in any one particular test. This finding has implications for the design and implementation of strategies to improve rates of screening.

48 CFR 1852.219-74 - Use of rural area small businesses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... businesses. 1852.219-74 Section 1852.219-74 Federal Acquisition Regulations System NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND... and Clauses 1852.219-74 Use of rural area small businesses. As prescribed in 1819.7103, insert the following clause: Use of Rural Area Small Business (SEP 1990) (a) Definitions. Rural area means any county...

The potential of small unmanned aircraft systems and structure-from-motion for topographic surveys: A test of emerging integrated approaches at Cwm Idwal, North Wales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tonkin, T. N.; Midgley, N. G.; Graham, D. J.; Labadz, J. C.

2014-12-01

Novel topographic survey methods that integrate both structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry and small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) are a rapidly evolving investigative technique. Due to the diverse range of survey configurations available and the infancy of these new methods, further research is required. Here, the accuracy, precision and potential applications of this approach are investigated. A total of 543 images of the Cwm Idwal moraine-mound complex were captured from a light (< 5 kg) semi-autonomous multi-rotor unmanned aircraft system using a consumer-grade 18 MP compact digital camera. The images were used to produce a DSM (digital surface model) of the moraines. The DSM is in good agreement with 7761 total station survey points providing a total vertical RMSE value of 0.517 m and vertical RMSE values as low as 0.200 m for less densely vegetated areas of the DSM. High-precision topographic data can be acquired rapidly using this technique with the resulting DSMs and orthorectified aerial imagery at sub-decimetre resolutions. Positional errors on the total station dataset, vegetation and steep terrain are identified as the causes of vertical disagreement. Whilst this aerial survey approach is advocated for use in a range of geomorphological settings, care must be taken to ensure that adequate ground control is applied to give a high degree of accuracy.

Total sugars in atmospheric aerosols: An alternative tracer for biomass burning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scaramboni, C.; Urban, R. C.; Lima-Souza, M.; Nogueira, R. F. P.; Cardoso, A. A.; Allen, A. G.; Campos, M. L. A. M.

2015-01-01

Ambient aerosols were collected in an agro-industrial region of São Paulo State (Brazil) between May 2010 and February 2012 (n = 87). The atmosphere of the study region is highly affected by the emissions of gases and particles from sugar and fuel ethanol production, because part of the area planted with sugarcane is still burned before manual harvesting. This work proposes the quantification of total sugars as an alternative chemical tracer of biomass burning, instead of levoglucosan. The quantification of total sugars requires a small area of a filter sample and a simple spectrophotometer, in contrast to the determination of levoglucosan, which is much more complex and time-consuming. Total sugars concentrations in the aerosol ranged from 0.28 to 12.5 μg m-3, and (similarly to levoglucosan) the emissions were significantly higher at night and during the sugarcane harvest period, when most agricultural fires occur. The linear correlation between levoglucosan and total sugars (r = 0.612) was stronger than between levoglucosan and potassium (r = 0.379), which has previously been used as a biomass burning tracer. In the study region, potassium is used in fertilizers, and this, together with substantial soil dust resuspension, makes potassium unsuitable for use as a tracer. On average, ca. 40% of the total sugars was found in particles smaller than 0.49 μm. By including data from previous work, it was possible to identify from 35 to 42% of the total sugars, with biomass burning making the largest contribution. The high solubility in water of these sugars means that determination of their concentrations could also provide important information concerning the hydrophilic properties of atmospheric aerosols.

Frequency-area distribution of earthquake-induced landslides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanyas, H.; Allstadt, K.; Westen, C. J. V.

2016-12-01

Discovering the physical explanations behind the power-law distribution of landslides can provide valuable information to quantify triggered landslide events and as a consequence to understand the relation between landslide causes and impacts in terms of environmental settings of landslide affected area. In previous studies, the probability of landslide size was utilized for this quantification and the developed parameter was called a landslide magnitude (mL). The frequency-area distributions (FADs) of several landslide inventories were modelled and theoretical curves were established to identify the mL for any landslide inventory. In the observed landslide inventories, a divergence from the power-law distribution was recognized for the small landslides, referred to as the rollover, and this feature was taken into account in the established model. However, these analyses are based on a relatively limited number of inventories, each with a different triggering mechanism. Existing definition of the mL include some subjectivity, since it is based on a visual comparison between the theoretical curves and the FAD of the medium and large landslides. Additionally, the existed definition of mL introduces uncertainty due to the ambiguity in both the physical explanation of the rollover and its functional form. Here we focus on earthquake-induced landslides (EQIL) and aim to provide a rigorous method to estimate the mL and total landslide area of EQIL. We have gathered 36 EQIL inventories from around the globe. Using these inventories, we have evaluated existing explanations of the rollover and proposed an alternative explanation given the new data. Next, we propose a method to define the EQIL FAD curves, mL and to estimate the total landslide area. We utilize the total landslide areas obtained from inventories to compare them with our estimations and to validate our methodology. The results show that we calculate landslide magnitudes more accurately than previous methods.

Radiocarbon determination of fossil and contemporary carbon contribution to aerosol in the Pacific Islands.

PubMed

Isley, C F; Nelson, P F; Taylor, M P; Williams, A A; Jacobsen, G E

2018-06-21

Combustion emissions are of growing concern across all Pacific Island Countries, which account for >10,000 km 2 of the earth's surface area; as for many other small island states globally. Apportioning emissions inputs for Suva, the largest Pacific Island city, will aid in development of emission reduction strategies. Total suspended particulate (TSP) and fine particulate (PM 2.5 ) samples were collected for Suva City, a residential area (Kinoya, TSP) and a mainly ocean-influenced site (Suva Point, TSP) from 2014 to 2015. Percentages of contemporary and fossil carbon were determined by radiocarbon analysis (accelerator mass spectrometry); for non‑carbonate carbon (NCC), elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC). Source contributions to particulate matter were identified and the accuracy of previous emissions inventory and source apportionment studies was evaluated. Suva Point NCC concentrations (2.7 ± 0.4 μg/m 3 ) were four times lower than for City (13 ± 2 μg/m 3 in TSP) and Kinoya (13 ± 1 μg/m 3 in TSP); demonstrating the contribution of land-based emissions activities in city and residential areas. In Suva City, total NCC in air was 81% (79%-83%) fossil carbon, from vehicles, shipping, power generation and industry; whilst in the residential area, 48% (46%-50%) of total NCC was contemporary carbon; reflecting the higher incidence of biomass and waste burning and of cooking activities. Secondary organic fossil carbon sources contributed >36% of NCC mass at the city and >29% at Kinoya; with biogenic carbon being Kinoya's most significant source (approx. 30% of NCC mass). These results support the previous source apportionment studies for the city area; yet show that, in line with emissions inventory studies, biomass combustion contributes more PM 2.5 mass in residential areas. Hence air quality management strategies need to target open burning activities as well as fossil fuel combustion. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Robust small area prediction for counts.

PubMed

Tzavidis, Nikos; Ranalli, M Giovanna; Salvati, Nicola; Dreassi, Emanuela; Chambers, Ray

2015-06-01

A new semiparametric approach to model-based small area prediction for counts is proposed and used for estimating the average number of visits to physicians for Health Districts in Central Italy. The proposed small area predictor can be viewed as an outlier robust alternative to the more commonly used empirical plug-in predictor that is based on a Poisson generalized linear mixed model with Gaussian random effects. Results from the real data application and from a simulation experiment confirm that the proposed small area predictor has good robustness properties and in some cases can be more efficient than alternative small area approaches. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Small scale water treatment practice and associated factors at Burie Zuria Woreda Rural Households, Northwest Ethiopia, 2015: cross sectional study.

PubMed

Belay, Hailegebriel; Dagnew, Zewdu; Abebe, Nurilign

2016-08-26

Consuming unsafe water results in infections that lead to illness or death from water borne diseases. Though there is an increasing effort from Ethiopian government to access safe water still there are households with limited access of safe water as a result, they depend on rain, well and spring water source for domestic use. However, the water treatment practice with the available technology is not studied before in the study area. This study was conducted in rural area where there was no improved water source for domestic consumption. Households' access water from rain, spring, river and well water which need some ways of action to make water safe for the intended utilization termed as treatment. Hence, the aim of this study was to assess magnitude of small scale water treatment practices and associated factors at household level in Burie zuria woreda, North West Ethiopia, 2015. Community based cross-sectional study design with multi-stage sampling technique was used to evaluate water treatment practice and associated factors among rural households in Burie Zuria Woreda. A total of 797 households included in the study. Completeness of questionnaires were checked daily and data were coded and entered into Epi-Data and transported to SPSS version 16 software package for further analysis. Binary and multivariable logistic regression models fit to identify associated factors at 95 % CI and P-value <0.05. A total of 797 out of 846 participants responded to a questionnaire with a response rate of 94.2 %. The mean age of respondents was 44.9(SD ±10.7) years. Among the total study participants, 357(44.8 %) of them were practicing small scale water treatment at household level. Methods of water treatment at household level were; chlorine, boiling and let stand and settle. Associated factors were female headed households practice water treatment than male headed households (AOR = 1.80, 95 % CI = 1.24-2.62), educational status of being literate was associated with water treatment than illiterates (AOR = 2.07, 95 % CI = 1.51-2.83), dipping of water was associated with water treatment practice than pouring from the water collection jar (AOR = 4.11, 95 % CI = 2.89-5.85) and those households more frequently fetch water were practicing water treatment than those fetch less frequently (AOR = 4.90, 95 % CI = 2.92-8.22) and (AOR = 3.76, 95 % CI = 1.97-7.18) respectively were found to be significantly associated with small scale water treatment practice at household level. Small scale water treatment at household level is still low in the study area. Females headed households, educated people, dipping from the jar and those who fetch water more than twice a day were significant factors for water treatment. Therefore females' practice should be maintained and scale up for male headed households. Those with no primary education need special emphasis to educate them on the importance of water treatment. Encourage education through non formal mechanisms for rural people are also recommended.

Characterization of the intragranular water regime within subsurface sediments: Pore volume, surface area, and mass transfer limitations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hay, M.B.; Stoliker, D.L.; Davis, J.A.; Zachara, J.M.

2011-01-01

Although "intragranular" pore space within grain aggregates, grain fractures, and mineral surface coatings may contain a relatively small fraction of the total porosity within a porous medium, it often contains a significant fraction of the reactive surface area, and can thus strongly affect the transport of sorbing solutes. In this work, we demonstrate a batch experiment procedure using tritiated water as a high-resolution diffusive tracer to characterize the intragranular pore space. The method was tested using uranium-contaminated sediments from the vadose and capillary fringe zones beneath the former 300A process ponds at the Hanford site (Washington). Sediments were contacted with tracers in artificial groundwater, followed by a replacement of bulk solution with tracer-free groundwater and the monitoring of tracer release. From these data, intragranular pore volumes were calculated and mass transfer rates were quantified using a multirate first-order mass transfer model. Tritium-hydrogen exchange on surface hydroxyls was accounted for by conducting additional tracer experiments on sediment that was vacuum dried after reaction. The complementary ("wet" and "dry") techniques allowed for the simultaneous determination of intragranular porosity and surface area using tritium. The Hanford 300A samples exhibited intragranular pore volumes of ???1% of the solid volume and intragranular surface areas of ???20%-35% of the total surface area. Analogous experiments using bromide ion as a tracer yielded very different results, suggesting very little penetration of bromide into the intragranular porosity. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.

Characterization of the intragranular water regime within subsurface sediments: pore volume, surface area, and mass transfer limitations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hay, Michael B.; Stoliker, Deborah L.; Davis, James A.; Zachara, John M.

2011-01-01

Although "intragranular" pore space within grain aggregates, grain fractures, and mineral surface coatings may contain a relatively small fraction of the total porosity within a porous medium, it often contains a significant fraction of the reactive surface area, and can thus strongly affect the transport of sorbing solutes. In this work, we demonstrate a batch experiment procedure using tritiated water as a high-resolution diffusive tracer to characterize the intragranular pore space. The method was tested using uranium-contaminated sediments from the vadose and capillary fringe zones beneath the former 300A process ponds at the Hanford site (Washington). Sediments were contacted with tracers in artificial groundwater, followed by a replacement of bulk solution with tracer-free groundwater and the monitoring of tracer release. From these data, intragranular pore volumes were calculated and mass transfer rates were quantified using a multirate first-order mass transfer model. Tritium-hydrogen exchange on surface hydroxyls was accounted for by conducting additional tracer experiments on sediment that was vacuum dried after reaction. The complementary ("wet" and "dry") techniques allowed for the simultaneous determination of intragranular porosity and surface area using tritium. The Hanford 300A samples exhibited intragranular pore volumes of ~1% of the solid volume and intragranular surface areas of ~20%–35% of the total surface area. Analogous experiments using bromide ion as a tracer yielded very different results, suggesting very little penetration of bromide into the intragranular porosity.

The Role of Small Impoundments on Flow Alteration Within River Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brogan, C. O.; Keys, T.; Scott, D.; Burgholzer, R.; Kleiner, J.

2017-12-01

Numerous water quality and quantity models have been established to illustrate the ecologic and hydrologic effects of large reservoirs. Smaller, unregulated ponds are often assumed to have a negligible impact on watershed flow regimes even though they overwhelmingly outnumber larger waterbodies. Individually, these small impoundments impart merely a fraction of the flow alteration larger reservoirs do; however, a network of ponds may act cumulatively to alter the flow regime. Many models have attempted to study smaller impoundments but rely on selectively available rating curves or bathymetry surveys. This study created a generalized process to model impoundments of varying size across a 58 square mile watershed exclusively using satellite imagery and publicly available information as inputs. With information drawn from public Army Corps of Engineers databases and LiDAR surveys, it was found that impoundment surface and drainage area served as useful explanatory variables, capable of predicting both pond bathymetry and outlet structure area across the 37 waterbodies modeled within the study area. Working within a flow routing model with inputs from the Chesapeake Bay HSPF model and verified with USGS gauge data, flow simulations were conducted with increasing number of impoundments to quantify how small ponds affect the overall flow regime. As the total impounded volume increased, simulations showed a notable reduction in both low and peak flows. Medium-sized floods increased as the network of ponds and reservoirs stabilized the catchment's streamflow. The results of this study illustrate the importance of including ponded waters into river corridor models to improve downstream management of both water quantity and quality.

12 CFR 195.22 - Lending test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... activities by considering a savings association's home mortgage, small business, small farm, and community... business, small farm, and consumer loans, if applicable, in the savings association's assessment area(s..., small business, small farm, and consumer loans, if applicable, based on the loan location, including: (i...

12 CFR 195.22 - Lending test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... activities by considering a savings association's home mortgage, small business, small farm, and community... business, small farm, and consumer loans, if applicable, in the savings association's assessment area(s..., small business, small farm, and consumer loans, if applicable, based on the loan location, including: (i...

Efficacy of enzymatic debridement of deeply burned hands.

PubMed

Krieger, Yuval; Bogdanov-Berezovsky, Alexander; Gurfinkel, Reuven; Silberstein, Eldad; Sagi, Amiram; Rosenberg, Lior

2012-02-01

The burned hand is a common and difficult to care-for entity in the field of burns. Due to the anatomy of the hand (important and delicate structures crowded in a small limited space without sub-dermal soft tissue), surgical debridement of the burned tissue is technically difficult and may cause considerable complications and, therefore, should be performed judiciously. Selective enzymatic debridement of the burn wound can preserve the spontaneous epithelialisation potential and reduce the added injury to the traumatised tissue added by a surgical debridement. The aim of the study was to assess the implication of a selective enzymatic compound (Debrase(®) - Ds) in the special field of deep hand burns, by comparing the actual burn area that required surgical coverage after enzymatic debridement to the burn area clinically judged to require skin grafting prior to debridement. This was a retrospective data collection and analysis from 154 complete files of prospective, open-label study in 275 hospitalised, Ds-treated burn patients. A total of 69 hand burns diagnosed as 'deep' was analysed; 36% of the wounds required surgical intervention after enzymatic debridement; 28.6% of the total burned area estimated initially as deep was covered by skin graft (statistically significant p<0.001). Debridement of deep-hand burns with a selective enzymatic agent decreased the perceived full-thickness wound area and skin-graft use. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Hydrologic conditions: Dade County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kohout, Francis Anthony; Klein, Howard; Sherwood, C.B.; Leach, Stanley D.

1964-01-01

Thin layers of dense limestone of low permeability that occur near the top of the Biscayne aquifer in the vicinity of the north end of Levee 30 in Dade County, Florida are of hydrologic importance because they retard the downward infiltration of ponded water in Conservation Area No. 3. This retarding effect frequently results in high head differentials across the levee. Tests made in a small area adjacent to Levee 30 indicate that the coefficient of transmissibility of the aquifer is 3,600,000 gpd (gallons per day) per foot, and the coefficient of vertical permeability of the dense limestones is 13 gpd per square foot. If ground-water flow beneath the levee is laminar, the total inflow to the Levee 30 Canal from Conservation Area No. 3 will be about 350 mgd (million gallons per day), or 540 cfs (cubic feet per second), per mile length of levee when the head difference across the levee is 10 feet.

DOLLY SODS WILDERNESS, WEST VIRGINIA.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Englund, Kenneth J.; Hill, James J.

1984-01-01

Coal, the principal mineral resource of the Dolly Sods Wilderness, West Virginia is in at least seven beds of low- to medium-volatile bituminous rank. Of these beds, four are of sufficient thickness, quality, and extent to contain demonstrated coal resources which are estimated to total about 15. 5 million short tons in areas of substantiated coal resource potential. A Small-scale development of the coal resources of the Dolly Sods Wilderness has been by several shallow adits which provided fuel for locomotives during early logging operations and by a one truck mine. All mine entries are now abandoned. Peat, shale, clay, and sandstone, occur in the area but because of remoteness of markets and inaccessability they are not classified as resources in this report. Natural gas may occur in rocks underlying the area, but because of a lack of subsurface information an estimate of resource potential has not been made. No evidence of metallic-mineral resources was found during this investigation.

Evaluation of the HARDMAN comparability methodology for manpower, personnel and training

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerman, W.; Butler, R.; Gray, V.; Rosenberg, L.

1984-01-01

The methodology evaluation and recommendation are part of an effort to improve Hardware versus Manpower (HARDMAN) methodology for projecting manpower, personnel, and training (MPT) to support new acquisition. Several different validity tests are employed to evaluate the methodology. The methodology conforms fairly well with both the MPT user needs and other accepted manpower modeling techniques. Audits of three completed HARDMAN applications reveal only a small number of potential problem areas compared to the total number of issues investigated. The reliability study results conform well with the problem areas uncovered through the audits. The results of the accuracy studies suggest that the manpower life-cycle cost component is only marginally sensitive to changes in other related cost variables. Even with some minor problems, the methodology seem sound and has good near term utility to the Army. Recommendations are provided to firm up the problem areas revealed through the evaluation.

Evaluation of terrain complexity by autocorrelation. [geomorphology and geobotany

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Craig, R. G.

1982-01-01

The topographic complexity of various sections of the Ozark, Appalachian, and Interior Low Plateaus, as well as of the New England, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Ouachita, and Valley and Ridge Provinces of the Eastern United States were characterized. The variability of autocorrelation within a small area (7 1/2-ft quadrangle) to the variability at widely separated and diverse areas within the same physiographic region was compared to measure the degree of uniformity of the processes which can be expected to be encountered within a given physiographic province. The variability of autocorrelation across the eight geomorphic regions was compared and contrasted. The total study area was partitioned into subareas homogeneous in terrain complexity. The relation between the complexity measured, the geomorphic process mix implied, and the way in which geobotanical information is modified into a more or less recognizable entity is demonstrated. Sampling strategy is described.

The total amounts of radioactively contaminated materials in forests in Fukushima, Japan

PubMed Central

Hashimoto, Shoji; Ugawa, Shin; Nanko, Kazuki; Shichi, Koji

2012-01-01

There has been leakage of radioactive materials from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. A heavily contaminated area (≥ 134, 137Cs 1000 kBq m−2) has been identified in the area northwest of the plant. The majority of the land in the contaminated area is forest. Here we report the amounts of biomass, litter (small organic matter on the surface of the soil), coarse woody litter, and soil in the contaminated forest area. The estimated overall volume and weight were 33 Mm3 (branches, leaves, litter, and coarse woody litter are not included) and 21 Tg (dry matter), respectively. Our results suggest that removing litter is an efficient method of decontamination. However, litter is being continuously decomposed, and contaminated leaves will continue to fall on the soil surface for several years; hence, the litter should be removed promptly but continuously before more radioactive elements are transferred into the soil. PMID:22639724

Franchise fees reexamined

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

Osteryoung, J.S.

The author examines franchise fees imposed by local governments and allocated by electric utilities to see if the fees are more equitably applied by the spread or direct method. Examples are drawn from Florida to illustrate how, under the spread method, customers living outside the franchise area contribute 60 percent of the allocated fees but have no control over how they are calculated or spent by the utility. Some cities use excess franchise fees to lower municipal taxes or to provide extra municipal services not available to those in the nonfranchise area. Also at issue is the value of themore » small amount of land used for utility right-of-way, which is of no value to the nonfranchise area customer. The author concludes that franchise fees imposed for the purpose of raising municipal revenues should be directly applied to only those customers living within the franchise area. Direct application of fees, by drawing the customer's attention to the total cost of utilities, could help to restrain future costs. (DCK)« less

iSocial: delivering the Social Competence Intervention for Adolescents (SCI-A) in a 3D virtual learning environment for youth with high functioning autism.

PubMed

Stichter, Janine P; Laffey, James; Galyen, Krista; Herzog, Melissa

2014-02-01

One consistent area of need for students with autism spectrum disorders is in the area of social competence. However, the increasing need to provide qualified teachers to deliver evidence-based practices in areas like social competence leave schools, such as those found in rural areas, in need of support. Distance education and in particular, 3D Virtual Learning, holds great promise for supporting schools and youth to gain social competence through knowledge and social practice in context. iSocial, a distance education, 3D virtual learning environment implemented the 31-lesson social competence intervention for adolescents across three small cohorts totaling 11 students over a period of 4 months. Results demonstrated that the social competence curriculum was delivered with fidelity in the 3D virtual learning environment. Moreover, learning outcomes suggest that the iSocial approach shows promise for social competence benefits for youth.

CuInSe2-Based Thin-Film Photovoltaic Technology in the Gigawatt Production Era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kushiya, Katsumi

2012-10-01

The objective of this paper is to review current status and future prospect on CuInSe2 (CIS)-based thin-film photovoltaic (PV) technology. In CIS-based thin-film PV technology, total-area cell efficiency in a small-area (i.e., smaller than 1 cm2) solar cell with top grids has been over 20%, while aperture-area efficiency in a large-area (i.e., larger than 800 cm2 as definition) monolithic module is approaching to an 18% milestone. However, most of the companies with CIS-based thin-film PV technology still stay at a production research stage, except Solar Frontier K.K. In July, 2011, Solar Frontier has joined the gigawatt (GW) group by starting up their third facility with a 0.9-GW/year production capacity. They are keeping the closest position to pass a 16% module-efficiency border by transferring the developed technologies in the R&D and accelerating the preparation for the future based on the concept of a product life-cycle management.

Phosphorus speciation, transformation, and preservation in the coastal area of Rushan Bay.

PubMed

Liu, Jun; Zang, Jiaye; Zhao, Chenying; Yu, Zhigang; Xu, Bochao; Li, Jingxi; Ran, Xiangbin

2016-09-15

Phosphorus (P) speciation, burial, and transformation are poorly constrained under low-oxygen conditions. Sequential chemical extraction techniques, in-situ incubation, and laboratory incubation were employed to explore P cycling in the low-oxygen area of coastal Rushan. The study determined that the total P concentrations in the coastal area of Rushan Bay were higher than those of other China shelf seas, and largely affected by anthropogenic activities. The phosphate (DRP) fluxes in the study area calculated using an incubation method (0-1960μmolm(-2)day(-)(1)) and measured based on pore water gradients (1.5-50.4μmolm(-2)day(-)(1)) were both highly correlated with oxygen conditions. Sediment incubations showed that DRP diffusion from the sediment mainly originates from Fe-P and Auth-P dissolution and that Org-P recycling contributed only a small portion of the total released P pool. The benthic phosphate flux can be 60 times higher under low bottom-water oxygen levels of 63-150μmolL(-1) than under oxygen levels exceeding 150μmolL(-1) in the study area. The P accumulation rates and burial efficiencies in this study area ranged from 16.5-33.3μmolcm(-2)year(-1) and 81.1-83.4%, respectively, and were regulated by the oxygen level and diffusive DRP flux. This study indicates that low oxygen levels between 63 and 150μmol significantly govern P transformation and preservation in the sediment and P pools in the water column. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Forward J / ψ production at high energy: Centrality dependence and mean transverse momentum

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

Ducloué, B.; Lappi, T.; Mäntysaari, H.

2016-10-21

Forward rapidity J/more » $$\\psi$$ meson production in proton-nucleus collisions can be an important constraint of descriptions of the small- x nuclear wave function. In an earlier work we studied this process using a dipole cross section satisfying the Balitsky-Kovchegov equation, fit to HERA inclusive data and consistently extrapolated to the nuclear case using a standard Woods-Saxon distribution. In this paper we present further calculations of these cross sections, studying the mean transverse momentum of the meson and the dependence on collision centrality. We also extend the calculation to backward rapidities using nuclear parton distribution functions. Here, we show that the parametrization is overall rather consistent with the available experimental data. However, there is a tendency towards a too strong centrality dependence. This can be traced back to the rather small transverse area occupied by small- x gluons in the nucleon that is seen in the HERA data, compared to the total inelastic nucleon-nucleon cross section.« less

Comparison of peak discharges among sites with and without valley fills for the July 8-9, 2001 flood in the headwaters of Clear Fork, Coal River basin, mountaintop coal-mining region, southern West Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wiley, Jeffrey B.; Brogan, Freddie D.

2003-01-01

The effects of mountaintop-removal mining practices on the peak discharges of streams were investigated in six small drainage basins within a 7-square-mile area in southern West Virginia. Two of the small basins had reclaimed valley fills, one basin had reclaimed and unreclaimed valley fills, and three basins did not have valley fills. Indirect measurements of peak discharge for the flood of July 8-9, 2001, were made at six sites on streams draining the small basins. The sites without valley fills had peak discharges with 10- to 25-year recurrence intervals, indicating that rainfall intensities and totals varied among the study basins. The flood-recurrence intervals for the three basins with valley fills were determined as though the peak discharges were those from rural streams without the influence of valley fills, and ranged from less than 2 years to more than 100 years.

12 CFR 228.22 - Lending test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... assessment area(s) through its lending activities by considering a bank's home mortgage, small business... and amount of the bank's home mortgage, small business, small farm, and consumer loans, if applicable... bank's home mortgage, small business, small farm, and consumer loans, if applicable, based on the loan...

76 FR 62806 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Announcement of Board Approval Under Delegated...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-11

.... Reporting Requirements, assessment area delineation, 2 hours; small business and small farm loan data, 8.... Reporting Requirements, assessment area delineation, 72; small business and small farm loan data, 72... 62807

Prostate-specific antigen velocity is not better than total prostate-specific antigen in predicting prostate biopsy diagnosis.

PubMed

Gorday, William; Sadrzadeh, Hossein; de Koning, Lawrence; Naugler, Christopher T

2015-12-01

1.) Identify whether prostate-specific antigen velocity improves the ability to predict prostate biopsy diagnosis. 2.) Test whether there is an increase in the predictive capability of models when Gleason 7 prostate cancers are separated into a 3+4 and a 4+3 group. Calgary Laboratory Services' Clinical Laboratory Information System was searched for prostate biopsies reported between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2013. Total prostate-specific antigen tests were recorded for each patient from January 1, 2007 to the most recent test before their recorded prostate biopsy. The data set was divided into the following three groups for comparison; benign, all prostate cancer and Gleason 7-10. The Gleason grade 7-10 group was further divided into 4+3 and 3+4 Gleason 7 prostate cancers. Prostate-specific antigen velocity was calculated using four different methods found in the literature. Receiver operator curves were used to assess operational characteristics of the tests. 4622 men between the ages of 40-89 with a prostate biopsy were included for analysis. Combining prostate-specific antigen velocity with total prostate-specific antigen (AUC=0.570-0.712) resulted in small non-statistically significant changes to the area under the curve compared to the area under the curve of total prostate-specific antigen alone (AUC=0.572-0.699). There were marked increases in the area under curves when 3+4 and 4+3 Gleason 7 cancers were separated. Prostate-specific antigen velocity does not add predictive value for prostate biopsy diagnosis. The clinical significance of the prostate specific antigen test can be improved by separating Gleason 7 prostate cancers into a 3+4 and 4+3 group. Copyright © 2015 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Importance of benthic prey for fishes in coral reef-associated sediments

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeFelice, R.C.; Parrish, J.D.

2003-01-01

The importance of open, sandy substrate adjacent to coral reefs as habitat and a food source for fishes has been little studied in most shallow tropical waters in the Pacific, including Hawai'i. In this study, in Hanalei Bay, Hiwai'i, we identified and quantified the major invertebrate fauna (larger than 0.5 mm) in the well-characterized sands adjoining the shallow fringing reefs. Concurrently, we identified the fish species that seemed to make substantial use of these sand habitats, estimated their density there, sampled their gut contents to examine trophic links with the sand habitat, and made other observations and collections to determine the times, locations, and types of activity there. A variety of (mostly small) polychaeres were dominant in the sediments at most sampling stations, along with many small crustaceans (e.g., amphipods, isopods, ostracods, and small shrimps) and fair numbers of mollusks (especially bivalves) and small echinoids. Fish guts examined contained ???77% of the total number of benthic taxa collected, including nearly all those just listed. However, fish consumption was selective, and the larger shrimps, crabs, and small cryptic fishes were dominant in the diets of most of the numerous predator taxa. Diets of benthic-feeding fishes showed relatively low specific overlap. The fish fauna in this area included substrate-indifferent pelagics, species with various degrees of reef relatedness, reef-restricted species, and (at the other extreme) permanent cryptic sand dwellers. Data on occurrence and movements of fishes indicated that a band of sandy substrate several tens of meters wide next to the reef was an active area for fishes, and activity was considerably different at different times of day and for fish of different ages. These results imply an important trophic role for the benthos in these near-reef habitats in support of reef-associated fishes.

Improved satisfaction of preoperative patients after group video-teaching during interview at preanesthetic evaluation clinic: the experience of a medical center in Taiwan.

PubMed

Yang, Ya-Ling; Wang, Kuan-Jen; Chen, Wei-Hao; Chuang, Kuan-Chih; Tseng, Chia-Chih; Liu, Chien-Cheng

2007-09-01

Anesthesiologist-directed anesthetic preoperative evaluation clinic (APEC) is used to prepare patients to receive anesthesia for surgery. Studies have shown that APEC can reduce preoperative tests, consultations, surgery delays and cancellations. APEC with video-teaching has been purposed as a medium to provide comprehensive information about the process of anesthesia but it has not been practiced in small groups of patients. It is rational to assume that video-teaching in a small group patients can provide better information to patients to understand the process of anesthesia and in turn improve their satisfaction in anesthesia practice. This study was designed to evaluate the difference of satisfaction between patients who joined in small group video-teaching at APEC and patients who paid a traditional preoperative visit in the waiting area, using questionnaire for evaluation. Totally, 237 eligible patients were included in the study in a space of two months. Patients were divided in two groups; 145 patients joined the small group video-teaching designated as study group and 92 patients who were paid traditional preoperative visit at the waiting area served as control. All patients were requested to fill a special questionnaire after postoperative visit entrusted to two non-medical persons. There were significantly higher scores of satisfaction in anesthesia inclusive of waiting time for surgery in the operation room, attitude towards anesthetic staffs during postoperative visit and management of complications in patients who were offered small group video-teaching in comparison with patients of traditional preoperative visit. The results indicated that APEC with group video-teaching could not only make patients more satisfied with process of anesthesia in elective surgery but also reduce the expenditure of hospitalization and anesthetic manpower.

48 CFR 1819.7102 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS NASA Rural Area Small Business Plan 1819.7102 General. Pursuant to Public Law 100-590, NASA established a Rural Area Business Enterprise Development Plan, including methods for encouraging prime and subcontractors to use small business concerns located in rural areas as...

Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989-2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paulson, Anthony J.; Keys, Morgan E.; Scholting, Kelly L.

2010-01-01

Historical records of mercury contamination in dated sediment cores from Sinclair Inlet are coincidental with activities at the U.S. Navy Puget Sound Naval Shipyard; peak total mercury concentrations occurred around World War II. After World War II, better metallurgical management practices and environmental regulations reduced mercury contamination, but total mercury concentrations in surface sediment of Sinclair Inlet have decreased slowly because of the low rate of sedimentation relative to the vertical mixing within sediment. The slopes of linear regressions between the total mercury and total organic carbon concentrations of sediment offshore of Puget Sound urban areas was the best indicator of general mercury contamination above pre-industrial levels. Prior to the 2000-01 remediation, this indicator placed Sinclair Inlet in the tier of estuaries with the highest level of mercury contamination, along with Bellingham Bay in northern Puget Sound and Elliott Bay near Seattle. This indicator also suggests that the 2000/2001 remediation dredging had significant positive effect on Sinclair Inlet as a whole. In 2007, about 80 percent of the area of the Bremerton naval complex had sediment total mercury concentrations within about 0.5 milligrams per kilogram of the Sinclair Inlet regression. Three areas adjacent to the waterfront of the Bremerton naval complex have total mercury concentrations above this range and indicate a possible terrestrial source from waterfront areas of Bremerton naval complex. Total mercury concentrations in unfiltered Sinclair Inlet marine waters are about three times higher than those of central Puget Sound, but the small numbers of samples and complex physical and geochemical processes make it difficult to interpret the geographical distribution of mercury in marine waters from Sinclair Inlet. Total mercury concentrations in various biota species were compared among geographical locations and included data of composite samples, individual specimens, and caged mussels. Total mercury concentrations in muscle and liver of English sole from Sinclair Inlet ranked in the upper quarter and third, respectively, of Puget Sound locations. For other species, concentrations from Sinclair Inlet were within the mid-range of locations (for example, Chinook salmon). Total mercury concentrations of the long-lived and higher trophic rockfish in composites and individual specimens from Sinclair Inlet tended to be the highest in Puget Sound. For a given size, sand sole, graceful crab, staghorn sculpin, surf perch, and sea cucumber individuals collected from Sinclair Inlet had higher total mercury concentrations than individuals collected from non-urban estuaries. Total mercury concentrations in individual English sole and ratfish were not significantly different than in individuals of various sizes collected from either urban or non-urban estuaries in Puget Sound. Total mercury concentrations in English sole collected from Sinclair Inlet after the 2000-2001 dredging appear to have lower total mercury concentrations than those collected before (1996) the dredging project. The highest total mercury concentrations of mussels caged in 2002 were not within the Bremerton naval complex, but within the Port Orchard Marina and inner Sinclair Inlet.

Soil aggregate mediates the impacts of land uses on organic carbon, total nitrogen, and microbial activity in a Karst ecosystem

PubMed Central

Xiao, Shuangshuang; Zhang, Wei; Ye, Yingying; Zhao, Jie; Wang, Kelin

2017-01-01

Understanding the effect of land use on soil carbon, nitrogen, and microbial activity associated with aggregates is critical for thorough comprehension of the C and N dynamics of karst landscapes/ecosystems. We monitored soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and Cmic: Corg ratio in large macro- (>2 mm), small macro- (0.25–2 mm), and micro- (0.053–0.25 mm) aggregates to determine the changes in soil properties under different land uses in the karst area of Southwest China. Five common land-use types—enclosure land (natural system, control), prescribed-burning land, fuel-wood shrubland, pasture and maize fields—were selected. Results showed that pasture and maize fields remarkably decreased the SOC and TN concentrations in aggregates. Conversion of natural system to other land uses decreased MBC (except for prescribed-burning) and increased Cmic: Corg ratios in aggregates. The extent of the response to land uses of SOC and TN concentrations was similar whereas that of MBC and Cmic: Corg ratios differed across the three aggregate sizes. Further, the SOC concentrations were significantly higher in macro-aggregates than micro-aggregates; the MBC and Cmic: Corg ratios were highest in small macro-aggregates. Therefore, small macro-aggregates might have more active C dynamics. PMID:28211507

Ecosystem service value assessment in temporal and spatial scales in Dalian, China: implications for urban development policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xin, Z.; Chen, X.; Fu, G.; Li, C.

2017-12-01

Landscapes differ in their capacities to provide ecosystem good and services, which are the benefits humans obtain from nature. Valuation of ecosystem services is recognized as one effective way for improving the recognition and implementation for disposition of land resource and ecosystem protection. In this content, this study aims to reveal the changes in provision of ecosystem services induced by land use changes in both temporal and spatial scales in Dalian, China. Land use changes were firstly characterized based on Landsat TM images from 1984 to 2013. Results showed a severe increase in urban area, with an average increasing rate of 39.5%. Dry land occupied the largest portion of the total area which is mainly developed on the expenses of forest loss; meanwhile, policies of water-saving irrigation has promoted a conversion of paddy fields to dry land. Other categories including water, wetland, brush grass and salting were found to have relative small contrition to the total area. Assigning ecosystem service value (ESV) coefficient to each land use category, changes in ESV of the study area were assessed. Results indicated that the total ESV decreased by 21 billion from 1984 to 2013. Forest, dry land and water are the primary contributors. As for ecosystem functions, the regulation service is the most prominent which contributed to 60% of the total ESV, followed by support, supply and culture services. In addition, ESV changes were found to have a spatial variability, which shows a maximum decreasing rate in the central city, and a highest net value in the surrounding islands. The changes and distributions in land use pattern and ESV were further linked with the local city landscape planning, which has provided implications on city landscape policy making for sustaining the provision of ecosystem services and achieving sustainable development goals.

Seroepidemiological survey on Rift Valley fever among small ruminants and their close human contacts in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, in 2011.

PubMed

Mohamed, A M; Ashshi, A M; Asghar, A H; Abd El-Rahim, I H A; El-Shemi, A G; Zafar, T

2014-12-01

This study describes a seroepidemiological survey on Rift Valley fever (RVF) among small ruminants and their close human contacts in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. A total of 500 small ruminants (126 local, 374 imported) were randomly selected from the sacrifice livestock yards of Al-Kaakiah slaughterhouse, in the holy city of Makkah, during the pilgrimage season 1432 H (4-9 November 2011). In addition, blood samples were collected from 100 local workers in close contact with the animals at the slaughterhouse. An RVF competition multi-species enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detecting anti-RVF virus immunoglobulin G (IgG)/ immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies and an RVF IgM-specific ELISA were used for serological investigations. In total, 84 (16.8%) of the 500 sacrificial sheep and goats tested seropositive in the competition ELISA but no IgM antibodies were detected in the IgM-specific assay. All seropositive samples, comprising 17.91% of the imported animals and 13.49% of the local ones, were therefore designated positive for anti-RVF virus IgG antibody. Among the local personnel working in close contact with the animals, 9% tested seropositive in the RVF competition ELISA. The study indicates that two factors may increase the likelihood of an RVF outbreak among sacrificial animals and pilgrims: i) the large-scale importation of small ruminants into Saudi Arabia from the Horn of Africa shortly before the pilgrimage season, and ii) the movement of animals within Saudi Arabia, from the RVF-endemic south-western area (Jizan region) to the Makkah region, particularly in the few weeks before the pilgrimage season. From these findings, it is recommended that i) all regulations concerning the import of animals into Saudi Arabia from Africa should be rigorously applied, particularly the RVF vaccination of all ruminants destined for export at least two weeks before exportation, and ii) the movement of animals from the RVF-endemic south-western area (Jizan region) of Saudi Arabia to the Makkah region should be strictly prohibited.

Exploring factors controlling the variability of pesticide concentrations in the Willamette River Basin using tree-based models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Qian, S.S.; Anderson, Chauncey W.

1999-01-01

We analyzed available concentration data of five commonly used herbicides and three pesticides collected from small streams in the Willamette River Basin in Oregon to identify factors that affect the variation of their concentrations in the area. The emphasis of this paper is the innovative use of classification and regression tree models for exploratory data analysis as well as analyzing data with a substantial amount of left-censored values. Among variables included in this analysis, land-use pattern in the watershed is the most important for all but one (simazine) of the eight pesticides studied, followed by geographic location, intensity of agriculture activities in the watershed (represented by nutrient concentrations in the stream), and the size of the watershed. The significant difference between urban sites and agriculture sites is the variability of stream concentrations. While all 16 nonurban watersheds have significantly higher variation than urban sites, the same is not necessarily true for the mean concentrations. Seasonal variation accounts for only a small fraction of the total variance in all eight pesticides.We analyzed available concentration data of five commonly used herbicides and three pesticides collected from small streams in the Willamette River Basin in Oregon to identify factors that affect the variation of their concentrations in the area. The emphasis of this paper is the innovative use of classification and regression tree models for exploratory data analysis as well as analyzing data with a substantial amount of left-censored values. Among variables included in this analysis, land-use pattern in the watershed is the most important for all but one (simazine) of the eight pesticides studied, followed by geographic location, intensity of agriculture activities in the watershed (represented by nutrient concentrations in the stream), and the size of the watershed. The significant difference between urban sites and agriculture sites is the variability of stream concentrations. While all 16 nonurban watersheds have significantly higher variation than urban sites, the same is not necessarily true for the mean concentrations. Seasonal variation accounts for only a small fraction of the total variance in all eight pesticides.

Identifying food deserts and swamps based on relative healthy food access: a spatio-temporal Bayesian approach.

PubMed

Luan, Hui; Law, Jane; Quick, Matthew

2015-12-30

Obesity and other adverse health outcomes are influenced by individual- and neighbourhood-scale risk factors, including the food environment. At the small-area scale, past research has analysed spatial patterns of food environments for one time period, overlooking how food environments change over time. Further, past research has infrequently analysed relative healthy food access (RHFA), a measure that is more representative of food purchasing and consumption behaviours than absolute outlet density. This research applies a Bayesian hierarchical model to analyse the spatio-temporal patterns of RHFA in the Region of Waterloo, Canada, from 2011 to 2014 at the small-area level. RHFA is calculated as the proportion of healthy food outlets (healthy outlets/healthy + unhealthy outlets) within 4-km from each small-area. This model measures spatial autocorrelation of RHFA, temporal trend of RHFA for the study region, and spatio-temporal trends of RHFA for small-areas. For the study region, a significant decreasing trend in RHFA is observed (-0.024), suggesting that food swamps have become more prevalent during the study period. For small-areas, significant decreasing temporal trends in RHFA were observed for all small-areas. Specific small-areas located in south Waterloo, north Kitchener, and southeast Cambridge exhibited the steepest decreasing spatio-temporal trends and are classified as spatio-temporal food swamps. This research demonstrates a Bayesian spatio-temporal modelling approach to analyse RHFA at the small-area scale. Results suggest that food swamps are more prevalent than food deserts in the Region of Waterloo. Analysing spatio-temporal trends of RHFA improves understanding of local food environment, highlighting specific small-areas where policies should be targeted to increase RHFA and reduce risk factors of adverse health outcomes such as obesity.

Examining geographic patterns of mortality: the atlas of mortality in small areas in Spain (1987-1995).

PubMed

Benach, Joan; Yasui, Yutaka; Borrell, Carme; Rosa, Elisabeth; Pasarín, M Isabel; Benach, Núria; Español, Esther; Martínez, José Miguel; Daponte, Antonio

2003-06-01

Small-area mortality atlases have been demonstrated to be a useful tool for both showing general geographical patterns in mortality data and identifying specific high-risk locations. In Spain no study has so far systematically examined geographic patterns of small-area mortality for the main causes of death. This paper presents the main features, contents and potential uses of the Spanish Atlas of Mortality in small areas (1987-1995). Population data for 2,218 small areas were drawn from the 1991 Census. Aggregated mortality data for 14 specific causes of death for the period 1987-1995 were obtained for each small area. Empirical Bayes-model-based estimates of age-adjusted relative risk were displayed in small-area maps for each cause/gender/age group (0-64 or 65 and over) combination using the same range of values (i.e. septiles) and colour schemes. The 'Spanish Atlas of Mortality' includes multiple choropleth (area-shaded) small-area maps and graphs to answer different questions about the data. The atlas is divided into three main sections. Section 1 includes the methods and comments on the main maps. Section 2 presents a two-page layout for each leading cause of death by gender including 1) a large map with relative risk estimates, 2) a map that indicates high- and low-risk small areas, 3) a graph with median and interquartile range of relative risk estimates for 17 large regions of Spain, and 4) relative-risk maps for two age groups. Section 3 provides specific information on the geographical units of analysis, statistical methods and other supplemental maps. The 'Spanish Atlas of Mortality' is a useful tool for examining geographical patterns of mortality risk and identifying specific high-risk areas. Mortality patterns displayed in the atlas may have important implications for research and social/health policy planning purposes.

Enumeration of prairie wetlands with Landsat and aircraft data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilmer, D. S.; Work, E. A., Jr.; Colwell, J. E.; Rebel, D. L.

1980-01-01

A method is described for estimating wetland abundance in the 700,000 sq km prairie pothole region of North America. A double sampling procedure is described, incorporating the use of high resolution aircraft imagery, capable of delineating ponds as small as 5 m across, as a means of adjusting the count of surface water features derived from the low-resolution Landsat census over a 38,876 sq km area in east-central North Dakota. The regression expansion formula used to estimate the actual number of total wetlands is also presented.

Non-Hardware ("Soft") Cost-Reduction Roadmap for Residential and Small Commercial Solar Photovoltaics, 2013-2020

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

Ardani, K.; Seif, D.; Margolis, R.

2013-08-01

The objective of this analysis is to roadmap the cost reductions and innovations necessary to achieve the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) SunShot Initiative's total soft-cost targets by 2020. The roadmap focuses on advances in four soft-cost areas: (1) customer acquisition; (2) permitting, inspection, and interconnection (PII); (3) installation labor; and (4) financing. Financing cost reductions are in terms of the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) for financing PV system installations, with real-percent targets of 3.0% (residential) and 3.4% (commercial).

Flood of August 31-September 1, 1978, in Crosswicks Creek basin and vicinity, central New Jersey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vickers, Arthur A.

1980-01-01

A thunderstorm during the evening of August 31, 1978, caused flooding in a small area of south central New Jersey. Maximum peaks of record occurred on the upper Crosswicks Creek basin in the vicinity of Fort Dix, Wrightstown, and New Egypt. At New Egypt, high water crest elevations for Crosswicks Creek were approximately 4 feet higher than the previous maximum recorded on August 28, 1971. Total damages were in excess of 2 million dollars, with 70 houses and 14 businesses affected.

Quantum dimer model for the pseudogap metal

PubMed Central

Punk, Matthias; Allais, Andrea; Sachdev, Subir

2015-01-01

We propose a quantum dimer model for the metallic state of the hole-doped cuprates at low hole density, p. The Hilbert space is spanned by spinless, neutral, bosonic dimers and spin S=1/2, charge +e fermionic dimers. The model realizes a “fractionalized Fermi liquid” with no symmetry breaking and small hole pocket Fermi surfaces enclosing a total area determined by p. Exact diagonalization, on lattices of sizes up to 8×8, shows anisotropic quasiparticle residue around the pocket Fermi surfaces. We discuss the relationship to experiments. PMID:26195771

Water quality in the lower Puyallup River valley and adjacent uplands, Pierce County, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ebbert, J.C.; Bortleson, Gilbert C.; Fuste, L.A.; Prych, E.A.

1987-01-01

The quality of most ground and surface water within and adjacent to the lower Puyallup River valley is suitable for most typical uses; however, some degradation of shallow groundwater quality has occurred. High concentrations of iron and manganese were found in groundwater, sampled at depths of < 40 ft, from wells tapping alluvial aquifers and in a few wells tapping deeper aquifers. Volatile and acid- and base/neutral-extractable organic compounds were not detected in either shallow or deep groundwater samples. The quality of shallow groundwater was generally poorer than that of deep water. Deep ground water (wells set below 100 ft) appears suitable as a supplementary water supply for fish-hatchery needs. Some degradation of water quality, was observed downstream from river mile 1.7 where a municipal wastewater-treatment plant discharges into the river. In the Puyallup River, the highest concentrations of most trace elements were found in bed sediments collected downstream from river mile 1.7. Median concentrations of arsenic, lead, and zinc were higher in bed sediments from small streams compared with those from the Puyallup River, possibly because the small stream drainages, which are almost entirely within developed areas, receive more urban runoff as a percentage of total flow. Total-recoverable trace-element concentrations exceeded water-quality criteria for acute toxicity in the Puyallup River and in some of the small streams. In most cases, high concentrations of total-recoverable trace elements occurred when suspended-sediment concentrations were high. Temperatures in all streams except Wapato Creek and Fife Dutch were within limits (18 C) for Washington State class A water. Minimum dissolved oxygen concentrations were relatively low at 5.6 and 2.0 mg/L, respectively, for Wapato Creek and Fife Dutch. The poorest surface-water quality, which can be characterized as generally unsuitable for fish, was in Fife Dutch, a manmade channel and therefore uncharacteristic of other small streams. (Author 's abstract)

Selenium and sulfur relationships in alfalfa and soil under field conditions, San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Severson, R.C.; Gough, L.P.

1992-01-01

Relationships between total Se and S or soluble SeO4 and SO4 in soils and tissue concentrations in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), under field conditions in the San Joaquin Valley of California, suggest that the rate of accumulation of Se in alfalfa may be reduced in areas where high Se and S concentrations in soils were measured. These data suggest that the balance between carbonate and sulfate minerals in soil may have a greater influence on uptake of Se by alfalfa than does the balance of SeO4 and SO4 in soil solution. Soil and alfalfa were sampled from areas representing a wide range in soil Se and S concentrations. Specific sampling locations were selected based on a previous study of Se, S, and other elements where 721 soil samples were collected to map landscape variability and distribution of elements. Six multiple-linear regression equations were developed between total and/or soluble soil chemical constituents and tissue concentrations of Se in alfalfa. We chose a regression model that accounted for 72% of the variability in alfalfa Se concentrations based on an association of elements in soil (total C, S, Se, and Sr) determined by factor analysis. To prepare a map showing the spatial distribution of estimated alfalfa Se concentrations, the model was applied to the data from the previously collected 721 soil samples. Estimated alfalfa Se concentrations in most of the study area were within a range that is predicted to produce alfalfa with neither Se deficiency nor toxicity when consumed by livestock. A few small areas are predicted to produce alfalfa that potentially would not meet minimum dietary needs of livestock.

48 CFR 852.219-10 - VA Notice of total service-disabled veteran-owned small business set-aside.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...-disabled veteran-owned small business set-aside. 852.219-10 Section 852.219-10 Federal Acquisition... CLAUSES Texts of Provisions and Clauses 852.219-10 VA Notice of total service-disabled veteran-owned small...-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside (DEC 2009) (a) Definition. For the Department of Veterans...

48 CFR 852.219-10 - VA Notice of total service-disabled veteran-owned small business set-aside.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...-disabled veteran-owned small business set-aside. 852.219-10 Section 852.219-10 Federal Acquisition... CLAUSES Texts of Provisions and Clauses 852.219-10 VA Notice of total service-disabled veteran-owned small...-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside (DEC 2009) (a) Definition. For the Department of Veterans...

48 CFR 852.219-10 - VA Notice of total service-disabled veteran-owned small business set-aside.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...-disabled veteran-owned small business set-aside. 852.219-10 Section 852.219-10 Federal Acquisition... CLAUSES Texts of Provisions and Clauses 852.219-10 VA Notice of total service-disabled veteran-owned small...-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside (DEC 2009) (a) Definition. For the Department of Veterans...

48 CFR 852.219-10 - VA Notice of total service-disabled veteran-owned small business set-aside.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...-disabled veteran-owned small business set-aside. 852.219-10 Section 852.219-10 Federal Acquisition... CLAUSES Texts of Provisions and Clauses 852.219-10 VA Notice of total service-disabled veteran-owned small...-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside (DEC 2009) (a) Definition. For the Department of Veterans...

48 CFR 852.219-10 - VA Notice of total service-disabled veteran-owned small business set-aside.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...-disabled veteran-owned small business set-aside. 852.219-10 Section 852.219-10 Federal Acquisition... CLAUSES Texts of Provisions and Clauses 852.219-10 VA Notice of total service-disabled veteran-owned small...-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside (DEC 2009) (a) Definition. For the Department of Veterans...

Geophysical methods for locating abandoned wells

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frischknecht, Frank C.; Muth, L.; Grette, R.; Buckley, T.; Kornegay, B.

1983-01-01

A preliminary study of the feasibility of using geophysical exploration methods to locate abandoned wells containing steel casing indicated that magnetic methods promise to be effective and that some electrical techniques might be useful as auxiliary methods. Ground magnetic measurements made in the vicinity of several known cased wells yielded total field anomalies with peak values ranging from about 1,500 to 6,000 gammas. The anomalies measured on the ground are very narrow and, considering noise due to other cultural and geologic sources, a line spacing on the order of 50 feet (15.2 m) would be necessary to locate all casings in the test area. The mathematical model used to represent a casing was a set of magnetic pole pairs. By use of a non-linear least squares curve fitting (inversion) program, model parameters which characterize each test casing were determined. The position and strength of the uppermost pole was usually well resolved. The parameters of lower poles were not as well resolved but it appears that the results are adequate for predicting the anomalies which would be observed at aircraft altitudes. Modeling based on the parameters determined from the ground data indicates that all of the test casings could be detected by airborne measurements made at heights of 150 to 200 feet (45.7-61.0 m) above the ground, provided lines spaced as closely as 330 feet (100 m) were used and provided noise due to other cultural and geologic sources is not very large. Given the noise levels of currently available equipment and assuming very low magnetic gradients due to geologic sources, the detection range for total field measurements is greater than that for measurements of the horizontal or vertical gradient of the total intensity. Electrical self-potential anomalies were found to be associated with most of the casings where measurements were made. However, the anomalies tend to be very narrow and, in several cases, they are comparable in magnitude to other small anomalies which are not directly associated with casings. Measurements made with a terrain conductivity meter and slingram system were negative. However, from other work it is known that electrical resistivity and induced polarization measurements can be influenced significantly by the presence of a casing. It is concluded that detailed ground magnetic surveys would be effective in locating casings within relatively small areas. It would be very costly to cover large areas with ground surveys but it appears that airborne surveys may be a cost-effective means of locating wells when the search area is on the order of a few square miles or more. Also, airborne methods could be used in some areas where access to the area on the ground is difficult or impossible.

[Impact of small-area context on health: proposing a conceptual model].

PubMed

Voigtländer, S; Mielck, A; Razum, O

2012-11-01

Recent empirical studies stress the impact of features related to the small-area context on individual health. However, so far there exists no standard explanatory model that integrates the different kinds of such features and that conceptualises their relation to individual characteristics of social inequality. A review of theoretical publications on the relationship between social position and health as well as existing conceptual models for the impact of features related to the small-area context on health was undertaken. In the present article we propose a conceptual model for the health impact of the small-area context. This model conceptualises the location of residence as one dimension of social inequality that affects health through the resources as well as stressors which are inherent in the small-area context. The proposed conceptual model offers an orientation for future empirical studies and can serve as a basis for further discussions concerning the health relevance of the small-area context. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The potential for translocation of marine species via small-scale disruptions to antifouling surfaces.

PubMed

Piola, Richard F; Johnston, Emma L

2008-01-01

Vessel hull fouling is a major vector for the translocation of nonindigenous species (NIS). Antifouling (AF) paints are the primary method for preventing the establishment and translocation of fouling species. However, factors such as paint age, condition and method of application can all reduce the effectiveness of these coatings. Areas of hull that escape AF treatment (through limited application or damage) constitute key areas that may be expected to receive high levels of fouling. The investigation focused on whether small-scale (mm(2) to cm(2)) areas of unprotected surface or experimental 'scrapes' provided sufficient area for the formation of fouling assemblages within otherwise undamaged AF surfaces. Recruitment of fouling taxa such as algae, spirorbids and hydroids was recorded on scrapes as narrow as 0.5 cm wide. The abundance and species richness of fouling assemblages developing on scrapes > or =1 cm often equalled or surpassed levels observed in reference assemblages totally unprotected by AF coatings. Experiments were conducted at three sites within the highly protected and isolated marine park surrounding Lady Elliott Island at the southernmost tip of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Several NIS were recorded on scrapes of AF coated surfaces at this location, with 1-cm scrapes showing the greatest species richness and abundance of NIS relative to all other treatments (including controls) at two of the three sites investigated. Slight disruptions to newly antifouled surfaces may be all that is necessary for the establishment of fouling organisms and the translocation of a wide range of invasive taxa to otherwise highly protected marine areas.

Application of Scan Statistics to Detect Suicide Clusters in Australia

PubMed Central

Cheung, Yee Tak Derek; Spittal, Matthew J.; Williamson, Michelle Kate; Tung, Sui Jay; Pirkis, Jane

2013-01-01

Background Suicide clustering occurs when multiple suicide incidents take place in a small area or/and within a short period of time. In spite of the multi-national research attention and particular efforts in preparing guidelines for tackling suicide clusters, the broader picture of epidemiology of suicide clustering remains unclear. This study aimed to develop techniques in using scan statistics to detect clusters, with the detection of suicide clusters in Australia as example. Methods and Findings Scan statistics was applied to detect clusters among suicides occurring between 2004 and 2008. Manipulation of parameter settings and change of area for scan statistics were performed to remedy shortcomings in existing methods. In total, 243 suicides out of 10,176 (2.4%) were identified as belonging to 15 suicide clusters. These clusters were mainly located in the Northern Territory, the northern part of Western Australia, and the northern part of Queensland. Among the 15 clusters, 4 (26.7%) were detected by both national and state cluster detections, 8 (53.3%) were only detected by the state cluster detection, and 3 (20%) were only detected by the national cluster detection. Conclusions These findings illustrate that the majority of spatial-temporal clusters of suicide were located in the inland northern areas, with socio-economic deprivation and higher proportions of indigenous people. Discrepancies between national and state/territory cluster detection by scan statistics were due to the contrast of the underlying suicide rates across states/territories. Performing both small-area and large-area analyses, and applying multiple parameter settings may yield the maximum benefits for exploring clusters. PMID:23342098

Deforestation and forest fires in Roraima and their relationship with phytoclimatic regions in the northern Brazilian Amazon.

PubMed

Barni, Paulo Eduardo; Pereira, Vaneza Barreto; Manzi, Antonio Ocimar; Barbosa, Reinaldo Imbrozio

2015-05-01

Deforestation and forest fires in the Brazilian Amazon are a regional-scale anthropogenic process related to biomass burning, which has a direct impact on global warming due to greenhouse gas emissions. Containment of this process requires characterizing its spatial distribution and that of the environmental factors related to its occurrence. The aim of this study is to investigate the spatial and temporal distribution of deforested areas and forest fires in the State of Roraima from 2000 to 2010. We mapped deforested areas and forest fires using Landsat images and associated their occurrence with two phytoclimatic zones: zone with savanna influence (ZIS), and zone without savanna influence (ZOS). Total deforested area during the interval was estimated at 3.06 × 10(3) km(2) (ZIS = 55 %; ZOS = 45 %) while total area affected by forest fires was estimated at 3.02 × 10(3) km(2) (ZIS = 97.7 %; ZOS = 2.3 %). Magnitude of deforestation in Roraima was not related to the phytoclimatic zones, but small deforested areas (≤17.9 ha) predominated in ZOS while larger deforestation classes (>17.9 ha) predominated in ZIS, which is an area with a longer history of human activities. The largest occurrence of forest fires was observed in the ZIS in years with El Niño events. Our analysis indicates that the areas most affected by forest fires in Roraima during 2000-2010 were associated with strong climatic events and the occurrence these fires was amplified in ZIS, a sensitive phytoclimatic zone with a higher risk of anthropogenic fires given its drier climate and open forest structure.

Using small-area variations to inform health care service planning: what do we 'need' to know?

PubMed

Mercuri, Mathew; Birch, Stephen; Gafni, Amiram

2013-12-01

Allocating resources on the basis of population need is a health care policy goal in many countries. Thus, resources must be allocated in accordance with need if stakeholders are to achieve policy goals. Small area methods have been presented as a means for revealing important information that can assist stakeholders in meeting policy goals. The purpose of this review is to examine the extent to which small area methods provide information relevant to meeting the goals of a needs-based health care policy. We present a conceptual framework explaining the terms 'demand', 'need', 'use' and 'supply', as commonly used in the literature. We critically review the literature on small area methods through the lens of this framework. 'Use' cannot be used as a proxy or surrogate of 'need'. Thus, if the goal of health care policy is to provide equal access for equal need, then traditional small area methods are inadequate because they measure small area variations in use of services in different populations, independent of the levels of need in those populations. Small area methods can be modified by incorporating direct measures of relative population need from population health surveys or by adjusting population size for levels of health risks in populations such as the prevalence of smoking and low birth weight. This might improve what can be learned from studies employing small area methods if they are to inform needs-based health care policies. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Instream flow assessment of streams draining the Arbuckle-Simpson Aquifer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Seilheimer, Titus S.; Fisher, William L.

2008-01-01

The availability of high quality water is critical to both humans and ecosystems. A recent proposal was made by rapidly expanding municipalities in central Oklahoma to begin transferring groundwater from the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer, a sensitive sole-source aquifer in south-central Oklahoma. Concerned citizens and municipalities living on and getting their drinking water from the Arbuckle-Simpson lobbied the legislature to pass a temporary moratorium on groundwater transfer to allow for a comprehensive study of the aquifer and its ecosystems. We conducted an instream flow assessment using Physical Habitat Simulation (PHABSIM) on springs and streams with four spring-dependent species: two minnows, southern redbelly dace (Phoxinus erthyrogaster) and redspot chub (Nocomis asper); and two darters, least darter (Etheostoma microperca) and orangethroat darter (Etheostoma spectabile). Spring habitats are unique compared to other river habitats because they have constant flow and temperature, small and isolated habitat patches, and a general lack of predators. Our study sites included two spring-fed streams, one larger stream with high groundwater inputs, and a river with both groundwater and surface water inputs that is adjacent to the small spring-fed streams. These habitats meet the criteria for groundwater dependent ecosystems because they would not exist without the surface expression of groundwater. A total of 99 transects in all four sites were surveyed for channel elevation, and three sets of water surface elevation and water velocity were measured. Habitat suitability criteria were derived for the species at each site using nonparametric confidence limits based on underwater observations made by snorkelers. Simulations of flow were focused on declines in discharge, which is the expected effect of the proposed groundwater diversion. Our results show that only a small proportion of the total available area in each habitat is considered to be preferred habitat (Weighted Usable Area [WUA]) by the four target species. In the spring habitats, a maximum of 10% of the total area is preferred habitat and that dropped to as little as 3% with decreased flows. The quantity of WUA decreased when lower discharges were simulated for all the target species. Declines in the small amount of habitat that is already available would likely degrade these populations of fishes. In the larger river habitat, the highest WUA occurred at the lowest discharge, which leads us to conclude that in the event of dewatering of the spring habitats, the river should provide some refuge habitat for spring dependent species. Based on the findings of this study, groundwater removal from the aquifer near springs may have adverse impacts on fish habitat availability for spring dependent fish populations if seasonal trends in spring discharge are not maintained (higher in winter and lower in late summer). Quantifying the relationship of streamflow between gaged and ungaged springs in the Arbuckle-Simpson is a possible method to monitor and maintain flows in springs.

Species composition and biomasses of fishes in tropical seagrasses at Groote Eylandt, northern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blaber, S. J. M.; Brewer, D. T.; Salini, J. P.; Kerr, J. D.; Conacher, C.

1992-12-01

The species composition and biomasses of fishes in the tropical seagrasses of Groote Eylandt, northern Australia, were studied in 1989 and 1990. A total of 156 species was recorded. Tall dense seagrass, short seagrass and control (no seagrass) sites in different depths were compared. Shallow (<1 m) sites were dominated by small resident species and juveniles of non-resident species, while deeper waters (to 7 m) were dominated by larger species. Species composition was not significantly different between sites, but species diversity ( H) and evenness ( E) were higher in non-vegetated areas. In slightly deeper water (<2 m) species composition was different between habitats and species diversity was highest in tall seagrass and least in open areas. Most species were more abundant in tall seagrass and least abundant in open areas. Most of the larger fishes, including 11 species of sharks, are piscivores, and most move into shallow sea-grass areas at night, irrespective of tide height. Only five species showed abundance patterns related to tide height and there were no significant seasonal patterns of abundance in any of the communities. The biomasses for all sites and sampling methods were mostly from 1 to 2 g m -2, which is low relative to other inshore tropical areas. The possible causes—the characteristics of adjacent habitats (coral reefs and mangroves) and the role of seagrasses in the life cycle of fishes are discussed. It is suggested that habitat structure is a major determinant of the species composition of fish in tropical seagrass areas, primarily because it affects food availability, both for small residents and juveniles, and for visiting predators.

Estimating wind-turbine-caused bird and bat fatality when zero carcasses are observed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Huso, Manuela M.P.; Dalthorp, Daniel; Dail, David; Madsen, Lisa

2015-01-01

Many wind-power facilities in the United States have established effective monitoring programs to determine turbine-caused fatality rates of birds and bats, but estimating the number of fatalities of rare species poses special difficulties. The loss of even small numbers of individuals may adversely affect fragile populations, but typically, few (if any) carcasses are observed during monitoring. If monitoring design results in only a small proportion of carcasses detected, then finding zero carcasses may give little assurance that the number of actual fatalities is small. Fatality monitoring at wind-power facilities commonly involves conducting experiments to estimate the probability (g) an individual will be observed, accounting for the possibilities that it falls in an unsearched area, is scavenged prior to detection, or remains undetected even when present. When g < 1, the total carcass count (X) underestimates the total number of fatalities (M). Total counts can be 0 when M is small or when M is large and g ≪1. Distinguishing these two cases is critical when estimating fatality of a rare species. Observing no individuals during searches may erroneously be interpreted as evidence of absence. We present an approach that uses Bayes' theorem to construct a posterior distribution for M, i.e., P(M | X, ĝ), reflecting the observed carcass count and previously estimated g. From this distribution, we calculate two values important to conservation: the probability that M is below a predetermined limit and the upper bound (M*) of the 100(1 − α)% credible interval for M. We investigate the dependence of M* on α, g, and the prior distribution of M, asking what value of g is required to attain a desired M* for a given α. We found that when g < ~0.15, M* was clearly influenced by the mean and variance of ĝ and the choice of prior distribution for M, but the influence of these factors is minimal when g > ~0.45. Further, we develop extensions for temporal replication that can inform prior distributions of M and methods for combining information across several areas or time periods. We apply the method to data collected at a wind-power facility where scheduled searches yielded X = 0 raptor carcasses

Large-area high-efficiency flexible PHOLED lighting panels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pang, Huiqing; Mandlik, Prashant; Levermore, Peter A.; Silvernail, Jeff; Ma, Ruiqing; Brown, Julie J.

2012-09-01

Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) provide various attractive features for next generation illumination systems, including high efficiency, low power, thin and flexible form factor. In this work, we incorporated phosphorescent emitters and demonstrated highly efficient white phosphorescent OLED (PHOLED) devices on flexible plastic substrates. The 0.94 cm2 small-area device has total thickness of approximately 0.25 mm and achieved 63 lm/W at 1,000 cd/m2 with CRI = 85 and CCT = 2920 K. We further designed and fabricated a 15 cm x 15 cm large-area flexible white OLED lighting panels, finished with a hybrid single-layer ultra-low permeability single layer barrier (SLB) encapsulation film. The flexible panel has an active area of 116.4 cm2, and achieved a power efficacy of 47 lm/W at 1,000 cd/m2 with CRI = 83 and CCT = 3470 K. The efficacy of the panel at 3,000 cd/m2 is 43 lm/W. The large-area flexible PHOLED lighting panel is to bring out enormous possibilities to the future general lighting applications.

Contrasting patterns in lichen diversity in the continental and maritime Antarctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Shiv Mohan; Olech, Maria; Cannone, Nicoletta; Convey, Peter

2015-09-01

Systematic surveys of the lichen floras of Schirmacher Oasis (Queen Maud Land, continental Antarctic), Victoria Land (Ross Sector, continental Antarctic) and Admiralty Bay (South Shetland Islands, maritime Antarctic) were compared to help infer the major factors influencing patterns of diversity and biogeography in the three areas. Biogeographic patterns were determined using a variety of multivariate statistical tools. A total of 54 lichen species were documented from Schirmacher Oasis (SO), 48 from Victoria Land (VL) and 244 from Admiralty Bay (AB). Of these, 21 species were common to all areas. Most lichens from the SO and VL areas were microlichens, the dominant genus being Buellia. In AB, in contrast, many macrolichens were also present and the dominant genus was Caloplaca. In SO and VL large areas lacked any visible lichen cover, even where the ground was snow-free in summer. Small-scale diversity patterns were present in AB, where the number of species and genera was greater close to the coast. Most species recorded were rare in the study areas in which they were present and endemic to Antarctica.

[Spatiotemporal differentiation of construction land expansion in a typical town of south Jiangsu Province].

PubMed

Zhou, Rui; Li, Yue-hui; Hu, Yuan-man; Su, Hai-long; Wang, Jin-nian

2011-03-01

Choosing Xinzhuang Town in south Jiangsu Province as study area, and by using 1980, 1991, 2001, and 2009 high-resolution remote sensing images and GIS spatial analysis technology, an integrated expansion degree index model was established based on the existing indicators of construction land expansion, and the general and spatiotemporal differentiation characteristics of construction land expansion in the Town in three time periods of 1980-2009 were quantitatively analyzed. In 1980-2009, with the acceleration of rural urbanization and industrialization, the area of construction land in the Town increased significantly by 19.24 km2, and especially in 2001-2009, the expanded area, expanded contribution rate, and expansion intensity reached the maximum. The construction land expansion had an obvious spatial differentiation characteristic. In 1980-1991, the newly increased construction land mainly concentrated in town area. After 1991, the focus of construction land gradually spread to the villages with developed industries. Most of the increased construction lands were converted from paddy field and dry land, accounting for 88.1% of the total increased area, while the contribution from other land types was relatively small.

Applicability of two mobile analysers for mercury in urine in small-scale gold mining areas.

PubMed

Baeuml, Jennifer; Bose-O'Reilly, Stephan; Lettmeier, Beate; Maydl, Alexandra; Messerer, Katalin; Roider, Gabriele; Drasch, Gustav; Siebert, Uwe

2011-12-01

Mercury is still used in developing countries to extract gold from the ore in small-scale gold mining areas. This is a major health hazard for people living in mining areas. The concentration of mercury in urine was analysed in different mining areas in Zimbabwe, Indonesia and Tanzania. First the urine samples were analysed by CV-AAS (cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry) during the field projects with a mobile mercury analyser (Lumex(®) or Seefelder(®)) and secondly, in a laboratory with a stationary CV-AAS mercury analyser (PerkinElmer(®)). Caused by the different systems (reduction agent either SnCl(2) (Lumex(®) or Seefelder(®))) or NaBH(4) (PerkinElmer(®)), with the mobile analysers only the inorganic mercury was obtained and with the stationary system the total mercury concentration was measured. The aims of the study were whether the results obtained in field with the mobile equipments can be compared with the stationary reference method in the laboratory and allow the application of these mobile analysers in screening studies on concerned populations to select those, who are exposed to critical mercury levels. Overall, the concentrations obtained with the two mobile systems were approximately 25% lower than determined with the stationary system. Nevertheless, both mobile systems seem to be very useful for screening of volunteers in field. Moreover, regional staff may be trained on such analysers to perform screening tests by themselves. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Application of SAXS and SANS in evaluation of porosity, pore size distribution and surface area of coal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Radlinski, A.P.; Mastalerz, Maria; Hinde, A.L.; Hainbuchner, M.; Rauch, H.; Baron, M.; Lin, J.S.; Fan, L.; Thiyagarajan, P.

2004-01-01

This paper discusses the applicability of small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and small angle neutron scattering (SANS) techniques for determining the porosity, pore size distribution and internal specific surface area in coals. The method is noninvasive, fast, inexpensive and does not require complex sample preparation. It uses coal grains of about 0.8 mm size mounted in standard pellets as used for petrographic studies. Assuming spherical pore geometry, the scattering data are converted into the pore size distribution in the size range 1 nm (10 A??) to 20 ??m (200,000 A??) in diameter, accounting for both open and closed pores. FTIR as well as SAXS and SANS data for seven samples of oriented whole coals and corresponding pellets with vitrinite reflectance (Ro) values in the range 0.55% to 5.15% are presented and analyzed. Our results demonstrate that pellets adequately represent the average microstructure of coal samples. The scattering data have been used to calculate the maximum surface area available for methane adsorption. Total porosity as percentage of sample volume is calculated and compared with worldwide trends. By demonstrating the applicability of SAXS and SANS techniques to determine the porosity, pore size distribution and surface area in coals, we provide a new and efficient tool, which can be used for any type of coal sample, from a thin slice to a representative sample of a thick seam. ?? 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experimental high-speed network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNeill, Kevin M.; Klein, William P.; Vercillo, Richard; Alsafadi, Yasser H.; Parra, Miguel V.; Dallas, William J.

1993-09-01

Many existing local area networking protocols currently applied in medical imaging were originally designed for relatively low-speed, low-volume networking. These protocols utilize small packet sizes appropriate for text based communication. Local area networks of this type typically provide raw bandwidth under 125 MHz. These older network technologies are not optimized for the low delay, high data traffic environment of a totally digital radiology department. Some current implementations use point-to-point links when greater bandwidth is required. However, the use of point-to-point communications for a total digital radiology department network presents many disadvantages. This paper describes work on an experimental multi-access local area network called XFT. The work includes the protocol specification, and the design and implementation of network interface hardware and software. The protocol specifies the Physical and Data Link layers (OSI layers 1 & 2) for a fiber-optic based token ring providing a raw bandwidth of 500 MHz. The protocol design and implementation of the XFT interface hardware includes many features to optimize image transfer and provide flexibility for additional future enhancements which include: a modular hardware design supporting easy portability to a variety of host system buses, a versatile message buffer design providing 16 MB of memory, and the capability to extend the raw bandwidth of the network to 3.0 GHz.

Using multivariate analyses and GIS to identify pollutants and their spatial patterns in urban soils in Galway, Ireland.

PubMed

Zhang, Chaosheng

2006-08-01

Galway is a small but rapidly growing tourism city in western Ireland. To evaluate its environmental quality, a total of 166 surface soil samples (0-10 cm depth) were collected from parks and grasslands at the density of 1 sample per 0.25 km2 at the end of 2004. All samples were analysed using ICP-AES for the near-total concentrations of 26 chemical elements. Multivariate statistics and GIS techniques were applied to classify the elements and to identify elements influenced by human activities. Cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) classified the elements into two groups: the first group predominantly derived from natural sources, the second being influenced by human activities. GIS mapping is a powerful tool in identifying the possible sources of pollutants. Relatively high concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn were found in the city centre, old residential areas, and along major traffic routes, showing significant effects of traffic pollution. The element As is enriched in soils of the old built-up areas, which can be attributed to coal and peat combustion for home heating. Such significant spatial patterns of pollutants displayed by urban soils may imply potential health threat to residents of the contaminated areas of the city.

Effects of pore size, implantation time and nano-surface properties on rat skin ingrowth into percutaneous porous titanium implants

PubMed Central

Farrell, Brad J.; Prilutsky, Boris I.; Ritter, Jana M.; Kelley, Sean; Popat, Ketul; Pitkin, Mark

2013-01-01

The main problem of percutaneous osseointegrated implants is poor skin-implant integration, which may cause infection. This study investigated the effects of pore size (Small, 40–100 microns and Large, 100–160 microns), nanotubular surface treatment (Nano), and duration of implantation (3 and 6 weeks) on skin ingrowth into porous titanium. Each implant type was percutaneously inserted in the back of 35 rats randomly assigned to 7 groups. Implant extrusion rate was measured weekly and skin ingrowth into implants was determined histologically after harvesting implants. It was found that all 3 types of implants demonstrated skin tissue ingrowth of over 30% (at week 3) and 50% (at weeks 4–6) of total implant porous area under the skin; longer implantation resulted in greater skin ingrowth (p<0.05). Only one case of infection was observed (infection rate 2.9%). Small and Nano groups showed the same implant extrusion rate which was lower than the Large group rate (0.06±0.01 vs. 0.16 ± 0.02 cm/week; p<0.05). Ingrowth area was comparable in the Small, Large and Nano implants. However, qualitatively, the Nano implants showed greatest cellular inhabitation within first three weeks. We concluded that percutaneous porous titanium implants allow for skin integration with the potential for a safe seal. PMID:23703928

Associations between Perceptions of Drinking Water Service Delivery and Measured Drinking Water Quality in Rural Alabama

PubMed Central

Wedgworth, Jessica C.; Brown, Joe; Johnson, Pauline; Olson, Julie B.; Elliott, Mark; Forehand, Rick; Stauber, Christine E.

2014-01-01

Although small, rural water supplies may present elevated microbial risks to consumers in some settings, characterizing exposures through representative point-of-consumption sampling is logistically challenging. In order to evaluate the usefulness of consumer self-reported data in predicting measured water quality and risk factors for contamination, we compared matched consumer interview data with point-of-survey, household water quality and pressure data for 910 households served by 14 small water systems in rural Alabama. Participating households completed one survey that included detailed feedback on two key areas of water service conditions: delivery conditions (intermittent service and low water pressure) and general aesthetic characteristics (taste, odor and color), providing five condition values. Microbial water samples were taken at the point-of-use (from kitchen faucets) and as-delivered from the distribution network (from outside flame-sterilized taps, if available), where pressure was also measured. Water samples were analyzed for free and total chlorine, pH, turbidity, and presence of total coliforms and Escherichia coli. Of the 910 households surveyed, 35% of participants reported experiencing low water pressure, 15% reported intermittent service, and almost 20% reported aesthetic problems (taste, odor or color). Consumer-reported low pressure was associated with lower gauge-measured pressure at taps. While total coliforms (TC) were detected in 17% of outside tap samples and 12% of samples from kitchen faucets, no reported water service conditions or aesthetic characteristics were associated with presence of TC. We conclude that consumer-reported data were of limited utility in predicting potential microbial risks associated with small water supplies in this setting, although consumer feedback on low pressure—a risk factor for contamination—may be relatively reliable and therefore useful in future monitoring efforts. PMID:25046635

Associations between perceptions of drinking water service delivery and measured drinking water quality in rural Alabama.

PubMed

Wedgworth, Jessica C; Brown, Joe; Johnson, Pauline; Olson, Julie B; Elliott, Mark; Forehand, Rick; Stauber, Christine E

2014-07-18

Although small, rural water supplies may present elevated microbial risks to consumers in some settings, characterizing exposures through representative point-of-consumption sampling is logistically challenging. In order to evaluate the usefulness of consumer self-reported data in predicting measured water quality and risk factors for contamination, we compared matched consumer interview data with point-of-survey, household water quality and pressure data for 910 households served by 14 small water systems in rural Alabama. Participating households completed one survey that included detailed feedback on two key areas of water service conditions: delivery conditions (intermittent service and low water pressure) and general aesthetic characteristics (taste, odor and color), providing five condition values. Microbial water samples were taken at the point-of-use (from kitchen faucets) and as-delivered from the distribution network (from outside flame-sterilized taps, if available), where pressure was also measured. Water samples were analyzed for free and total chlorine, pH, turbidity, and presence of total coliforms and Escherichia coli. Of the 910 households surveyed, 35% of participants reported experiencing low water pressure, 15% reported intermittent service, and almost 20% reported aesthetic problems (taste, odor or color). Consumer-reported low pressure was associated with lower gauge-measured pressure at taps. While total coliforms (TC) were detected in 17% of outside tap samples and 12% of samples from kitchen faucets, no reported water service conditions or aesthetic characteristics were associated with presence of TC. We conclude that consumer-reported data were of limited utility in predicting potential microbial risks associated with small water supplies in this setting, although consumer feedback on low pressure-a risk factor for contamination-may be relatively reliable and therefore useful in future monitoring efforts.

The contribution of total suspended solids to the Bay of Biscay by Cantabrian Rivers (northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prego, Ricardo; Boi, Paola; Cobelo-García, Antonio

2008-07-01

Information of suspended sediments fluxes of small rivers to the coastal zone is sparse, and this is particularly so for the Iberian Rivers. To help address this shortage of information, the relationship between fluvial discharge and total suspended solids (TSS) for the main 28 Cantabrian Rivers using data from 22 years monitoring by the COCA network has been analysed, and their particulate material fluxes to the Bay of Biscay coasts have been quantified. The Cantabrian Fluvial System (drainage basin area of 20,333 km 2) may be considered as a quasi-homogeneous fluvial system with an average discharge of 561 m - 3 s - 1 and average loads of 35 kg TSS s - 1 with rivers showing similar average yields of 56 t km - 2 a - 1 . The average TSS contribution is 1.2 ± 0.2 10 9 kg a - 1 . This seaward flux of sediment is dispersed along the entire North Iberian coast and is rather modest (25% of the total supply) in comparison with the output from the French Rivers to the Bay of Biscay. The TSS loads of Cantabrian Rivers indicate they are similar to world upland rivers and those of other parts of Northern Europe according to Milliman and Syvistki [Milliman and Syvistki, 1992. Geomorphic/tectonic control of sediment discharge to the ocean: the importance of small mountainous rivers. Journal of Geology, 100: 525-544] and Milliman [Milliman, 2001. Delivery and fate of fluvial water and sediment to the sea: a marine geologist's view of European rivers. Scientia Marina, 65: 121-132]. Although their TSS flux is practically negligible (13,000 times lower) when compared to the world average flux, they provide a good example of the role of small Atlantic temperate rivers.

Canopy Effects on Macroscale Snow Sublimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Svoma, B. M.

2015-12-01

Sublimation of snow cover directly affects snow accumulation, impacting ecosystem processes, soil moisture, soil porosity, biogeochemical processes, wildfire, and water resources. Available energy, the exposed surface area of a snow cover, and exposure time with the atmosphere vary greatly in complex terrain (e.g., aspect, elevation, forest cover), with latitude, and with continentality. It is therefore difficult to scale up results from site specific short term studies. Using the 32-km NARR, the 4-km PRISM, with 30-m terrain and forest cover data, meteorological variables are downscaled to simulate sublimation from canopy intercepted snow and from the snowpack over the Salt River Basin in Arizona for a wet and dry year. Simulations indicate that: (1) total sublimation is highly variable in response to variability in both sublimation rate and snow cover duration; (2) total canopy sublimation is similar for both years while ground sublimation is considerably greater during the wet year; (3) sublimation is a relatively greater contribution to the snow water budget during the dry year (28% vs. 20% of total snowfall); (4) at high elevations, ground sublimation is less in open areas than forested areas during the dry year, while the reverse is evident during the wet year as snowpack lasted longer into spring. While a reduction in leaf area index leads to a reduction of total sublimation due to less interception in both years, ground sublimation increases during the dry year, possibly due to less sheltering from solar radiation and wind. This reduction in sheltering results in a large decrease in snowpack duration (i.e., ten days in spring) at mid-elevations for the wet year, leading to a decrease in ground sublimation. This results in a 500 meter difference in the elevation of maximum sublimation reduction upon reduced leaf area index between the two years. Forest cover properties can vary considerably on short and long time scales through natural (wildfire, bark beetle infestation, drought) and anthropogenic (land management practices) processes. Therefore, understanding how small scale changes impact snow sublimation at larger spatial scales, and how this varies temporally, is critical from ecosystem function and water resources perspectives.

Integrating national surveys to estimate small area variations in poor health and limiting long-term illness in Great Britain.

PubMed

Moon, Graham; Aitken, Grant; Taylor, Joanna; Twigg, Liz

2017-08-28

This study aims to address, for the first time, the challenges of constructing small area estimates of health status using linked national surveys. The study also seeks to assess the concordance of these small area estimates with data from national censuses. Population level health status in England, Scotland and Wales. A linked integrated dataset of 23 374 survey respondents (16+ years) from the 2011 waves of the Health Survey for England (n=8603), the Scottish Health Survey (n=7537) and the Welsh Health Survey (n=7234). Population prevalence of poorer self-rated health and limiting long-term illness. A multilevel small area estimation modelling approach was used to estimate prevalence of these outcomes for middle super output areas in England and Wales and intermediate zones in Scotland. The estimates were then compared with matched measures from the contemporaneous 2011 UK Census. There was a strong positive association between the small area estimates and matched census measures for all three countries for both poorer self-rated health (r=0.828, 95% CI 0.821 to 0.834) and limiting long-term illness (r=0.831, 95% CI 0.824 to 0.837), although systematic differences were evident, and small area estimation tended to indicate higher prevalences than census data. Despite strong concordance, variations in the small area prevalences of poorer self-rated health and limiting long-term illness evident in census data cannot be replicated perfectly using small area estimation with linked national surveys. This reflects a lack of harmonisation between surveys over question wording and design. The nature of small area estimates as 'expected values' also needs to be better understood. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Worm control practice against gastro-intestinal parasites in Norwegian sheep and goat flocks

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Anthelmintic treatment is the most common way of controlling nematode infections in ruminants. However, several countries have reported anthelmintic resistance (AR), representing a limitation for sustainable small ruminant production. The knowledge regarding worm control management represents a baseline to develop a guideline for preventing AR. The aim of the present study was therefore to improve our knowledge about the worm control practices in small ruminant flocks in Norway. Methods A questionnaire survey regarding worm control practices was performed in small ruminant flocks in Norway. Flocks were selected from the three main areas of small ruminant farming, i.e. the coastal, inland and northern areas. A total of 825 questionnaires, comprising 587 sheep flocks (return rate of 51.3%) and 238 goat flocks (52.6%) were included. Results The results indicated that visual appraisal of individual weight was the most common means of estimating the anthelmintic dose used in sheep (78.6%) and goat (85.1%) flocks. The mean yearly drenching rate in lambs and ewes were 2.5 ± 1.7 and 1.9 ± 1.1, respectively, whereas it was 1.0 (once a year) in goats. However, these figures were higher in sheep in the coastal area with a rate of 3.4 and 2.2 in lambs and ewes, respectively. Benzimidazoles were the predominant anthelmintic class used in sheep flocks (64.9% in 2007), whereas benzimidazoles and macrocyclic lactones were both equally used in dairy goat flocks. In the period of 2005-2007, 46.3% of the sheep flocks never changed the anthelmintic class. The dose and move strategy was practiced in 33.2% of the sheep flocks. Conclusions The present study showed that inaccurate weight calculation gives a risk of under-dosing in over 90% of the sheep and goat flocks in Norway. Taken together with a high treatment frequency in lambs, a lack of anthelmintic class rotation and the common use of a dose-and-move strategy, a real danger for development of anthelmintic resistance (AR) seems to exist in Norwegian sheep and goat flocks. This risk seems particularly high in coastal areas where high treatment frequencies in lambs were recorded. PMID:21569497

Speed Discrimination: Multiple Stimuli Appear Better Than One

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Verghese, Preeti; Stone, Leland S.; Null, Cynthia H. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

We reported that for a 21FC task with multiple moving grating patches (Gabors) in each interval, thresholds for speed discrimination decreased with the number of patches, while increasing the area of a single grating produced no such effect. Furthermore, this decrease occurred regardless of the spacing of the patches about a circle of eccentricity 4 degrees, i.e., whether they were maximally separated or almost touching. These results suggest that it is the multiple, discrete grating patches that cause thresholds to decrease, rather than the spatial arrangement. To test this hypothesis, we measured the effect of dividing a large grating into four quadrants, by superimposing a mean-luminance cross on it. The mean speed discrimination thresholds (Weber Fractions) for four observers were 19, 15, and 11 plus or minus 2%, for the single large grating, the grating with cross, and the 4 maximally-separated, small gratings, respectively. Thus, breaking up a single large grating into multiple parts caused thresholds to improve, despite the fact that less of the original patch was visible. To investigate the possible contribution of total bounding contour length, we measured the effect of coalescing three small grating patches into a single banana-shaped patch, while keeping the total contour length constant. These two conditions were compared to a single, circular Gabor patch of equivalent area that had (necessarily) a smaller contour length. Preliminary data from 3 of 4 observers were similar for the small-grating and banana configurations, but increased for the single, large grating, suggesting that contour length might play a role. We are also investigating the role of low-level factors pertinent to the large grating, such as the pooling of signals from motion units at different eccentricities, and the stimulation of extended inhibitory motion surrounds, as well as the possible contribution of topdown influences that segment the stimulus into distinct objects.

Small-scale variability of zooplankton pyruvate kinase activity in the Gironde Estuary plume (Atlantic French Coast): A case study under unusually low freshwater discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergeron, Jean-Pierre

2006-09-01

Pyruvate kinase (PK) activity measurements are used to assess the role of carbohydrates in global feeding of mesozooplankton communities inhabiting an estuary plume. As a consequence of a remarkably low freshwater discharge rate, the sea surface layers of the area under estuarine influence showed a very moderate salinity fall and a nearly total depletion in nitrates, whereas higher levels of these nutrients were found in deeper, more saline, layers. Small-scale PK activity variations in mesozooplankton appear to be closely correlated to nitrate integration values within the water column. The results were analysed in comparison with literature reports. The study produced a coherent overall interpretation, which strongly supports the reliability of this new biochemical tool in detecting assimilation of trace carbohydrates in the diet of mesozooplankton.

Andorra.

PubMed

1986-12-01

Andorra, a small country located in the Pyrenees Mountains with an area of 185 sq miles, had a population of 44,569 in 1985. The annual growth rate is 4.22%. The population is concentrated in the 7 urbanized valleys that form Andorra's political districts. Andorra is a co-principality, in which the President of France and the Bishop of Seo de Urgel, Spain, are charged with the conduct of foreign affairs and the judicial system. A political party system has not been established, and candidates for elective offices generally run as independents. Andorra has no defense forces and only a small internal police force. The central government budget totalled US$59 million in 1986. No accurate estimates of the gross national product are available. The principal industry is tourism. Education is compulsory up to age 16 years, and there is 100% literacy.

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.

Identification of phosphorus emission hotspots in agricultural catchments

PubMed Central

Kovacs, Adam; Honti, Mark; Zessner, Matthias; Eder, Alexander; Clement, Adrienne; Blöschl, Günter

2012-01-01

An enhanced transport-based management approach is presented, which is able to support cost-effective water quality management with respect to diffuse phosphorus pollution. Suspended solids and particulate phosphorus emissions and their transport were modeled in two hilly agricultural watersheds (Wulka River in Austria and Zala River in Hungary) with an improved version of the catchment-scale PhosFate model. Source and transmission areas were ranked by an optimization method in order to provide a priority list of the areas of economically efficient (optimal) management alternatives. The model was calibrated and validated at different gauges and for various years. The spatial distribution of the emissions shows that approximately one third of the catchment area is responsible for the majority of the emissions. However, only a few percent of the source areas can transport fluxes to the catchment outlet. These effective source areas, together with the main transmission areas are potential candidates for improved management practices. In accordance with the critical area concept, it was shown that intervention with better management practices on a properly selected small proportion of the total area (1–3%) is sufficient to reach a remarkable improvement in water quality. If soil nutrient management is also considered in addition to water quality, intervention on 4–12% of the catchment areas can fulfill both aspects. PMID:22771465

Heavy metal contamination of coastal lagoon sediments: Fongafale Islet, Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu.

PubMed

Fujita, Masafumi; Ide, Yoichi; Sato, Daisaku; Kench, Paul S; Kuwahara, Yuji; Yokoki, Hiromune; Kayanne, Hajime

2014-01-01

To evaluate contamination of coastal sediments along Fongafale Islet, Central Pacific, a field survey was conducted in densely populated, sparsely populated, open dumping and undisturbed natural areas. Current measurements in shallow water of the lagoon indicated that contaminants from the densely populated area would only be transported for a small proportion of a tidal cycle. Acid-volatile sulfides were detected in both the intertidal beach and nearshore zones of the densely populated area, whereas these were no detection in the other areas. This observation lends support to argument that the coastal pollution mechanism that during ebb tide, domestic wastewater leaking from poorly constructed sanitary facilities seeps into the coast. The total concentrations of Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb were relatively high in all of the areas except the undisturbed natural area. The indices of contamination factor, pollution load index and geoaccumulation index were indicative of heavy metal pollution in the three areas. The densely populated area has the most significant contamination; domestic wastewater led to significant contamination of coastal sediments with Cr, Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd. The open dumping area is noteworthy with respect to Mn and Ni, which can be derived from disposed batteries. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Task 1: Whole-body concentrations of elements in kelp bass (Paralabrax clathratus), kelp rockfish (Sebastes atrovirens), and Pacific sanddab (Citharichthys sordidus) from offshore oil platforms and natural areas in the Southern California Bight

USGS Publications Warehouse

Love, Milton S.

2009-01-01

Resource managers are concerned that offshore oil platforms in the Southern California Bight may be contributing to environmental contaminants accumulated by marine fishes. To examine this possibility, 18 kelp bass (Paralabrax clathratus), 80 kelp rockfish (Sebastes atrovirens), and 98 Pacific sanddab (Citharichthys sordidus) were collected from five offshore oil platforms and 10 natural areas during 2005-2006 for whole-body analysis of 63 elements. The natural areas, which served as reference sites, were assumed to be relatively uninfluenced by contaminants originating from platforms. Forty-two elements were excluded from statistical comparisons for one of three reasons: they consisted of major cations that were unlikely to accumulate to potentially toxic concentrations under ambient exposure conditions; they were not detected by the analytical procedures; or they were detected at concentrations too low to yield reliable quantitative measurements. The remaining 21 elements consisted of aluminum, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, iron, lead, lithium, manganese, mercury, nickel, rubidium, selenium, strontium, tin, titanium, vanadium, and zinc. Statistical comparisons of these 21 elements indicated that none consistently exhibited higher concentrations at oil platforms than at natural areas. Eight comparisons yielded significant interaction effects between total length (TL) of the fish and the two habitat types (oil platforms and natural areas). This indicated that relations between certain elemental concentrations (i.e., copper, rubidium, selenium, tin, titanium, and vanadium) and habitat type varied by TL of affected fish species. To better understand these interactions, we examined elemental concentrations in very small and very large individuals of affected species. Although significant interactions were detected for rubidium, tin, and selenium in kelp rockfish, the concentrations of these elements did not differ significantly between oil platforms and natural areas over the TL range of sampled fish. However, for selenium, titanium, and vanadium in Pacific sanddab, small individuals (average TL, 13.0 cm) exhibited significantly lower concentrations at oil platforms than at natural areas, whereas large individuals (average TL, 27.5 cm) exhibited higher concentrations at oil platforms than at natural areas. For copper in Pacific sanddab, small individuals did not exhibit differences between oil platforms and natural areas, whereas large individuals exhibited significantly higher concentrations at oil platforms than at natural areas. On the other hand, for tin in Pacific sanddab, small individuals did not exhibit differences between oil platforms and natural areas, whereas large individuals exhibited significantly lower concentrations at oil platforms than at natural areas. Although concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, and selenium in fishes from some platforms and natural areas equaled or exceeded literature-based toxicity thresholds for fish and fish-eating wildlife, studies are still needed to document evidence of toxicity from these elements. When estimates of elemental concentrations in skinless fillets were compared to risk-based consumption limits for humans, the concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and tin in fish from a mix of oil platforms and natural areas were sufficiently elevated to suggest a need for further study of inorganic arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and tributyltin.

Opuntia in México: Identifying Priority Areas for Conserving Biodiversity in a Multi-Use Landscape

PubMed Central

Illoldi-Rangel, Patricia; Ciarleglio, Michael; Sheinvar, Leia; Linaje, Miguel; Sánchez-Cordero, Victor; Sarkar, Sahotra

2012-01-01

Background México is one of the world's centers of species diversity (richness) for Opuntia cacti. Yet, in spite of their economic and ecological importance, Opuntia species remain poorly studied and protected in México. Many of the species are sparsely but widely distributed across the landscape and are subject to a variety of human uses, so devising implementable conservation plans for them presents formidable difficulties. Multi–criteria analysis can be used to design a spatially coherent conservation area network while permitting sustainable human usage. Methods and Findings Species distribution models were created for 60 Opuntia species using MaxEnt. Targets of representation within conservation area networks were assigned at 100% for the geographically rarest species and 10% for the most common ones. Three different conservation plans were developed to represent the species within these networks using total area, shape, and connectivity as relevant criteria. Multi–criteria analysis and a metaheuristic adaptive tabu search algorithm were used to search for optimal solutions. The plans were built on the existing protected areas of México and prioritized additional areas for management for the persistence of Opuntia species. All plans required around one–third of México's total area to be prioritized for attention for Opuntia conservation, underscoring the implausibility of Opuntia conservation through traditional land reservation. Tabu search turned out to be both computationally tractable and easily implementable for search problems of this kind. Conclusions Opuntia conservation in México require the management of large areas of land for multiple uses. The multi-criteria analyses identified priority areas and organized them in large contiguous blocks that can be effectively managed. A high level of connectivity was established among the prioritized areas resulting in the enhancement of possible modes of plant dispersal as well as only a small number of blocks that would be recommended for conservation management. PMID:22606279

Long term characterization of ephemeral gully erosion from orthophotographs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chahor, Youssef; Casalí, Javier; Giménez, Rafael; Ángel Campo-Bescós, Miguel

2017-04-01

For a knowledge of the importance and characteristics of ephemeral gully (EG) erosion to be adequate, continuous observations and measurements for long periods of time are required. Despite recent methodological advances, such as the availability of drones or photo-reconstruction, the data obtained from orthophotos taken on approximately the same dates for several years in the same places can supply information of great interest. This study aims to explore the applicability of orthophotos taken during 8 years to make a semi-detailed characterization of erosion due to ephemeral gullies over an extensive area. Thus, a homogeneous area as regards soil type, use and management, of around 570 hectares, was selected in the municipality of Pitillas, Navarra, frequently affected by EGs to carry out a long-term monitoring of it. From 8 orthophotos (≈1:5000) taken in 2003 (17 Apr-20 Sep), 2006 (28 May), 2008 (19 Jun), 2010 (5-21 Jun), 2011 (25 Sep), 2012 (23 Jun), 2013 (24 Jul) and 2014 (17 Aug), the position of small channels was digitized, identifying their ends downstream and upstream, georeferencing them, and determining their length. All the photos were taken in approximately the same season, usually in the summer. Since the area was cultivated with winter cereal or was lying fallow, its gullies have remained on the land since their formation, generally at the start of the winter, up to their elimination. This probably occurs due to tilling during the preparation tasks of the following sowing time, generally after the flight period. If we also consider that the EGs in the area remain almost unalterable after the winter, protected by the dense cereal vegetation, it can be affirmed that the flight dates supply adequate information on their final state. The authors' knowledge of the land simplified the identification of the gullies on the orthophotos. In the study area, 58 small watersheds were identified as being affected by EG erosion at least once during the study period. It was observed that most of the gullies, specifically 41 of them, appeared only once in their respective microwatersheds during the whole of that time. Of the 14 remaining ones, one of them appeared in 7 out of the 8 years studied, another one in 6 of the years, 2 of them appeared 5 times, another 2 did so on 4 occasions, 6 on 3 occasions and 5 on 2 occasions. The factors explaining that repeatability, or its absence, are not clear, although the topographic indicators proposed by De Santisteban et al. (2005) might help to shed some light on them. The places where the channels were formed were not exactly the same in the case of the gullies, which appeared repeatedly. This could be due to interannual variations in the soil's properties or its roughness due to tilling; and also to the nature of the precipitations causing them. A very high correlation was found between the total rainfall of the agricultural year and the total length of ephemeral gullies in the study area (R2= 0.85) in a linear regression between both annual variables. The total lengths of EGs ranged between 250 and 800 m, and the precipitations between 300 and 800 mm. References L. M. De Santisteban, J. Casalí, J. J. López, J. V. Giráldez, J. Poesen and J. Nachtergaele, 2005. Exploring the role of topography in small channel erosion. Earth Surf. Process. Landforms 30, 591-599

Deposition and Burial Efficiency of Terrestrial Organic Carbon Exported from Small Mountainous Rivers to the Continental Margin, Southwest of Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, F.; Lin, S.; Wang, C.; Huh, C.

2007-12-01

Terrestrial organic carbon exported from small mountainous river to the continental margin may play an important role in global carbon cycle and it?|s biogeochemical process. A huge amount of suspended materials from small rivers in southwestern Taiwan (104 million tons per year) could serve as major carbon source to the adjacent ocean. However, little is know concerning fate of this terrigenous organic carbon. The purpose of this study is to calculate flux of terrigenous organic carbon deposited in the continental margin, offshore southwestern Taiwan through investigating spatial variation of organic carbon content, organic carbon isotopic compositions, organic carbon deposition rate and burial efficiency. Results show that organic carbon compositions in sediment are strongly influenced by terrestrial material exported from small rivers in the region, Kaoping River, Tseng-wen River and Er-jan Rver. In addition, a major part of the terrestrial materials exported from the Kaoping River may bypass shelf region and transport directly into the deep sea (South China Sea) through the Kaoping Canyon. Organic carbon isotopic compositions with lighter carbon isotopic values are found near the Kaoping River and Tseng-wen River mouth and rapidly change from heavier to lighter values through shelf to slope. Patches of lighter organic carbon isotopic compositions with high organic carbon content are also found in areas west of Kaoping River mouth, near the Kaoshiung city. Furthermore, terrigenous organic carbons with lighter isotopic values are found in the Kaoping canyon. A total of 0.028 Mt/yr of terrestrial organic carbon was found in the study area, which represented only about 10 percent of all terrestrial organic carbon deposited in the study area. Majority (~90 percent) of the organic carbon exported from the Kaoping River maybe directly transported into the deep sea (South China Sea) and become a major source of organic carbon in the deep sea.

Comparison of small-area deprivation measures as predictors of chronic disease burden in a low-income population.

PubMed

Lòpez-De Fede, Ana; Stewart, John E; Hardin, James W; Mayfield-Smith, Kathy

2016-06-10

Measures of small-area deprivation may be valuable in geographically targeting limited resources to prevent, diagnose, and effectively manage chronic conditions in vulnerable populations. We developed a census-based small-area socioeconomic deprivation index specifically to predict chronic disease burden among publically insured Medicaid recipients in South Carolina, a relatively poor state in the southern United States. We compared the predictive ability of the new index with that of four other small-area deprivation indicators. To derive the ZIP Code Tabulation Area-Level Palmetto Small-Area Deprivation Index (Palmetto SADI), we evaluated ten census variables across five socioeconomic deprivation domains, identifying the combination of census indicators most highly correlated with a set of five chronic disease conditions among South Carolina Medicaid enrollees. In separate validation studies, we used both logistic and spatial regression methods to assess the ability of Palmetto SADI to predict chronic disease burden among state Medicaid recipients relative to four alternative small-area socioeconomic deprivation measures: the Townsend index of material deprivation; a single-variable poverty indicator; and two small-area designations of health care resource deprivation, Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Area and Medically Underserved Area/Medically Underserved Population. Palmetto SADI was the best predictor of chronic disease burden (presence of at least one condition and presence of two or more conditions) among state Medicaid recipients compared to all alternative deprivation measures tested. A low-cost, regionally optimized socioeconomic deprivation index, Palmetto SADI can be used to identify areas in South Carolina at high risk for chronic disease burden among Medicaid recipients and other low-income Medicaid-eligible populations for targeted prevention, screening, diagnosis, disease self-management, and care coordination activities.

Effects of cafeteria diet on the jejunum in sedentary and physically trained rats.

PubMed

Scoaris, Célia Regina; Rizo, Gabriela Vasconcelos; Roldi, Luciana Patrícia; de Moraes, Solange Marta Franzói; de Proença, André Ricardo Gomes; Peralta, Rosane Marina; Natali, Maria Raquel Marçal

2010-03-01

The effects of a cafeteria diet on the small intestine were investigated in adult Wistar rats under sedentary conditions and after physical training. Parameters including morphometry, enzyme activities, and total myenteric populations in the jejunum were evaluated. The cafeteria diet, characterized as hyperlipidic, produced obese rats, corroborated by increases in the Lee index and the weights of the periepididymal and retroperitoneal adipose tissues (P<0.01). Obesity caused increases in the length of the small intestine, villi height, crypt depth, whole-wall thickness (P<0.05), and the enzymatic activities of alkaline phosphatase, lipase, and sucrase (P<0.01), in addition to a reduction in the number of goblet cells (P<0.05). With reference to the jejunal intrinsic innervations, the total number and area of myenteric neurons was unchanged regardless of the group. Physical training promoted 1) a reduction of the weight in the retroperitoneal and periepididymal adipose tissues (P<0.05) and 2) an increase in the thickness of the muscular layer (P<0.05). The cafeteria diet promoted obesity in rodents, leading to alterations in morphometry and enzymatic intestinal parameters, which were partily attenuated by physical training. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Promoting small towns for rural development: a view from Nepal.

PubMed

Bajracharya, B N

1995-06-01

Two small villages in Nepal are the subjects of case studies that illustrate the role of small towns in provision of services, employment, and market operations. Some general findings are that small towns act as service centers for distribution of basic essential goods such as food grains, salt, kerosene, and fabric for hill and mountain areas. The role of small towns as market centers and in the provision of employment is limited. In resource-poor areas small towns are less diversified. Towns with agricultural surpluses are more developed. Small hill towns satisfy consumption rather than production needs. The growth of rural areas and towns in rural areas in Nepal is dependent on arable land and levels of production in hill areas. Limited land and low levels of production have an adverse impact. Movement of people, goods, and services is limited by difficult terrain and lack of access to good roads. Variability in access to off-farm jobs and services available in small towns varies with ethnicity and place of residence. The best development strategy for small towns in Nepal is market-oriented territorial development, which retains surpluses in the local area and integrates markets in the larger economy. The strategy would decentralize planning into small territorial units that include both small towns and groups of villages, provide institutional support for the rural poor, expand off-farm employment, and include investment in region-serving functions. Subsistence agriculture needs to include diversification of high value cash crops based on local comparative advantage suitable for hill climate and terrain. Small farmers must produce both cash and subsistence crops. Government should provide market space and paved areas, weighing facilities, and overnight storage facilities. Products would be processed at the village level. Subdistricts must be established according to spatial and social linkages between villages and the service center and coordinated at the district level. Group marketing, transport to large urban centers, and agricultural technical services are needed.

[Clinical safety audits for primary care centers. A pilot study].

PubMed

Ruiz Sánchez, Míriam; Borrell-Carrió, Francisco; Ortodó Parra, Cristina; Fernàndez I Danés, Neus; Fité Gallego, Anna

2013-01-01

To identify organizational processes, violations of rules, or professional performances that pose clinical levels of insecurity. Descriptive cross-sectional survey with customized externally-behavioral verification and comparison of sources, conducted from June 2008 to February 2010. Thirteen of the 53 primary care teams (PCT) of the Catalonian Health Institute (ICS Costa de Ponent, Barcelona). Employees of 13 PCT classified into: director, nurse director, customer care administrators, and general practitioners. Non-random selection, teaching (TC)/non-teaching, urban (UC)/rural and small/large (LC) health care centers (HCC). A total of 33 indicators were evaluated; 15 of procedures, 9 of attitude, 3 of training, and 6 of communication. Level of uncertainty: <50% positive answers for each indicator. no collaboration. A total of 55 professionals participated (84.6% UC, 46.2% LC and 76.9% TC). Rank distribution: 13 customer care administrators, 13 nurse directors, 13 HCC directors, and 16 general practitioners. Levels of insecurity emerged from the following areas: reception of new medical professionals, injections administration, nursing weekend home calls, urgent consultations to specialists, aggressive patients, critical incidents over the agenda of the doctors, communication barriers with patients about treatment plans, and with immigrants. Clinical safety is on the agenda of the health centers. Identified areas of uncertainty are easily approachable, and are considered in the future system of accreditation of the Catalonian Government. General practitioners are more critical than directors, and teaching health care centers, rural and small HCC had a better sense of security. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Direct Roadside Measurements of Volatile Organic Compounds in Vehicle Emissions Using NO+ Time-of-Flight Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warneke, C.; Finewax, Z.; Koss, A.; Coggon, M.; Gilman, J.; Ziemann, P. J.; De Gouw, J. A.

2017-12-01

Vehicle emissions are a large source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in urban areas. As vehicle emissions have strongly decreased over the last few decades, several studies have shown that a relatively small fraction of vehicles are now responsible for total mobile emissions. While tunnel studies have measured on-road vehicular emissions representative of a vehicular fleet, there is limited data describing vehicle-specific, on-road VOC profiles. In this study VOCs were measured in real-time at one-second time resolution using NO+ time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometry (NO+ ToF-CIMS) on a Denver Metro freeway ramp for several hours in the summer of 2016 and on Highway 7, east of Boulder, Colorado, in the summer of 2017. With this setup plumes from single vehicles were successfully measured. Using positive matrix factorization (PMF), three VOC sources were obtained from the data: gasoline vapor, gasoline exhaust and diesel exhaust, which were validated by laboratory samples of gasoline and diesel headspace, of vehicle exhaust and from literature. Chemical identification of the PMF factors was further aided by authentic samples of canisters via improved Whole Air Sampling (iWAS) and Gas Chromatography - NO+ ToF-CIMS. A small portion of total vehicles measured had VOC emissions greatly exceeding the average vehicle sampled. These high-emitting vehicles will be investigated to determine the relative importance of high-emitting vehicles to overall emissions in urban areas, and how the emissions composition of high-emitting vehicles is different from the average vehicle.

Data on surface-water, streambed-interstitial water, and bed-sediment quality for selected locations in the small arms impact area of central Fort Gordon, Georgia, September 4-6, 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Priest, Sheryln; Stamey, Timothy C.; Lawrence, Stephen J.

2002-01-01

In September 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Environmental and Natural Resources Management Office of the U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon (U.S. Department of the Army), conducted a chemical assessment of surface water, streambed-interstitial water, and bed sediments within the small arms impact area of Fort Gordon Military Installation. The study was conducted in support of the development of an Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP) for Fort Gordon, Georgia. An effective INRMP ensures that natural resources conservation measures and U.S. Army activities on the military base are integrated and consistent with Federal requirements to manage military installations on an ecosystem basis. Filtered water samples were collected from five sites along South Prong Creek and three sites along Marcum Branch Creek for chemical analyses of major ions, nutrients, and selected trace elements. On-site measurements of pH, temperature, specific conductance, and dissolved oxygen were made at the eight sites. Filtered water collected showed varying concentrations in both surface- and streambed-interstitial water. Bed-sediment samples collected from South Prong Creek contain elevated levels of arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, selenium, vanadium, and total organic carbon relative to previous concentrations (McConnell and others, 2000). Bed-sediment samples collected from Marcum Branch Creek contain elevated levels of beryllium, copper, lead, manganese, mercury, selenium, and total organic carbon relative to previous concentrations (McConnell and others, 2000).

Small area estimation (SAE) model: Case study of poverty in West Java Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suhartini, Titin; Sadik, Kusman; Indahwati

2016-02-01

This paper showed the comparative of direct estimation and indirect/Small Area Estimation (SAE) model. Model selection included resolve multicollinearity problem in auxiliary variable, such as choosing only variable non-multicollinearity and implemented principal component (PC). Concern parameters in this paper were the proportion of agricultural venture poor households and agricultural poor households area level in West Java Province. The approach for estimating these parameters could be performed based on direct estimation and SAE. The problem of direct estimation, three area even zero and could not be conducted by directly estimation, because small sample size. The proportion of agricultural venture poor households showed 19.22% and agricultural poor households showed 46.79%. The best model from agricultural venture poor households by choosing only variable non-multicollinearity and the best model from agricultural poor households by implemented PC. The best estimator showed SAE better then direct estimation both of the proportion of agricultural venture poor households and agricultural poor households area level in West Java Province. The solution overcame small sample size and obtained estimation for small area was implemented small area estimation method for evidence higher accuracy and better precision improved direct estimator.

Spatial analysis and facility characteristics of outdoor recreational areas in Istanbul.

PubMed

Kara, Fatih; Demirci, Ali

2010-05-01

This article reports the results of a study that explored whether outdoor recreational areas are sufficient in Istanbul in terms of their surface area and facility characteristics. All the municipalities in 32 subprovinces of Istanbul were sent a survey in 2007 and asked to prepare a list of their outdoor recreational areas including their names, addresses, size, and facilities. All the data collected from the municipalities were used to create a GIS-based inventory by using GIS and remote sensing. As the study revealed, the outdoor recreational areas in Istanbul are far behind meeting the recreational needs of the residents in terms of area per person and facility characteristics. There are 2,470 areas which were dedicated to outdoor recreational activities in Istanbul. Total surface area of all these outdoor recreational areas is 19,2 sq kilometers; this means 1.52 m(2) recreational area per person in the city. This value is very low when compared to that of many cities in Europe and USA. As the study also revealed, the majority of outdoor recreational areas in Istanbul are poor in facility. Majority of the existing outdoor recreational areas are small and do not provide the public with many opportunities to engage in different outdoor activities. A more sustainable and efficient recreational plan is needed in Istanbul to meet the various recreational needs of its residents.

CYCLING OF CESIUM-134 IN WHITE OAK TREES ON SITES OF CONTRASTING SOIL TYPE AND MOISTURE (thesis)

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

Witherspoon, J.P. Jr.; Auerbach, S.I.; Olson, J.S.

The cycle of cesium-134 (2 mu c) in white oak trees on four sites differing soil type and moisture was followed. Gains, losses, and transfers were estimated by sampling from inoculated trees, understory, litter, and soil. With rapid translocation into leaves from initial trunk inoculations in the spring, white oak leaves contained 10/sup 5/ to 10/sup 6/ dpm per g dry weight by early June. This represented a total transfer of about 40% of the original input. From rains, loss from leaves continued throughout the growing season until September, by which time a total loss of 15% of the observedmore » maximum concentration in leaves had occurred. Approximately 70% of this rain-induced loss reached the mineral soil by September, the remainder located in litter and understory vegetation. Radiocesium transferred from trees via annual leaf fall was two times greater than the quantity exported by rain. With subsequent leaching over the winter months, the litter lost about half of its radiocesium to the mineral soil. Soils on wet sites had significantly greater percentages at lower depths down to 12 in. However, 92% of the total soil radiocesium remained in the top 4 in. on year and seven months after tree inoculation. A definite pattern of distribution, presumably related to rainleaching and stem flow, was found under tagged trees. 80% of the soil radiocesium was confined to the area within crown perimeters, and 19% occurred in a small area around the trunks. Total anaual loss of this radioisotope from inoculated trees was estimated at 19%. Results from analysis of four trees harvested at the end of the study indicated that estimates of radiocesium remaining in trees one year and seven months post inoculation were 13.3 plus or minus 3.0% high. Stable cesium determinations for soil horizons and white oak leaves showed that the amounts of Cs/sup 134/ involved in all stages of this experiment were very small compared to natural levels of cesium. (auth)« less

Interpretation of high resolution airborne magnetic data (HRAMD) of Ilesha and its environs, Southwest Nigeria, using Euler deconvolution method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olurin, Oluwaseun Tolutope

2017-12-01

Interpretation of high resolution aeromagnetic data of Ilesha and its environs within the basement complex of the geological setting of Southwestern Nigeria was carried out in the study. The study area is delimited by geographic latitudes 7°30'-8°00'N and longitudes 4°30'-5°00'E. This investigation was carried out using Euler deconvolution on filtered digitised total magnetic data (Sheet Number 243) to delineate geological structures within the area under consideration. The digitised airborne magnetic data acquired in 2009 were obtained from the archives of the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA). The airborne magnetic data were filtered, processed and enhanced; the resultant data were subjected to qualitative and quantitative magnetic interpretation, geometry and depth weighting analyses across the study area using Euler deconvolution filter control file in Oasis Montag software. Total magnetic intensity distribution in the field ranged from -77.7 to 139.7 nT. Total magnetic field intensities reveal high-magnitude magnetic intensity values (high-amplitude anomaly) and magnetic low intensities (low-amplitude magnetic anomaly) in the area under consideration. The study area is characterised with high intensity correlated with lithological variation in the basement. The sharp contrast is enhanced due to the sharp contrast in magnetic intensity between the magnetic susceptibilities of the crystalline and sedimentary rocks. The reduced-to-equator (RTE) map is characterised by high frequencies, short wavelengths, small size, weak intensity, sharp low amplitude and nearly irregular shaped anomalies, which may due to near-surface sources, such as shallow geologic units and cultural features. Euler deconvolution solution indicates a generally undulating basement, with a depth ranging from -500 to 1000 m. The Euler deconvolution results show that the basement relief is generally gentle and flat, lying within the basement terrain.

Lidar on small UAV for 3D mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tulldahl, H. Michael; Larsson, Hâkan

2014-10-01

Small UAV:s (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) are currently in an explosive technical development phase. The performance of UAV-system components such as inertial navigation sensors, propulsion, control processors and algorithms are gradually improving. Simultaneously, lidar technologies are continuously developing in terms of reliability, accuracy, as well as speed of data collection, storage and processing. The lidar development towards miniature systems with high data rates has, together with recent UAV development, a great potential for new three dimensional (3D) mapping capabilities. Compared to lidar mapping from manned full-size aircraft a small unmanned aircraft can be cost efficient over small areas and more flexible for deployment. An advantage with high resolution lidar compared to 3D mapping from passive (multi angle) photogrammetry is the ability to penetrate through vegetation and detect partially obscured targets. Another advantage is the ability to obtain 3D data over the whole survey area, without the limited performance of passive photogrammetry in low contrast areas. The purpose of our work is to demonstrate 3D lidar mapping capability from a small multirotor UAV. We present the first experimental results and the mechanical and electrical integration of the Velodyne HDL-32E lidar on a six-rotor aircraft with a total weight of 7 kg. The rotating lidar is mounted at an angle of 20 degrees from the horizontal plane giving a vertical field-of-view of 10-50 degrees below the horizon in the aircraft forward directions. For absolute positioning of the 3D data, accurate positioning and orientation of the lidar sensor is of high importance. We evaluate the lidar data position accuracy both based on inertial navigation system (INS) data, and on INS data combined with lidar data. The INS sensors consist of accelerometers, gyroscopes, GPS, magnetometers, and a pressure sensor for altimetry. The lidar range resolution and accuracy is documented as well as the capability for target surface reflectivity estimation based on measurements on calibration standards. Initial results of the general mapping capability including the detection through partly obscured environments is demonstrated through field data collection and analysis.

Pollution Prevention through Peer Education: A Community Health Worker and Small and Home-Based Business Initiative on the Arizona-Sonora Border

PubMed Central

Moreno Ramírez, Denise; Ramírez-Andreotta, Mónica D.; Vea, Lourdes; Estrella-Sánchez, Rocío; Wolf, Ann Marie A.; Kilungo, Aminata; Spitz, Anna H.; Betterton, Eric A.

2015-01-01

Government-led pollution prevention programs tend to focus on large businesses due to their potential to pollute larger quantities, therefore leaving a gap in programs targeting small and home-based businesses. In light of this gap, we set out to determine if a voluntary, peer education approach led by female, Hispanic community health workers (promotoras) can influence small and home-based businesses to implement pollution prevention strategies on-site. This paper describes a partnership between promotoras from a non-profit organization and researchers from a university working together to reach these businesses in a predominately Hispanic area of Tucson, Arizona. From 2008 to 2011, the promotora-led pollution prevention program reached a total of 640 small and home-based businesses. Program activities include technical trainings for promotoras and businesses, generation of culturally and language appropriate educational materials, and face-to-face peer education via multiple on-site visits. To determine the overall effectiveness of the program, surveys were used to measure best practices implemented on-site, perceptions towards pollution prevention, and overall satisfaction with the industry-specific trainings. This paper demonstrates that promotoras can promote the implementation of pollution prevention best practices by Hispanic small and home-based businesses considered “hard-to-reach” by government-led programs. PMID:26371028

[Effect of annealing temperature on the crystallization and spectroscopic response of a small-molecule semiconductor doped in polymer film].

PubMed

Yin, Ming; Zhang, Xin-Ping; Liu, Hong-Mei

2012-11-01

The crystallization properties of the perylene (EPPTC) molecules doped in the solid film of the derivative of polyfluorene (F8BT) at different annealing temperatures, as well as the consequently induced spectroscopic response of the exciplex emission in the heterojunction structures, were studied in the present paper. Experimental results showed that the phase separation between the small and the polymer molecules in the blend film is enhanced with increasing the annealing temperature, which leads to the crystallization of the EPPTC molecules due to the strong pi-pi stacking. The size of the crystal phase increases with increasing the annealing temperature. However, this process weakens the mechanisms of the heterojunction configuration, thus, the total interfacial area between the small and the polymer molecules and the amount of exciplex are reduced significantly in the blend film. Meanwhile, the energy transfer from the polymer to the small molecules is also reduced. As a result, the emission from the exciplex becomes weaker with increasing the annealing temperature, whereas the stronger emission from the polymer molecules and from the crystal phase of the small molecules can be observed. These experimental results are very important for understanding and tailoring the organic heterojunction structures. Furthermore, this provides photophysics for improving the performance of photovoltaic or solar cell devices.

Pollution Prevention through Peer Education: A Community Health Worker and Small and Home-Based Business Initiative on the Arizona-Sonora Border.

PubMed

Ramírez, Denise Moreno; Ramírez-Andreotta, Mónica D; Vea, Lourdes; Estrella-Sánchez, Rocío; Wolf, Ann Marie A; Kilungo, Aminata; Spitz, Anna H; Betterton, Eric A

2015-09-09

Government-led pollution prevention programs tend to focus on large businesses due to their potential to pollute larger quantities, therefore leaving a gap in programs targeting small and home-based businesses. In light of this gap, we set out to determine if a voluntary, peer education approach led by female, Hispanic community health workers (promotoras) can influence small and home-based businesses to implement pollution prevention strategies on-site. This paper describes a partnership between promotoras from a non-profit organization and researchers from a university working together to reach these businesses in a predominately Hispanic area of Tucson, Arizona. From 2008 to 2011, the promotora-led pollution prevention program reached a total of 640 small and home-based businesses. Program activities include technical trainings for promotoras and businesses, generation of culturally and language appropriate educational materials, and face-to-face peer education via multiple on-site visits. To determine the overall effectiveness of the program, surveys were used to measure best practices implemented on-site, perceptions towards pollution prevention, and overall satisfaction with the industry-specific trainings. This paper demonstrates that promotoras can promote the implementation of pollution prevention best practices by Hispanic small and home-based businesses considered "hard-to-reach" by government-led programs.

Mineral resource potential map of the Bighorn Mountains Wilderness Study Area (CDCA-217), San Bernardino County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Matti, Jonathan C.; Cox, Brett F.; Rodriguez, Eduardo A.; Obi, Curtis M.; Powell, Robert E.; Hinkle, Margaret E.; Griscom, Andrew; Sabine, Charles; Cwick, Gary J.

1982-01-01

Geological, geochemical, and geophysical evidence, together with a review of historical mining and prospecting activities, suggests that most of the Bighorn Mountains Wilderness Study Area has low potential for the discovery of all types of mineral and energy resources-including precious and base metals, building stone and aggregate, fossil fuels, radioactive-mineral resources, and geothermal resources. Low-grade mineralization has been documented in one small area near Rattlesnake Canyon, and this area has low to moderate potential for future small-scale exploration and development of precious and base metals. Thorium and uranium enrichment have been documented in two small areas in the eastern part of the wilderness study area; these two areas have low to moderate potential for future small-scale exploration and development of radioactive-mineral resources.

Variation of a Lightning NOx Indicator for National Climate Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koshak, W. J.; Vant-Hull, B.; McCaul, E. W.; Peterson, H. S.

2014-01-01

In support of the National Climate Assessment (NCA) program, satellite Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) data is used to estimate lightning nitrogen oxides (LNOx) production over the southern portion of the conterminous US. The total energy of each flash is estimated by analyzing the LIS optical event data associated with each flash (i.e., event radiance, event footprint area, and derivable event range). The LIS detects an extremely small fraction of the total flash energy; this fraction is assumed to be constant apart from the variability associated with the flash optical energy detected across the narrow (0.909 nm) LIS band. The estimate of total energy from each flash is converted to moles of LNOx production by assuming a chemical yield of 10(17) molecules Joule(-1). The LIS-inferred variable LNOx production from each flash is summed to obtain total LNOx production, and then appropriately enhanced to account for LIS detection efficiency and LIS view time. Annual geographical plots and time series of LNOx production are provided for a 16 year period (1998-2013).

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

Farfan, E.; Jannik, T.

This article describes major studies performed by the Chernobyl Center's International Radioecology Laboratory (Slavutich, Ukraine) on radioecology of murine rodents and shrews inhabiting the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The article addresses the long-term (1986-2005) and seasonal dynamics of radioactive contamination of animals, and reviews interspecies differences in radionuclide accumulations and factors affecting the radionuclide accumulations. It is shown that bioavailability of radionuclides in the 'soil-to-plant' chain and a trophic specialization of animals play key roles in determining their actual contamination levels. The total absorbed dose rates in small mammals significantly reduced during the years following the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident.more » In 1986, the absorbed dose rate reached 1.3-6.0 Gy hr{sup -1} in the central areas of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (the 'Red Forest'). In 1988 and 1990, the total absorbed dose rates were 1.3 and 0.42 Gy hr{sup -1}, respectively. In 1995, 2000, and 2005, according to the present study, the total absorbed dose rates rarely exceeded 0.00023, 0.00018, and 0.00015 Gy hr{sup -1}, respectively. Contributions of individual radiation sources into the total absorbed dose are described.« less

Small-displacement sensing system based on multiple total internal reflections in heterodyne interferometry.

PubMed

Wang, Shinn-Fwu; Chiu, Ming-Hung; Chen, Wei-Wu; Kao, Fu-Hsi; Chang, Rong-Seng

2009-05-01

A small-displacement sensing system based on multiple total internal reflections in heterodyne interferometry is proposed. In this paper, a small displacement can be obtained only by measuring the variation in phase difference between s- and p-polarization states for the total internal reflection effect. In order to improve the sensitivity, we increase the number of total internal reflections by using a parallelogram prism. The theoretical resolution of the method is better than 0.417 nm. The method has some merits, e.g., high resolution, high sensitivity, and real-time measurement. Also, its feasibility is demonstrated.

A Study on the Land Use Characteristics of Urban Medium and Small stream Depending on the Width of stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seok, Song Young; Ho, Song Yang; Ho, Lee Jung; Moo Jong, Park

2015-04-01

Due to the increase of impervious layers caused by increased rainfall and urbanization which were brought about by the climate change after the late 1990s, the flood damage in urban watersheds is rising. The recent flood damage is occurring in medium and small stream rather than in large stream. Particularly, in medium stream which pass the cities, sudden flood occurs due to the short concentration of rainfall and urban areas suffer large damage, even though the flood damage is small, since residential areas and social infrastructures are concentrated. In spite of the importance of medium and small stream to pass the cities, there is no certain standard for classification of natural or urban stream and existing studies are mostly focused on the impervious area among the land use characteristics of watersheds. Most of existing river studies are based on the watershed scale, but in most urban watersheds where stream pass, urban areas are concentrated in the confluence, so urban areas only occupy less than 10% of the whole watershed and there is a high uncertainty in the classification of urban areas, based the watershed of stream. This study aims to suggest a classification standard of medium and small stream between local stream and small stream where suffer flood damage. According to the classified medium and small stream, this study analyzed the stream area to the stream width and distance using Arcgis Buffer tool, based on the stream line, not the existing watershed scale. This study then chose urban watersheds by analyzing the river area at certain intervals from the center of the chosen medium and small stream, in different ways. Among the land use characteristics in urban areas, the impervious area was applied to the selection standard of urban watersheds and the characteristics of urban watersheds were presented by calculating the ratio of the stream area to the impervious area using the Buffer tool. Acknowledgement "This research was supported by a grant [NEMA-NH-2011-45] from the Natural Hazard Mitigation Research Group, National Emergency Management Agency of Korea." Keywords: land use, urban watershed, medium and smaill stream, impervious area

Dynamic contrast-enhanced perfusion area-detector CT assessed with various mathematical models: Its capability for therapeutic outcome prediction for non-small cell lung cancer patients with chemoradiotherapy as compared with that of FDG-PET/CT.

PubMed

Ohno, Yoshiharu; Fujisawa, Yasuko; Koyama, Hisanobu; Kishida, Yuji; Seki, Shinichiro; Sugihara, Naoki; Yoshikawa, Takeshi

2017-01-01

To directly compare the capability of dynamic first-pass contrast-enhanced (CE-) perfusion area-detector CT (ADCT) and PET/CT for early prediction of treatment response, disease progression and overall survival of non-small cell carcinoma (NSCLC) patients treated with chemoradiotherapy. Fifty-three consecutive Stage IIIB NSCLC patients who had undergone PET/CT, dynamic first-pass CE-perfusion ADCT, chemoradiotherapy, and follow-up examination were enrolled in this study. They were divided into two groups: 1) complete or partial response (CR+PR) and 2) stable or progressive disease (SD+PD). Pulmonary arterial and systemic arterial perfusions and total perfusion were assessed at targeted lesions with the dual-input maximum slope method, permeability surface and distribution volume with the Patlak plot method, tumor perfusion with the single-input maximum slope method, and SUV max , and results were averaged to determine final values for each patient. Next, step-wise regression analysis was used to determine which indices were the most useful for predicting therapeutic effect. Finally, overall survival of responders and non-responders assessed by using the indices that had a significant effect on prediction of therapeutic outcome was statistically compared. The step-wise regression test showed that therapeutic effect (r 2 =0.63, p=0.01) was significantly affected by the following three factors in order of magnitude of impact: systemic arterial perfusion, total perfusion, and SUV max . Mean overall survival showed a significant difference for total perfusion (p=0.003) and systemic arterial perfusion (p=0.04). Dynamic first-pass CE-perfusion ADCT as well as PET/CT are useful for treatment response prediction in NSCLC patients treated with chemoradiotherapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Economic geology of the Isla de Mona Quadrangle, Puerto Rico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Briggs, Reginald Peter

1974-01-01

Limiting this tableland In the northern part of Isla de Mona are sheer sea cliffs chiefly exposing the Isla de Mona Dolomite. Around the southern part of the island are Irregular cliffs and steep slopes that chiefly expose the Lirio Limestone. The structure of Isla de Mona consists of two gentle complex folds a broad anticline that trends and plunges gently south-southeast through the central and western parts of Isla de Mona, and a parallel syncline through-the eastern part of the Island that also has a chiefly south-southeast plunge. A near-vertical fault that strikes northwest, then north from the central part to the north coast of Isla de Mona displaces bedrock of the eastern block downward about 10 m. Many caves, including one cave system more than 100,000 m2 in total area, are localized in the lower 10 m of the Lirio Limestone, adjacent to the cliffs peripheral to the upland surface, and numerous small caves occur higher in the Lirio. A few small caves also are found In the Isla de Mona Dolomite. However, the total floor area of all caves on Isla de Mona probably is less than 1 percent of the area of the Island. Almost all caves on Isla de Mona contain phosphorite, which was mined extensively during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Phosphorite accumulation locally may have exceeded 3.5 m in thickness, but probably averaged less than 1.5 m thick. A fair estimate of original reserves of phosphorite in 12 surveyed caves is about 151,000 m3 of which about 125,500 m3 probably has been removed in mining. Original reserves in the entire island are estimated to have been in the range 158,000 to 235,500 m3. Converted to metric tons, remaining reserves of cave phosphorite probably are considerably less than 50,000. The very pure limestone and calcitic dolomite that form the bedrock of Isla de Mona are abundant industrial-mineral resources. In addition, these carbonate rocks and the beach deposits are sources of construction materials for some classes of engineering works. The structure of Isla de Mona suggests some possibility of favorable zones for accumulation of oil and gas, but no source rocks are known, and there are no confirmed reports of oil and gas from any nearby area. Known supplies of fresh water on Isla de Mona are very small, but wells dug in coastal lowlands or drilled In the upland surface might yield moderate quantities of groundwater.

Airborne microbial composition in a high-throughput poultry slaughtering facility.

PubMed

Liang, Ruiping; Tian, Jijing; She, Ruiping; Meng, Hua; Xiao, Peng; Chang, Lingling

2013-03-01

A high-throughput chicken slaughtering facility in Beijing was systematically investigated for numbers of airborne microorganisms. Samples were assessed for counts of aerobic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, total coliforms, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, and Salmonella. During a 4-month period (September to December 2011), samples were collected for 10 min three times daily (preproduction, production, and postproduction). Samples were collected for three consecutive days of each month with an FA-1 sampler from six sampling sites: receiving-hanging, soaking-scalding and defeathering, evisceration, precooling, subdividing, and packing. Humidity, temperature, wind velocity, and airborne particulates also were recorded at each sampling site and time. The highest counts of microorganisms were recorded in the initial stages of processing, i.e., the receiving-hanging and defeathering areas, with a definite decline toward the evisceration, prechilling, subdividing, and packing areas; the prechilling area had the lowest microbial counts of 2.4 × 10(3) CFU/m(3). Mean total coliforms counts ranged from 8.4 × 10(3) to 140 CFU/m(3). Maximum E. coli counts were 6.1 × 10(3) CFU/m(3) in the soaking-scalding and defeathering area. B. cereus, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus represented only a small proportion of the microbial population (1,900 to 20 CFU/m(3)). L. monocytogenes and Salmonella were rarely detected in evisceration, precooling, subdividing, and packing areas. Our study identified the levels of bioaerosols that may affect chicken product quality. This finding could be useful for improved control of microbial contamination to ensure product quality.

Mutielemental concentration and physiological responses of Lavandula pedunculata growing in soils developed on different mine wastes.

PubMed

Santos, Erika S; Abreu, Maria Manuela; Saraiva, Jorge A

2016-06-01

This study aimed to: i) evaluate the accumulation and translocation patterns of potentially hazardous elements into the Lavandula pedunculata and their influence in the concentrations of nutrients; and ii) compare some physiological responses associated with oxidative stress (concentration of chlorophylls (Chla, Chlb and total), carotenoids, and total protein) and several components involved in tolerance mechanisms (concentrations of proline and acid-soluble thiols and total/specific activity of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)), in plants growing in soils with a multielemental contamination and non-contaminated. Composite samples of soils, developed on mine wastes and/or host rocks, and L. pedunculata (roots and shoots) were collected in São Domingos mine (SE of Portugal) and in a reference area with non-contaminated soils, Corte do Pinto, with the same climatic conditions. São Domingos soils had high total concentrations of several hazardous elements (e.g. As and Pb) but their available fractions were small (mainly <5.8 % of the total). Translocation behaviour of elements was not clear according to the physiological importance of the elements. In general, plant shoots from São Domingos had the highest elements concentrations, but only As, Mn and Zn reached phytotoxic concentrations. Concentration of Chlb in shoots from São Domingos was higher than those from Corte do Pinto. No significant differences were obtained between concentrations of Chla, total protein, proline and acid-soluble thiols in shoots collected in both areas, as well as SOD activity (total and specific) and specific CAT activity. Total CAT activity varied with population being lower in the shoots of the plants from São Domingos, but no correlation was obtained between this enzymatic activity and the concentrations of the studied elements in shoots. Lavandula pedunculata plants are able to survive in soils developed on different mine wastes with multielemental contamination and low fertility showing no symptoms (visible and physiological) of phytotoxicity or deficiency. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of evaluation metod of flood risk in Tokyo metropolitan area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirano, J.; Dairaku, K.

2012-12-01

Flood is one of the most significant natural hazards in Japan. In particular, the Tokyo metropolitan area has been affected by several large flood disasters. Investigating potential flood risk in Tokyo metropolitan area is important for development of climate change adaptation strategy. We aim to develop a method for evaluating flood risk in Tokyo Metropolitan area by considering effect of historical land use and land cover change, socio-economic change, and climatic change. Ministry of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism in Japan published "Statistics of flood", which contains data for flood causes, number of damaged houses, area of wetted surface, and total amount of damage for each flood at small municipal level. Based on these flood data, we constructed a flood database system for Tokyo metropolitan area for the period from 1961 to 2008 by using ArcGIS software.Based on these flood data , we created flood risk curve, representing the relation ship between damage and exceedbability of flood for the period 1976-2008. Based on the flood risk cruve, we aim to evaluate potential flood risk in the Tokyo metropolitan area and clarify the cause of regional difference in flood risk at Tokyo metropolitan area by considering effect of socio-economic change and climate change

Rapid increase of lakes in Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, H.; Fan, W.; Yao, Y., Sr.; Tian, D.; MA, B.; LIU, R.; Qin, Q.

2016-12-01

The Tibetan Plateau, covered with a huge area of snow, glaciers and lakes, feeds several large rivers, incluidng Yangtze River, Yellow River, Yarlung Tsangpo River and Lancang River. Climate change can cause lakes to expand and bring floods and mudflows, and the response of lakes in this plateau to global climate change is very crucial. Using time-series Landsats clear-sky images in summer from the late 1980s to 2015, we established a new finer-resolution (30m) database of lakes in the plateau among five stages (1980s, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2015), analyzed lake changes in the past three decades, and explored the possible driving forces. Results and discussions(1) Changes in lakes > 1km2 between 1980s and 2015The changes of lake numbers and surface areas were investigated between 1980s and 2015. The lakes were identified by visual interpretation and classified to several different sizes: small (1-10km2), medium (10-50km2), large (50-100km2) and huge (>100km2) lakes. A total of 1375 lakes (>1km2) were detected in 2015, in which the small, medium, large and huge lakes respectively account for 97, 74, 262 and 942 (Fig.1 and Table 1). The numbers of lakes (> 1km2 ) has increased by 384 from 991 in 1980s (Fig.2 a, b). Meanwhile, a rapid increase of lake surface area also occurred: increased by 28.2% from 37711.0km2 in 1980s to 48335.2km2 in 2015 (Fig.2c and Table 1). (2) Temporal changes in lakes > 10km2 between 1980s and 2015Temporal variation in all lakes > 10km2 were investigated at the five stages. Most lakes have expanded (Fig.3). The water surface area of large and huge lakes increased by 13.7% from a total area of 32056.7km2 in 1980s to 36437.0km2 in 2015. For example, Siling Co, which is the largest lake in Tibet region and second largest lake in Tibetan Plateau, has increased by 702.1 km2 (41.0%) to 2416.08 km2 since 1980s with an rate about 28 km2 /a. Some new lakes or water bodies appeared due to melting glaciers or anthropogenic intervention. A few of small lakes were dried up. (3) Effects analysis on Lake changesWe used annual average temperature (AVT), annual precipitation (AP), snow cover (SC) and glacier cover (GC) in spring, and lake salt mining (LSM). The preliminary results shows that the AVT anomaly and GC are the possible drivers for most lake changes, while some lakes are affected by LSM. More details are still on investigation.

Hillslope degradation in small Mediterranean catchments along the Apennine chain in Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandolini, Pierluigi; Capolongo, Domenico; Cappadonia, Chiara; Cevasco, Andrea; Conoscenti, Christian; Del Monte, Maurizio; Pepe, Giacomo; Piccarreta, Marco; Vergari, Francesca

2017-04-01

In this research, the results coming from the investigation of some small catchments located along the Apennines (Italy) affected by hillslope degradation are presented. Four key study areas, particularly sensitive to climatic and anthropic changes, have been selected in Liguria (Cinque Terre), Tuscany (Val d'Orcia), Basilicata (Fossa Bradanica)) and Sicily (Scillato) regions. These areas are characterized by different climatic and geological conditions, orographic and tectonic settings, land use evolution and land management practices. All of them recorded very severe landscape changes in the last few centuries, because of unsustainable anthropogenic modification together with their increasing proneness to fast erosion by mass movements and runoff on slopes. Hence, degradation processes are widespread in the selected areas leading to loss and depletion of soil, economic damage, risk conditions and environmental changes. Interestingly, despite the small extent, the selected basins can be considered representative of the land degradation issues that occurred at the wider regional scale. The obtained results show that the maximum denudation effects occur during occasional but extreme rainfall events that can mobilize, in a few hours or days, the total annual sediment yield estimated for a single catchment and for a single slope. Furthermore, the case studies revealed that land mismanagement has a crucial impact in increasing the erosion rates, especially when crop-land are abandoned and/or land maintenance practices are no longer carried out. Since hillslope degradation, together with the recent changes in the rainfall regime and in land use, can lead to an increasing in both geomorphological hazard and risk, our findings can contribute: (i) to define a proper land management; (ii) to support the decision-making; (iii) to schedule an effective strategy for landscape conservation and its enhancement.

A study of knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to brucellosis among small-scale dairy farmers in an urban and peri-urban area of Tajikistan.

PubMed

Lindahl, Elisabeth; Sattorov, Nosirjon; Boqvist, Sofia; Magnusson, Ulf

2015-01-01

Improvement of knowledge, attitudes and practices among urban livestock farmers could have a significant impact on the reduction of many zoonotic infections in urban farming. This study aimed to describe and evaluate weak areas in knowledge, attitudes and practices with regards to brucellosis among urban and peri-urban small-scale dairy farmers in a low income country to generate information essential for control programmes and public health interventions. The cross-sectional study was conducted during six weeks in 2011. The study subjects were small-scale dairy farmers living in the urban and peri-urban area of the capital Dushanbe in Tajikistan. In total, 441 farmers were interviewed using a questionnaire with questions about demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to brucellosis. Descriptive statistics were used and a logistic regression model applied to evaluate potential predictors to knowledge about brucellosis. The majority (85%) of the farmers had never heard of brucellosis. Low educational level was found to be associated with low awareness of brucellosis (P = < 0.001). Respondents who talked about animal health issues with family members or friends were less likely to have heard of brucellosis compared to those who often talked to veterinarians (P = 0.03). Sixty three per cent of the participants wanted more information about brucellosis. Seventeen per cent sold unpasteurized dairy products on a regular basis direct to consumers. Almost 30% of the households consumed unpasteurized dairy products on regular basis. A majority of the respondents did not use any protection when handling cows having an abortion or when dealing with aborted materials. Poor knowledge, high-risk behaviours and a willingness to learn more strengthens the logic for including health education as part of control programmes.

Linking Retinal Microvasculature Features With Severity of Diabetic Retinopathy Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography.

PubMed

Bhanushali, Devanshi; Anegondi, Neha; Gadde, Santosh G K; Srinivasan, Priya; Chidambara, Lavanya; Yadav, Naresh Kumar; Sinha Roy, Abhijit

2016-07-01

To correlate retinal vascular features with severity and systemic indicators of diabetic retinopathy (DR) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). A total of 209 eyes of 122 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with DR and 60 eyes of 31 normal Indian subjects underwent OCTA imaging. The diabetic retinopathy patients were graded as having either nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR: mild, moderate, and severe NPDR using Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study classification) or proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Local fractal analysis was applied to the superficial and deep retinal OCTA images. Foveal avascular zone area (FAZ in mm2); vessel density (%); spacing between large vessels (%); and spacing between small vessels (%) were analyzed. Sensitivity and specificity of vascular parameters were assessed with receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. Normal eyes had a significantly lower FAZ area, higher vessel density, and lower spacing between large and small vessels compared with DR grades (P < 0.001). In the superficial layer, PDR and severe NPDR had higher spacing between large vessels than mild and moderate NPDR (P = 0.04). However, mild NPDR had higher spacing between the small vessels (P < 0.001). Spacing between the large vessels in the superficial retinal layer correlated positively with HbA1c (r = 0.25, P = 0.03); fasting (r = 0.23, P = 0.02); and postprandial (r = 0.26, P = 0.03) blood sugar. The same spacing in the deep retinal vascular plexus had the highest area under the ROC curve (0.99 ± 0.01) and was uniformly elevated in all diabetic eyes (P > 0.05). Spacing between the large vessels in the superficial and deep retinal layers had superior diagnostic performance than overall vessel density.

A Study of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Relating to Brucellosis among Small-Scale Dairy Farmers in an Urban and Peri-Urban Area of Tajikistan

PubMed Central

Lindahl, Elisabeth; Sattorov, Nosirjon; Boqvist, Sofia; Magnusson, Ulf

2015-01-01

Improvement of knowledge, attitudes and practices among urban livestock farmers could have a significant impact on the reduction of many zoonotic infections in urban farming. This study aimed to describe and evaluate weak areas in knowledge, attitudes and practices with regards to brucellosis among urban and peri-urban small-scale dairy farmers in a low income country to generate information essential for control programmes and public health interventions. The cross-sectional study was conducted during six weeks in 2011. The study subjects were small-scale dairy farmers living in the urban and peri-urban area of the capital Dushanbe in Tajikistan. In total, 441 farmers were interviewed using a questionnaire with questions about demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to brucellosis. Descriptive statistics were used and a logistic regression model applied to evaluate potential predictors to knowledge about brucellosis. The majority (85%) of the farmers had never heard of brucellosis. Low educational level was found to be associated with low awareness of brucellosis (P = < 0.001). Respondents who talked about animal health issues with family members or friends were less likely to have heard of brucellosis compared to those who often talked to veterinarians (P = 0.03). Sixty three per cent of the participants wanted more information about brucellosis. Seventeen per cent sold unpasteurized dairy products on a regular basis direct to consumers. Almost 30% of the households consumed unpasteurized dairy products on regular basis. A majority of the respondents did not use any protection when handling cows having an abortion or when dealing with aborted materials. Poor knowledge, high-risk behaviours and a willingness to learn more strengthens the logic for including health education as part of control programmes. PMID:25668783

INNOVATIONS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL IMPROVEMENT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CUSHMAN, M.L.; STURGES, A.W.

THE CATSKILL AREA PROJECT IN SMALL SCHOOL DESIGN, THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN AREA PROJECT FOR SMALL HIGH SCHOOLS, THE WESTERN STATES SMALL SCHOOLS PROJECT, AND THE TEXAS SMALL SCHOOLS PROJECT ARE DESCRIBED AND COMPARED. FINANCIAL SUPPORT COMPARISONS ARE MADE. METHODS OF IMPROVING INSTRUCTION ARE DIVIDED INTO TEACHER-CENTERED AND ADMINISTRATOR-CENTERED…

A hierarchical cluster analysis of normal-tension glaucoma using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography parameters.

PubMed

Bae, Hyoung Won; Ji, Yongwoo; Lee, Hye Sun; Lee, Naeun; Hong, Samin; Seong, Gong Je; Sung, Kyung Rim; Kim, Chan Yun

2015-01-01

Normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) is a heterogenous disease, and there is still controversy about subclassifications of this disorder. On the basis of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), we subdivided NTG with hierarchical cluster analysis using optic nerve head (ONH) parameters and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thicknesses. A total of 200 eyes of 200 NTG patients between March 2011 and June 2012 underwent SD-OCT scans to measure ONH parameters and RNFL thicknesses. We classified NTG into homogenous subgroups based on these variables using a hierarchical cluster analysis, and compared clusters to evaluate diverse NTG characteristics. Three clusters were found after hierarchical cluster analysis. Cluster 1 (62 eyes) had the thickest RNFL and widest rim area, and showed early glaucoma features. Cluster 2 (60 eyes) was characterized by the largest cup/disc ratio and cup volume, and showed advanced glaucomatous damage. Cluster 3 (78 eyes) had small disc areas in SD-OCT and were comprised of patients with significantly younger age, longer axial length, and greater myopia than the other 2 groups. A hierarchical cluster analysis of SD-OCT scans divided NTG patients into 3 groups based upon ONH parameters and RNFL thicknesses. It is anticipated that the small disc area group comprised of younger and more myopic patients may show unique features unlike the other 2 groups.

Secondary Forests from Agricultural Abandonment in Amazonia 2000-2009

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morton, Douglas

2010-01-01

Ongoing negotiations to include reducing emissions from tropical deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) in a post-Kyoto climate agreement highlight the critical role of satellite data for accurate and transparent accounting of forest cover changes. In addition to deforestation and degradation, knowledge of secondary forest dynamics is essential for full carbon accounting under REDD+. Land abandonment to secondary forests also frames one of the key tradeoffs for agricultural production in tropical forest countries-whether to incentivize secondary forest growth (for carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation) or low-carbon expansion of agriculture or biofuels production in areas of secondary forests. We examined patterns of land abandonment to secondary forest across the arc of deforestation in Brazil and Bolivia using time series of annual Landsat and MODIS data from 2000-2009. Rates of land abandonment to secondary forest during 2002-2006 were less than 5% of deforestation rates in these years. Small areas of new secondary forest were scattered across the entire arc of deforestation, rather than concentrated in any specific region of the basin. Taken together, our analysis of the satellite data record emphasizes the difficulties of addressing the pool of new secondary forests in the context of REDD+ in Amazonia. Due to the small total area of secondary forests, land sparing through agricultural intensification will be an important element of efforts to reduce deforestation rates under REDD+ while improving agricultural productivity in Amazonia.

Temporal Variability of Suspended Sediment Load, Dissolved Load, and Bedload for Two Small Oak Forested Catchments with Contrasting Disturbance Levels in the Lesser Himalaya of North-West India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qazi, N. U. Q.; Rai, S. P.; Bruijnzeel, L. A.

2014-12-01

Sediment transfer from mountainous areas to lowland areas is one of the most important geomorphological processes globally with the bulk of the sediment yield from such areas typically deriving from mass wastage processes. This study presents monthly, seasonal and annual variations in sediment transport (both suspended load and bed load) as well as dissolved loads over three consecutive water years (2008-2011) for two small forested watersheds with contrasting levels of forest disturbance in the Lesser Himalaya of Northwest India. Seasonal and annual suspended sediment yields were strongly influenced by amounts of rainfall and stream flow and showed a 23-fold range between wet and dry years. Of the annual load, some 92% was produced on average during the monsoon season (June-September). Sediment production by the disturbed forest catchment was 2.6-fold (suspended sediment) to 5.9-fold (bed load) higher than that for the well-stocked forest catchment. By contrast, dissolved loads varied much less between years, seasons (although minimal during the dry summer season), and degree of forest disturbance. Total mechanical denudation rates were 1.2 times and 4.7 times larger than chemical denudation rates for the little disturbed and the heavily disturbed forest catchment, respectively whereas overall denudation rates were estimated at 0.59 and 1.05 mm per 1000 years, respectively.

Evaluation of pyritic mine tailings as a plant growth substrate.

PubMed

Roseby, Stuart J; Kopittke, Peter M; Mulligan, David R; Menzies, Neal W

2017-10-01

At the Kidston gold mine, Australia, the direct establishment of vegetation on tailings was considered as an alternative to the use of a waste rock cover. The tailings acid/base account was used to predict plant growth limitation by acidity, and thus methods capable of identifying tailings that would acidify to pH 4.5 or lower were sought. Total S was found to be poorly correlated with acid-generating sulfide, and total C was poorly correlated with acid-neutralizing carbonate, precluding the use of readily determined total S and C as predictors of net acid generation. Therefore, the selected approach used assessment of sulfide content as a predictor of acid generation, and carbonate content as a measure of the acid-neutralizing capacity available at pH 5 and above. Using this approach, the majority of tailings (67%) were found to be non-acid generating. However, areas of potentially acid-generating tailings were randomly distributed across the dam, and could only be located by intensive sampling. The limitations imposed by the large sample numbers, and costly analysis of sulfide and carbonate, make it impractical to identify and ameliorate acid-generating areas prior to vegetation establishment. However, as only a small proportion of the tailings will acidify, a strategy of re-treating acid areas following oxidation is suggested. The findings of the present study will assist in the selection of appropriate methods for the prediction of net acid generation, particularly where more conservative measurements are required to allow vegetation to be established directly in tailings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The 80:20 phenomenon: help or hindrance to planning caries prevention programmes?

PubMed

Tickle, Martin

2002-03-01

to compare the outcomes of population segmentation analyses according to caries experience using the distribution of dmft and the Super Profiles geodemographic classification. The study population consisted of all 15,747 children in seven districts in the North West Region, England who were examined in whole population surveys during the 1995/6 NHS epidemiological survey of 5-year-old children. Market penetration analyses were used to segment this population according to caries experience by their dmft score and by the Super Profiles geodemographic classification. Lorenz curves were plotted and Gini coefficients were calculated from the outputs. When dmft was used to segment the population approximately 80% of carious teeth were found in some 42% of the total population, producing a Lorenz Curve with a Gini coefficient of 66%. The population was then segmented using Super Profiles Target Markets. The target markets were ranked according to caries experience and the denominator population living in each of these area types. Some 81% of the total population dmft was found in the topmost ranked 73.8% of the total population. The resultant Lorenz curve produced a Gini coefficient of 16.2%. About half of the population disease was confined to a minority of the population but not to the extent of 80% of the disease in 20% of the population. Although these high risk children were more commonly found in underprivileged area types, they did not live exclusively in a small number of deprived areas. These findings shed doubt on the wisdom of a targeted approach to oral health promotion and disease prevention programmes.

A significant nexus: Geographically isolated wetlands influence landscape hydrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLaughlin, Daniel L.; Kaplan, David A.; Cohen, Matthew J.

2014-09-01

Recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings have limited federal protections for geographically isolated wetlands (GIWs) except where a "significant nexus" to a navigable water body is demonstrated. Geographic isolation does not imply GIWs are hydrologically disconnected; indeed, wetland-groundwater interactions may yield important controls on regional hydrology. Differences in specific yield (Sy) between uplands and inundated GIWs drive differences in water level responses to precipitation and evapotranspiration, leading to frequent reversals in hydraulic gradients that cause GIWs to act as both groundwater sinks and sources. These reversals are predicted to buffer surficial aquifer dynamics and thus base flow delivery, a process we refer to as landscape hydrologic capacitance. To test this hypothesis, we connected models of soil moisture, upland water table, and wetland stage to simulate hydrology of a low-relief landscape with GIWs, and explored the influences of total wetland area, individual wetland size, climate, and soil texture on water table and base flow variation. Increasing total wetland area and decreasing individual wetland size substantially decreased water table and base flow variation (e.g., reducing base flow standard deviation by as much as 50%). GIWs also decreased the frequency of extremely high and low water tables and base flow deliveries. For the same total wetland area, landscapes with fewer (i.e., larger) wetlands exhibited markedly lower hydrologic capacitance than those with more (i.e., smaller) wetlands, highlighting the importance of small GIWs to regional hydrology. Our results suggest that GIWs buffer dynamics of the surficial aquifer and stream base flow, providing an indirect but significant nexus to the regional hydrologic system.

Practical interior tomography with radial Hilbert filtering and a priori knowledge in a small round area.

PubMed

Tang, Shaojie; Yang, Yi; Tang, Xiangyang

2012-01-01

Interior tomography problem can be solved using the so-called differentiated backprojection-projection onto convex sets (DBP-POCS) method, which requires a priori knowledge within a small area interior to the region of interest (ROI) to be imaged. In theory, the small area wherein the a priori knowledge is required can be in any shape, but most of the existing implementations carry out the Hilbert filtering either horizontally or vertically, leading to a vertical or horizontal strip that may be across a large area in the object. In this work, we implement a practical DBP-POCS method with radial Hilbert filtering and thus the small area with the a priori knowledge can be roughly round (e.g., a sinus or ventricles among other anatomic cavities in human or animal body). We also conduct an experimental evaluation to verify the performance of this practical implementation. We specifically re-derive the reconstruction formula in the DBP-POCS fashion with radial Hilbert filtering to assure that only a small round area with the a priori knowledge be needed (namely radial DBP-POCS method henceforth). The performance of the practical DBP-POCS method with radial Hilbert filtering and a priori knowledge in a small round area is evaluated with projection data of the standard and modified Shepp-Logan phantoms simulated by computer, followed by a verification using real projection data acquired by a computed tomography (CT) scanner. The preliminary performance study shows that, if a priori knowledge in a small round area is available, the radial DBP-POCS method can solve the interior tomography problem in a more practical way at high accuracy. In comparison to the implementations of DBP-POCS method demanding the a priori knowledge in horizontal or vertical strip, the radial DBP-POCS method requires the a priori knowledge within a small round area only. Such a relaxed requirement on the availability of a priori knowledge can be readily met in practice, because a variety of small round areas (e.g., air-filled sinuses or fluid-filled ventricles among other anatomic cavities) exist in human or animal body. Therefore, the radial DBP-POCS method with a priori knowledge in a small round area is more feasible in clinical and preclinical practice.

Evaluation of Major Dike-Impounded Ground-Water Reservoirs, Island of Oahu

USGS Publications Warehouse

Takasaki, Kiyoshi J.; Mink, John Francis

1985-01-01

Ground-water reservoirs impounded by volcanic dikes receive a substantial part of the total recharge to ground water on the island of Oahu because they generally underlie the rainiest areas. These reservoirs accumulate the infiltration from rainfall, store it temporarily, and steadily leak it to abutting basal reservoirs or to streams cutting into them. The dike reservoirs have high hydraulic heads and are mostly isolated from saline water. The most important and productive of the dike-impounded reservoirs are in an area of about 135 square miles in the main fissure zone of the Koolau volcano where the top of the dike-impounded water reaches an altitude of at least 1,000 feet. Water is impounded and stored both above and below sea level. The water stored above sea level in the 135 square mile area has been roughly estimated at 560 billion gallons. In comparison, the water stored above sea level in reservoirs underlying a dike-intruded area of about 53 square miles in the Waianae Range has been roughly estimated at 100 billion gallons. Storage below sea level is indeterminable, owing to uncertainties about the ability of the rock to store water as dike density increases and porosity decreases. Tunnels, by breaching dike controls, have reduced the water stored above sea level by at least 50 billion gallons in the Koolau Range and by 5 1/2 billion gallons in the Waianae Range, only a small part of the total water stored. Total leakage from storage in the Koolau Range has been estimated at about 280 Mgal/d (million gallons per day). This estimated leakage from the dike-impounded reservoirs makes up a significant part of the ground-water yield of the Koolau Range, which has been estimated to range from 450 to 580 Mgal/d. The largest unused surface leakage is in the Kaneohe, Kahana, and Punaluu areas, and the largest unused underflow occurs in the Waialee, Hauula-Laie, Punaluu, and Kahana areas. The unused underflow leakage is small in areas near and east of Waialae, but it is an important supply because of the great need for augmenting water supplies there. Total leakage from storage in the Waianae Range has not been estimated because underflow is difficult to determine. Much of the surface leakage, about 4 Mgal/d in the upper parts of Waianae, Makaha, and Lualualei Valleys, has been diverted by tunnels. Hence, supplies available, other than surface leakage, cannot be estimated from the discharge end of the hydrologic cycle. Infiltration in the Waianae Range to dike-intruded reservoirs in the upper part of the valleys on the west (leeward) side has been estimated at about 20 Mgal/d, and on the east (windward) side, at about 10 Mgal/d. The available supply has been estimated at about 15 Mgal/d from the infiltration on the leeward side, of which about 4 Mgal/d is now being developed. No estimate has been made for the available supply on the windward side. Dike-intruded reservoirs at shallow depths west (lee side) of the crest are in upper Makaha, Waianae, and Lualualei Valleys. They are at moderate depths in upper Haleanu and in lower Kaukonahua Gulches on the east (windward) side. Flow hydraulics in dike tunnels is also discussed.

Environmental gradients explain species richness and community composition of coastal breeding birds in the Baltic Sea.

PubMed

Nord, Maria; Forslund, Pär

2015-01-01

Scientifically-based systematic conservation planning for reserve design requires knowledge of species richness patterns and how these are related to environmental gradients. In this study, we explore a large inventory of coastal breeding birds, in total 48 species, sampled in 4646 1 km2 squares which covered a large archipelago in the Baltic Sea on the east coast of Sweden. We analysed how species richness (α diversity) and community composition (β diversity) of two groups of coastal breeding birds (specialists, i.e. obligate coastal breeders; generalists, i.e. facultative coastal breeders) were affected by distance to open sea, land area, shoreline length and archipelago width. The total number of species per square increased with increasing shoreline length, but increasing land area counteracted this effect in specialists. The number of specialist bird species per square increased with decreasing distance to open sea, while the opposite was true for the generalists. Differences in community composition between squares were associated with differences in land area and distance to open sea, both when considering all species pooled and each group separately. Fourteen species were nationally red-listed, and showed similar relationships to the environmental gradients as did all species, specialists and generalists. We suggest that availability of suitable breeding habitats, and probably also proximity to feeding areas, explain much of the observed spatial distributions of coastal birds in this study. Our findings have important implications for systematic conservation planning of coastal breeding birds. In particular, we provide information on where coastal breeding birds occur and which environments they seem to prefer. Small land areas with long shorelines are highly valuable both in general and for red-listed species. Thus, such areas should be prioritized for protection against human disturbance and used by management in reserve selection.

Environmental Gradients Explain Species Richness and Community Composition of Coastal Breeding Birds in the Baltic Sea

PubMed Central

Nord, Maria; Forslund, Pär

2015-01-01

Scientifically-based systematic conservation planning for reserve design requires knowledge of species richness patterns and how these are related to environmental gradients. In this study, we explore a large inventory of coastal breeding birds, in total 48 species, sampled in 4646 1 km2 squares which covered a large archipelago in the Baltic Sea on the east coast of Sweden. We analysed how species richness (α diversity) and community composition (β diversity) of two groups of coastal breeding birds (specialists, i.e. obligate coastal breeders; generalists, i.e. facultative coastal breeders) were affected by distance to open sea, land area, shoreline length and archipelago width. The total number of species per square increased with increasing shoreline length, but increasing land area counteracted this effect in specialists. The number of specialist bird species per square increased with decreasing distance to open sea, while the opposite was true for the generalists. Differences in community composition between squares were associated with differences in land area and distance to open sea, both when considering all species pooled and each group separately. Fourteen species were nationally red-listed, and showed similar relationships to the environmental gradients as did all species, specialists and generalists. We suggest that availability of suitable breeding habitats, and probably also proximity to feeding areas, explain much of the observed spatial distributions of coastal birds in this study. Our findings have important implications for systematic conservation planning of coastal breeding birds. In particular, we provide information on where coastal breeding birds occur and which environments they seem to prefer. Small land areas with long shorelines are highly valuable both in general and for red-listed species. Thus, such areas should be prioritized for protection against human disturbance and used by management in reserve selection. PMID:25714432

Land use, population dynamics, and land-cover change in eastern Puerto Rico: Chapter B in Water quality and landscape processes of four watersheds in eastern Puerto Rico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gould, William A.; Martinuzzi, Sebastián; Pares-Ramos, Isabel K.; Murphy, Sheila F.; Stallard, Robert F.; Murphy, Sheila F.; Stallard, Robert F.

2012-01-01

We assessed current and historic land use and land cover in the Luquillo Mountains and surrounding area in eastern Puerto Rico, including four small subwatersheds that are study watersheds of the U.S. Geological Survey's Water, Energy, and Biogeochemical Budgets (WEBB) program. This region occupies an area of 1,616 square kilometers, about 18 percent of the total land in Puerto Rico. Closed forests occupy about 37 percent of the area, woodlands and shrublands 7 percent, nonforest vegetation 43 percent, urban development 10 percent, and water and natural barrens total less than 2 percent. The area has been classified into three main land-use categories by integrating recent census information (population density per barrio in the year 2000) with satellite image analyses (degree of developed area versus natural land cover). Urban land use (in this analysis, land with more than 20 percent developed cover within a 1-square-kilometer area and population density greater than 500 people per square kilometer) covered 16 percent of eastern Puerto Rico. Suburban land use (more than 80 percent natural land cover, more than 500 people per square kilometer, and primarily residential) covers 50 percent of the area. Rural land use (more than 80 percent natural land cover, less than 500 people per square kilometer, and primarily active or abandoned agricultural, wetland, steep slope, or protected conservation areas) covered 34 percent of the area. Our analysis of land-cover change indicates that in the 1990s, forest cover increased at the expense of woodlands and grasslands. Urban development increased by 16 percent during that time. The most pronounced change in the last seven decades has been the shift from a nonforested to a forested landscape and the intensification of the ring of urbanization that surrounds the long-protected Luquillo Experimental Forest.

Reduction in diabetic amputations over 11 years in a defined U.K. population: benefits of multidisciplinary team work and continuous prospective audit.

PubMed

Krishnan, Singhan; Nash, Fiona; Baker, Neil; Fowler, Duncan; Rayman, Gerry

2008-01-01

To assess changes in diabetic lower-extremity amputation rates in a defined relatively static population over an 11-year period following the introduction of a multidisciplinary foot team. All diabetic patients with foot problems admitted to Ipswich Hospital, a large district general hospital, were identified by twice-weekly surveillance of all relevant in-patient areas and outcomes including amputations recorded. The incidence of major amputations fell 62%, from 7.4 to 2.8 per 100,000 of the general population. Total amputation rates also decreased (40.3%) but to a lesser extent due to a small increase in minor amputations. Expressed as incidence per 10,000 people with diabetes, total amputations fell 70%, from 53.2 to 16.0, and major amputations fell 82%, from 36.4 to 6.7. Significant reductions in total and major amputation rates occurred over the 11-year period following improvements in foot care services including multidisciplinary team work.

Distribution of acetylcholine receptors at frog neuromuscular junctions with a discussion of some physiological implications.

PubMed Central

Matthews-Bellinger, J; Salpeter, M M

1978-01-01

1. The distribution of acetylcholine receptors (AChR) at frog cutaneous pectoris neuromuscular junctions was studied quantitatively using [1125]alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-BTX) labelling and EM autoradiography. 2. We found that, as in mouse end-plates, the AChR is localized uniformly along the thickened post-junctional membrane. In the frog muscle this specialized membrane constitutes approximately the top 50% of the junctional folds. 3. The receptor site density is approximately 26,000 +/- 6000 sites/micrometer2 on the thickened post-junctional membrane and falls sharply to approximately 50 sites/micrometer2 within 15 micrometer from the axon terminal. 4. alpha-BTX site density on the presynaptic axonal membrane was directly determined to be at most 5% of the value on the thickened post-junctional membrane. 5. The high post junctional AChR site density leads us to conclude that: (a) each quantum of ACh needs to spread only over a very small post-junctional area (to be called the 'critical area') before it encounters as many AChR (plus AchE) sites as there are ACh molecules in the quantum (for a packet of 10(4) ACh molecules this critical area is approximately 0.3 micrometer2), (b) the average concentration of ACh prevailing in the cleft over this critical area during a quantal response will be approximately 10(-3)M (independent of the size of the quantal packet), and (c) since 10(-3)M-ACh is large compared to any estimates of the dissociation constant Kd for ACh binding to the AChR, the ACh will essentially saturate the AChR within the critical area (provided the ACh binding rate is sufficiently faster than the ACh spreading rate). 6. The total receptive surface for a frog end-plate is calculated to be approximately 1500 micrometer2, and therefore an end-plate potential resulting from 300 quanta will be due to the activation of less than 10% of the total receptive area. 7. Free diffusion would allow each small post-junctional critical area to be reached in less than 15 musec. Therefore, either the recorded rise time of the miniature end-plate is not predominantly a function of ACh diffusion time, or, as suggested by Gage & McBurney (1975), the net rate of movement of ACh in the cleft is much slower than indicated by the free diffusion constant. Images Fig. 1a and b Fig. 2 Figs. 3, 5 Fig. 4 PMID:307600

Effects of weather on the retrieval of sea ice concentration and ice type from passive microwave data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maslanik, J. A.

1992-01-01

Effects of wind, water vapor, and cloud liquid water on ice concentration and ice type calculated from passive microwave data are assessed through radiative transfer calculations and observations. These weather effects can cause overestimates in ice concentration and more substantial underestimates in multi-year ice percentage by decreasing polarization and by decreasing the gradient between frequencies. The effect of surface temperature and air temperature on the magnitudes of weather-related errors is small for ice concentration and substantial for multiyear ice percentage. The existing weather filter in the NASA Team Algorithm addresses only weather effects over open ocean; the additional use of local open-ocean tie points and an alternative weather correction for the marginal ice zone can further reduce errors due to weather. Ice concentrations calculated using 37 versus 18 GHz data show little difference in total ice covered area, but greater differences in intermediate concentration classes. Given the magnitude of weather-related errors in ice classification from passive microwave data, corrections for weather effects may be necessary to detect small trends in ice covered area and ice type for climate studies.

First description of a Lophelia pertusa reef complex in Atlantic Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buhl-Mortensen, Pål; Gordon, Don C.; Buhl-Mortensen, Lene; Kulka, Dave W.

2017-08-01

For the first time, we describe a cold-water coral reef complex in Atlantic Canada, discovered at the shelf break, in the mouth of the Laurentian Channel. The study is based on underwater video and sidescan sonar. The reef complex covered an area of approximately 490×1300 m, at 280-400 m depth. It consisted of several small mounds (< 3 m high) where the scleractinian Lophelia pertusa occurred as live colonies, dead blocks and skeletal rubble. On the mounds, a total of 67 live colonies occurred within 14 patches at 300-320 m depth. Most of these (67%) were small (< 20 cm high). Dead coral (rubble and blocks), dominated (88% of all coral observations). Extensive signs of damage by bottom-fishing gear were observed: broken and tilted coral colonies, over-turned boulders and lost fishing gear. Fisheries observer data indicated that the reef complex was subjected to heavy otter trawling annually between 1980 and 2000. In June 2004, a 15 km2 conservation area excluding all bottom-fishing was established. Current bottom fisheries outside the closure include otter trawling for redfish and anchored longlines for halibut. Vessel monitoring system data indicate that the closure is generally respected by the fishing industry.

The Role of Small Woodland Remnants on Ground Dwelling Insect Conservation in Chaco Serrano, Central Argentina

PubMed Central

Moreno, María Laura; Fernández, María Guadalupe; Molina, Silvia Itati; Valladares, Graciela

2013-01-01

Many terrestrial ecosystems are changing due to extensive land use and habitat fragmentation, posing a major threat to biodiversity. In this study, the effects of patch size, isolation, and edge/interior localization on the ground dwelling insect communities in the Chaco Serrano woodland remnants in central Argentina were examined. Sampling was carried out in December 2003 and March 2004 in nine remnants (0.57 to 1000 hectares) using pitfall traps. In total, 7071 individuals representing 12 orders and 79 families were recorded. The taxonomic composition of these communities was linked to remnant size. Insect abundance increased (as did their richness, albeit marginally) as remnant area decreased, with no significant effects of isolation or edge/interior localization on abundance, richness, or diversity. No differential area effects were observed when abundance and richness of predators, scavengers, and herbivores were compared. Thus, ground insect communities in fragmented Chaco Serrano seem to respond mainly to patch level, rather than to within-patch (edge effects) or landscape (isolation) level variables. These results suggest that small Chaco Serrano remnants, by supporting larger ground-dwelling insect assemblages, may play an important role from a conservation viewpoint. PMID:23902409

The role of small woodland remnants on ground dwelling insect conservation in Chaco Serrano, Central Argentina.

PubMed

Moreno, María Laura; Fernández, María Guadalupe; Molina, Silvia Itati; Valladares, Graciela

2013-01-01

Many terrestrial ecosystems are changing due to extensive land use and habitat fragmentation, posing a major threat to biodiversity. In this study, the effects of patch size, isolation, and edge/interior localization on the ground dwelling insect communities in the Chaco Serrano woodland remnants in central Argentina were examined. Sampling was carried out in December 2003 and March 2004 in nine remnants (0.57 to 1000 hectares) using pitfall traps. In total, 7071 individuals representing 12 orders and 79 families were recorded. The taxonomic composition of these communities was linked to remnant size. Insect abundance increased (as did their richness, albeit marginally) as remnant area decreased, with no significant effects of isolation or edge/interior localization on abundance, richness, or diversity. No differential area effects were observed when abundance and richness of predators, scavengers, and herbivores were compared. Thus, ground insect communities in fragmented Chaco Serrano seem to respond mainly to patch level, rather than to within-patch (edge effects) or landscape (isolation) level variables. These results suggest that small Chaco Serrano remnants, by supporting larger ground-dwelling insect assemblages, may play an important role from a conservation viewpoint.

The distribution and composition of hydrocarbons in sediments from the Fladen Ground, North Sea, an area of oil production.

PubMed

Ahmed, Abdulwaheed S; Webster, Lynda; Pollard, Pat; Davies, Ian M; Russell, Marie; Walsham, Pam; Packer, Gill; Moffat, Colin F

2006-02-01

The distribution and composition of hydrocarbons in sediment from the Fladen Ground oilfield in the northern North Sea have been investigated. The total PAH concentrations (2- to 6-ring parent and alkylated PAHs, including the 16 US EPA PAHs) in sediments were relatively low (<100 microg kg(-1) dry weight). The PAH, the Forties crude and diesel oil equivalent concentrations were generally higher in sediment of fine grain size and higher organic carbon concentration. PAH distributions and concentration ratios indicated a predominantly pyrolytic input, being dominated by the heavier, more persistent, 5- and 6-ring compounds, and with a high proportion of parent PAHs. The n-alkane profiles of a number of the sediments contained small, high boiling point, UCMs, indicative of weathered oil arising from a limited petrogenic input. The geochemical biomarker profiles of the sediments that contained UCMs showed a small bisnorhopane peak and a high proportion of norhopane relative to hopane, indicating that there was contamination from both Middle Eastern and North Sea oils. Therefore contamination was not directly as a result of oil exploration activity in the area. The most likely source of petrogenic contamination was from general shipping activity.

Measuring Coastal Boating Noise to Assess Potential Impacts on Marine Life

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

Matzner, Shari; Jones, Mark E.

2011-07-01

Article requested for submission in Sea Technology Magazine describing the Underwater Noise From Small Boats. An Overlooked Component of the Acoustic Environment in Coastal Areas. Underwater noise and its effects on marine life deserve attention as human activity in the marine environment increases. Noise can affect fish and marine mammals in ways that are physiological, as in auditory threshold shifts, and behavioral, as in changes in foraging habits. One anthropogenic source of underwater noise that has received little attention to date is recreational boating. Coastal areas and archipelago regions, which play a crucial role in the marine ecosystem, are oftenmore » subject to high levels of boat traffic. In order to better understand the noise produced by a small powerboat, a test was conducted in Sequim Bay, Washington, using an instrumented research vessel and multiple acoustic sensors. The broadband noise and narrowband peak levels were observed from two different locations while the boat was operated under various conditions. The results, combined with background noise levels, sound propagation and local boat traffic patterns, can provide a picture of the total boating noise to which marine life may be subjected.« less

Gas hydrate and spatial venting variations in the continental margin offshore Southwestern Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, S.; Lim, Y.; Hsieh, W.; Yang, T.; Wang, Y.

2006-12-01

Strong BSR, high methane contents and rapid sulfate reduction were found in the continental margin sediments offshore southwestern Taiwan. In order to identify the venting phenomena and its relationship with gas hydrate, this research investigate sea floor vent features using WHOI?|s Towcam system as well as piston core in the study region. A total of 10 dives were conducted on board the r/v OR-1. Pore water sulfate, dissolved sulfide, methane, chloride, del O18 ratio, sediment organic carbon, carbonate content and carbonate del C13 ratio, pyrite-S were measured Large spatial variations were found based on pictures obtained from Towcam system and piston cores. Active venting features include bacteria mat, live dense bivalve patches, gas plume, temperature and salinity fluctuations, rapid sulfate reduction and high concentrations of methane in sediments. In addition, vent chimney, pockmark and large authigenic carbonate buildup were also observed in the active venting area. In contrast, in some areas without active venting features, scatter dead chimney, semi- buried carbonate structures, and dead bivalves were found. Total sulfate depletion was found at depth as shallow as 1 meter below sediment water interface in area near active vent whereas almost no sulfate depletion was observed in areas without any vent feature. Stages of carbonate build up existed, with initial phase dominated by small tube, chimney, and later with massive carbonate structures protruding the sea floor. The appearances of massive carbonate buildup structures seemed to indicate the end stage of gas hydrate venting phenomena.

Development of airborne remote sensing methods for surveys of Pacific walrus

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burn, Douglas M.; Udevitz, Mark S.; Webber, M.A.; Garlich-Miller, Joel L.

2006-01-01

In April 2003, we conducted an operational test of an airborne multispectral scanner (AMS) over pack ice in the Bering Sea to evaluate the potential of this system as a survey tool for Pacific walruses. We scanned a total of 28,875 km2 of sea ice habitat at a spatial resolution of 4 m and collected high resolution photographs from a subset of the thermally detected walrus groups. We found a significant positive relationship between walrus group size and the amount of heat measured by the AMS and used this relationship to estimate total walrus numbers in the survey area. The number of walruses hauled out onto sea ice in our study area was estimated at 4,785 animals with a 95% confidence interval of 2,499–7,111. We believe that the AMS system as configured for this study would be a highly effective tool for surveying large areas of sea ice habitat for walrus groups. With a 6 km swath width, it should be possible to sample more 10,000 km2 in an 8-hr flight. Although walrus groups > 4 animals were easily detected and enumerated in the 4 m thermal data, the system was unable to detect individual walruses or seals (Phoca spp. and Erignathus barbatus). We found that most (94.6%) of the walruses photographed in our survey area occurred in groups > 6 animals, therefore we expect the magnitude of any bias due to undetected groups of hauled out animals would be relatively small.

Does Core Area Theory Apply to STIs in Rural Environments?

PubMed Central

Gesink, Dionne C; Sullivan, Ashleigh B; Norwood, Todd; Serre, Marc L; Miller, William C

2012-01-01

Background Our objective was to determine the extent to which geographical core areas for gonorrhea and syphilis are located in rural areas, as compared to urban areas. Methods Incident gonorrhea (January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2010) and syphilis (January 1, 1999 to December 31, 2010) rates were estimated and mapped by census tract and quarter. Rurality was measured using percent rural and rural-urban commuting area (RUCA; rural, small town, micropolitan, or urban). SaTScan was used to identify spatiotemporal clusters of significantly elevated rates of infection. Clusters lasting five years or longer were considered core areas; clusters of shorter duration were considered outbreaks. Clusters were overlaid on maps of rurality and qualitatively assessed for correlation. Results Twenty gonorrhea core areas were identified; 65% in urban centers, 25% in micropolitan areas, and the remaining 10% were geographically large capturing combinations of urban, micropolitan, small town and rural environments. Ten syphilis core areas were identified with 80% in urban centers and 20% capturing two or more RUCAs. All ten of the syphilis core areas (100%) overlapped with gonorrhea core areas. Conclusions Gonorrhea and syphilis rates were high for rural parts of North Carolina; however, no core areas were identified exclusively for small towns or rural areas. The main pathway of rural STI transmission may be through the interconnectedness of urban, micropolitan, small town and rural areas. Directly addressing STIs in urban and micropolitan communities may also indirectly help address STI rates in rural and small town communities. PMID:23254115

Adaptation of fine roots to annual fertilization and irrigation in a 13-year-old Pinus pinaster stand.

PubMed

Bakker, M R; Jolicoeur, E; Trichet, P; Augusto, L; Plassard, C; Guinberteau, J; Loustau, D

2009-02-01

Effects of fertilization and irrigation on fine roots and fungal hyphae were studied in 13-year-old maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aït. in Soland), 7 years after the initiation of the treatments. The fertilization trials consisted of a phosphorus treatment, a complete fertilizer treatment (N, P, K, Ca and Mg), and an unfertilized treatment (control). Fertilizers were applied annually and were adjusted according to foliar target values. Two irrigation regimes (no irrigation and irrigation of a set amount each day) were applied from May to October. Root samples to depths of 120 cm were collected in summer of 2005, and the biomass of small roots (diameter 2-20 mm) and fine roots (diameter

33 CFR 334.155 - Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area. 334.155 Section 334.155 Navigation and... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.155 Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD...

33 CFR 334.155 - Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area. 334.155 Section 334.155 Navigation and... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.155 Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD...

Effects of biomass smoke on pulmonary functions: a case control study.

PubMed

Balcan, Baran; Akan, Selcuk; Ugurlu, Aylin Ozsancak; Handemir, Bahar Ozcelik; Ceyhan, Berrin Bagcı; Ozkaya, Sevket

2016-01-01

Biomass smoke is the leading cause of COPD in developing countries such as Turkey. In rural areas of Turkey, females are more exposed to biomass smoke because of traditional lifestyles. The aim of this study was to determine the adverse effects of biomass smoke on pulmonary functions and define the relationship between duration in years and an index (cumulative exposure index) with altered pulmonary function test results. A total of 115 females who lived in the village of Kağizman (a borough of Kars located in the eastern part of Turkey) and were exposed to biomass smoke were included in the study. The control group was generated with 73 individuals living in the same area who were never exposed to biomass smoke. Twenty-seven (23.8%) females in the study group and four (5.5%) in the control group had small airway disease (P=0.038). Twenty-two (19.1%) females in the study group and ten (13.7%) in the control group had obstruction (P=0.223). Twenty (17.3%) females in the study group who were exposed to biomass smoke had restriction compared with ten (13%) in the control group (P=0.189). The duration needed for the existence of small airway disease was 16 years, for obstructive airway disease was 17 years, and for restrictive airway disease was 17 years. The intensity of biomass smoke was defined in terms of cumulative exposure index; it was calculated by multiplying hours per day, weeks per month, and total years of smoke exposure and dividing the result by three. Exposure to biomass smoke is a serious public health problem, especially in rural areas of developing countries, because of its negative effects on pulmonary functions. As the duration and the intensity of exposure increase, the probability of having altered pulmonary function test results is higher.

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry derived structural geometry for stress fracture prediction in male U.S. Marine Corps recruits.

PubMed

Beck, T J; Ruff, C B; Mourtada, F A; Shaffer, R A; Maxwell-Williams, K; Kao, G L; Sartoris, D J; Brodine, S

1996-05-01

A total of 626 U.S. male Marine Corps recruits underwent anthropometric measurements and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans of the femoral midshaft and the distal third of the tibia prior to a 12 week physical training program. Conventionally obtained frontal plane DXA scan data were used to measure the bone mineral density (BMD) as well as to derive the cross-sectional area, moment of inertia, section modulus, and bone width in the femur, tibia, and fibula. During training, 23 recruits (3.7%) presented with a total of 27 radiologically confirmed stress fractures in various locations in the lower extremity. After excluding 16 cases of shin splints, periostitis, and other stress reactions that did not meet fracture definition criteria, we compared anthropometric and bone structural geometry measurements between fracture cases and the remaining 587 normals. There was no significant difference in age (p = 0.8), femur length (p = 0.2), pelvic width (p = 0.08), and knee width at the femoral condyles (p = 0.06), but fracture cases were shorter (p = 0.01), lighter (p = 0.0006), and smaller in most anthropometric girth dimensions (p < 0.04). Fracture case bone cross-sectional areas (p < 0.001), moments of inertia (p < 0.001), section moduli (p < 0.001), and widths (p < 0.001) as well as BMD (p < 0.03) were significantly smaller in the tibia and femur. After correcting for body weight differences, the tibia cross-sectional area (p = 0.03), section modulus (p = 0.05), and width (p = 0.03) remained significantly smaller in fracture subjects. We conclude that both small body weight and small diaphyseal dimensions relative to body weight are factors predisposing to the development of stress fractures in this population. These results suggest that bone structural geometry measurements derived from DXA data may provide a simple noninvasive methodology for assessing the risk of stress fracture.

Modelling small-area inequality in premature mortality using years of life lost rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Congdon, Peter

2013-04-01

Analysis of premature mortality variations via standardized expected years of life lost (SEYLL) measures raises questions about suitable modelling for mortality data, especially when developing SEYLL profiles for areas with small populations. Existing fixed effects estimation methods take no account of correlations in mortality levels over ages, causes, socio-ethnic groups or areas. They also do not specify an underlying data generating process, or a likelihood model that can include trends or correlations, and are likely to produce unstable estimates for small-areas. An alternative strategy involves a fully specified data generation process, and a random effects model which "borrows strength" to produce stable SEYLL estimates, allowing for correlations between ages, areas and socio-ethnic groups. The resulting modelling strategy is applied to gender-specific differences in SEYLL rates in small-areas in NE London, and to cause-specific mortality for leading causes of premature mortality in these areas.

Integrating a Social Behavior Intervention during Small Group Academic Instruction Using a Total Group Criterion Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Billie Jo; Anderson, Cynthia M.

2014-01-01

Total group contingencies, a variation of interdependent group contingencies, provide educators with an efficient and effective mechanism to improve social behavior and increase academic skills. Their utility has not been examined in small educational groups. This is unfortunate as supplemental instruction frequently is delivered in small group…

Small mammal abundance in Mediterranean post-fire habitats: a role for predators?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torre, I.; Díaz, M.

2004-05-01

We studied patterns of small mammal abundance and species richness in post-fire habitats by sampling 33 plots (225 m 2 each) representing different stages of vegetation recovery after fire. Small mammal abundance was estimated by live trapping during early spring 1999 and vegetation structure was sampled by visual estimation at the same plots. Recently-burnt areas were characterised by shrubby and herbaceous vegetation with low structural variability, and unburnt areas were characterised by well developed forest cover with high structural complexity. Small mammal abundance and species richness decreased with time elapsed since the last fire (from 5 to at least 50 years), and these differences were associated to the decreasing cover of short shrubs as the post-fire succession of plant communities advanced. However, relationships between vegetation structure and small mammals differed among areas burned in different times, with weak or negative relationship in recently burnt areas and positive and stronger relationship in unburnt areas. Furthermore, the abundance of small mammals was larger than expected from vegetation structure in plots burned recently whereas the contrary pattern was found in unburned areas. We hypothesised that the pattern observed could be related to the responses of small mammal predators to changes in vegetation and landscape structure promoted by fire. Fire-related fragmentation could have promoted the isolation of forest predators (owls and carnivores) in unburned forest patches, a fact that could have produced a higher predation pressure for small mammals. Conversely, small mammal populations would have been enhanced in early post-fire stages by lower predator numbers combined with better predator protection in areas covered by resprouting woody vegetation.

Calcium content and high calcium adaptation of plants in karst areas of southwestern Hunan, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Xiaocong; Deng, Xiangwen; Xiang, Wenhua; Lei, Pifeng; Ouyang, Shuai; Wen, Hongfang; Chen, Liang

2018-05-01

Rocky desertification is a major ecological problem of land degradation in karst areas. In these areas, the high soil calcium (Ca) content has become an important environmental factor that can affect the restoration of vegetation. Consequently, the screening of plant species that can adapt to high Ca soil environments is a critical step in vegetation restoration. In this study, three grades of rocky desertification sample areas were selected in karst areas of southwestern Hunan, China (LRD: light rocky desertification; MRD: moderate rocky desertification; and IRD: intense rocky desertification). Each grade of these sample areas had three sample plots in different slope positions, each of which had four small quadrats (one in rocky-side areas, three in non-rocky-side areas). We measured the Ca content of leaves, branches, and roots from 41 plant species, as well as soil total Ca (TCa) and exchangeable Ca (ECa) at depths of 0-15, 15-30, and 30-45 cm in each small quadrat. The results showed that the soil Ca2+ content in rocky-side areas was significantly higher than that in non-rocky-side areas (p < 0.05). The mean soil TCa and ECa content increased gradually along with the grade of rocky desertification, in the order IRD > MRD > LRD. For all plant functional groups, the plant Ca content of aboveground parts was significantly higher than that of the belowground parts (p < 0.05). The soil ECa content had significant effects on plant Ca content of the belowground parts but had no significant effects on plant Ca content of the aboveground parts. Of the 41 plant species that were sampled, 17 were found to be dominant (important value > 1). The differences in Ca2+ content between the aboveground and belowground parts of the 17 dominant species were calculated, and their correlations with soil ECa content were analyzed. The results showed that these 17 species can be divided into three categories: Ca-indifferent plants, high-Ca plants, and low-Ca plants. These findings provide a vital theoretical basis and practical guide for vegetation restoration and ecosystem reconstruction in rocky desertification areas.