Low Computational Signal Acquisition for GNSS Receivers Using a Resampling Strategy and Variable Circular Correlation Time

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yeqing; Wang, Meiling; Li, Yafeng

2018-01-01

For the objective of essentially decreasing computational complexity and time consumption of signal acquisition, this paper explores a resampling strategy and variable circular correlation time strategy specific to broadband multi-frequency GNSS receivers. In broadband GNSS receivers, the resampling strategy is established to work on conventional acquisition algorithms by resampling the main lobe of received broadband signals with a much lower frequency. Variable circular correlation time is designed to adapt to different signal strength conditions and thereby increase the operation flexibility of GNSS signal acquisition. The acquisition threshold is defined as the ratio of the highest and second highest correlation results in the search space of carrier frequency and code phase. Moreover, computational complexity of signal acquisition is formulated by amounts of multiplication and summation operations in the acquisition process. Comparative experiments and performance analysis are conducted on four sets of real GPS L2C signals with different sampling frequencies. The results indicate that the resampling strategy can effectively decrease computation and time cost by nearly 90–94% with just slight loss of acquisition sensitivity. With circular correlation time varying from 10 ms to 20 ms, the time cost of signal acquisition has increased by about 2.7–5.6% per millisecond, with most satellites acquired successfully. PMID:29495301

Low Computational Signal Acquisition for GNSS Receivers Using a Resampling Strategy and Variable Circular Correlation Time.

PubMed

Zhang, Yeqing; Wang, Meiling; Li, Yafeng

2018-02-24

For the objective of essentially decreasing computational complexity and time consumption of signal acquisition, this paper explores a resampling strategy and variable circular correlation time strategy specific to broadband multi-frequency GNSS receivers. In broadband GNSS receivers, the resampling strategy is established to work on conventional acquisition algorithms by resampling the main lobe of received broadband signals with a much lower frequency. Variable circular correlation time is designed to adapt to different signal strength conditions and thereby increase the operation flexibility of GNSS signal acquisition. The acquisition threshold is defined as the ratio of the highest and second highest correlation results in the search space of carrier frequency and code phase. Moreover, computational complexity of signal acquisition is formulated by amounts of multiplication and summation operations in the acquisition process. Comparative experiments and performance analysis are conducted on four sets of real GPS L2C signals with different sampling frequencies. The results indicate that the resampling strategy can effectively decrease computation and time cost by nearly 90-94% with just slight loss of acquisition sensitivity. With circular correlation time varying from 10 ms to 20 ms, the time cost of signal acquisition has increased by about 2.7-5.6% per millisecond, with most satellites acquired successfully.

Oral Vocabulary and Language Acquisition Strategies to Increase Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Grace

2017-01-01

This study addresses low literacy achievement in students in kindergarten and first grades. The study was designed to help identify how general education teachers can use specific daily research-based oral vocabulary acquisition strategies to close the literacy gap. This quantitative research helped to determine if the implementation of an oral…

Iron acquisition in the cystic fibrosis lung and potential for novel therapeutic strategies

PubMed Central

Tyrrell, Jean

2016-01-01

Iron acquisition is vital to microbial survival and is implicated in the virulence of many of the pathogens that reside in the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung. The multifaceted nature of iron acquisition by both bacterial and fungal pathogens encompasses a range of conserved and species-specific mechanisms, including secretion of iron-binding siderophores, utilization of siderophores from other species, release of iron from host iron-binding proteins and haemoproteins, and ferrous iron uptake. Pathogens adapt and deploy specific systems depending on iron availability, bioavailability of the iron pool, stage of infection and presence of competing pathogens. Understanding the dynamics of pathogen iron acquisition has the potential to unveil new avenues for therapeutic intervention to treat both acute and chronic CF infections. Here, we examine the range of strategies utilized by the primary CF pathogens to acquire iron and discuss the different approaches to targeting iron acquisition systems as an antimicrobial strategy. PMID:26643057

Effects of fundamentals acquisition and strategy switch on stock price dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Songtao; He, Jianmin; Li, Shouwei

2018-02-01

An agent-based artificial stock market is developed to simulate trading behavior of investors. In the market, acquisition and employment of information about fundamentals and strategy switch are investigated to explain stock price dynamics. Investors could obtain the information from both market and neighbors resided on their social networks. Depending on information status and performances of different strategies, an informed investor may switch to the strategy of fundamentalist. This in turn affects the information acquisition process, since fundamentalists are more inclined to search and spread the information than chartists. Further investigation into price dynamics generated from three typical networks, i.e. regular lattice, small-world network and random graph, are conducted after general relation between network structures and price dynamics is revealed. In each network, integrated effects of different combinations of information efficiency and switch intensity are investigated. Results have shown that, along with increasing switch intensity, market and social information efficiency play different roles in the formation of price distortion, standard deviation and kurtosis of returns.

Nutrient acquisition strategies of mammalian cells.

PubMed

Palm, Wilhelm; Thompson, Craig B

2017-06-07

Mammalian cells are surrounded by diverse nutrients, such as glucose, amino acids, various macromolecules and micronutrients, which they can import through transmembrane transporters and endolysosomal pathways. By using different nutrient sources, cells gain metabolic flexibility to survive periods of starvation. Quiescent cells take up sufficient nutrients to sustain homeostasis. However, proliferating cells depend on growth-factor-induced increases in nutrient uptake to support biomass formation. Here, we review cellular nutrient acquisition strategies and their regulation by growth factors and cell-intrinsic nutrient sensors. We also discuss how oncogenes and tumour suppressors promote nutrient uptake and thereby support the survival and growth of cancer cells.

Is nitrogen transfer among plants enhanced by contrasting nutrient-acquisition strategies?

PubMed

Teste, François P; Veneklaas, Erik J; Dixon, Kingsley W; Lambers, Hans

2015-01-01

Nitrogen (N) transfer among plants has been found where at least one plant can fix N2 . In nutrient-poor soils, where plants with contrasting nutrient-acquisition strategies (without N2 fixation) co-occur, it is unclear if N transfer exists and what promotes it. A novel multi-species microcosm pot experiment was conducted to quantify N transfer between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM), ectomycorrhizal (EM), dual AM/EM, and non-mycorrhizal cluster-rooted plants in nutrient-poor soils with mycorrhizal mesh barriers. We foliar-fed plants with a K(15) NO3 solution to quantify one-way N transfer from 'donor' to 'receiver' plants. We also quantified mycorrhizal colonization and root intermingling. Transfer of N between plants with contrasting nutrient-acquisition strategies occurred at both low and high soil nutrient levels with or without root intermingling. The magnitude of N transfer was relatively high (representing 4% of donor plant N) given the lack of N2 fixation. Receiver plants forming ectomycorrhizas or cluster roots were more enriched compared with AM-only plants. We demonstrate N transfer between plants of contrasting nutrient-acquisition strategies, and a preferential enrichment of cluster-rooted and EM plants compared with AM plants. Nutrient exchanges among plants are potentially important in promoting plant coexistence in nutrient-poor soils. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Technical Note: Interleaved Bipolar Acquisition and Low-rank Reconstruction for Water-Fat Separation in MRI.

PubMed

Cho, JaeJin; Park, HyunWook

2018-05-17

To acquire interleaved bipolar data and reconstruct the full data using low-rank property for water fat separation. Bipolar acquisition suffers from issues related to gradient switching, the opposite gradient polarities, and other system imperfections, which prevent accurate water-fat separation. In this study, an interleaved bipolar acquisition scheme and a low-rank reconstruction method were proposed to reduce issues from the bipolar gradients while achieving a short imaging time. The proposed interleaved bipolar acquisition scheme collects echo-time signals from both gradient polarities; however, the sequence increases the imaging time. To reduce the imaging time, the signals were subsampled at every dimension of k-space. The low-rank property of the bipolar acquisition was defined and exploited to estimate the full data from the acquired subsampled data. To eliminate the bipolar issues, in the proposed method, the water-fat separation was performed separately for each gradient polarity, and the results for the positive and negative gradient polarities were combined after the water-fat separation. A phantom study and in-vivo experiments were conducted on a 3T Siemens Verio system. The results for the proposed method were compared with the results of the fully sampled interleaved bipolar acquisition and Soliman's method, which was the previous water-fat separation approach for reducing the issues of bipolar gradients and accelerating the interleaved bipolar acquisition. The proposed method provided accurate water and fat images without the issues of bipolar gradients and demonstrated a better performance compared with the results of the previous methods. The water-fat separation using the bipolar acquisition has several benefits including a short echo-spacing time. However, it suffers from bipolar-gradient issues such as strong gradient switching, system imperfection, and eddy current effects. This study demonstrated that accurate water-fat separated images can

48 CFR 434.004 - Acquisition strategy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

....004 Section 434.004 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SPECIAL... manager will develop, in coordination with the Acquisition Executive or Major Information Technology... approval of the Acquisition Executive or Major Information Technology Systems Executive, a project control...

Green and blue water demand from large-scale land acquisitions in Africa

PubMed Central

Johansson, Emma Li; Fader, Marianela; Seaquist, Jonathan W.; Nicholas, Kimberly A.

2016-01-01

In the last decade, more than 22 million ha of land have been contracted to large-scale land acquisitions in Africa, leading to increased pressures, competition, and conflicts over freshwater resources. Currently, 3% of contracted land is in production, for which we model site-specific water demands to indicate where freshwater appropriation might pose high socioenvironmental challenges. We use the dynamic global vegetation model Lund–Potsdam–Jena managed Land to simulate green (precipitation stored in soils and consumed by plants through evapotranspiration) and blue (extracted from rivers, lakes, aquifers, and dams) water demand and crop yields for seven irrigation scenarios, and compare these data with two baseline scenarios of staple crops representing previous water demand. We find that most land acquisitions are planted with crops that demand large volumes of water (>9,000 m3⋅ha−1) like sugarcane, jatropha, and eucalyptus, and that staple crops have lower water requirements (<7,000 m3⋅ha−1). Blue water demand varies with irrigation system, crop choice, and climate. Even if the most efficient irrigation systems were implemented, 18% of the land acquisitions, totaling 91,000 ha, would still require more than 50% of water from blue water sources. These hotspots indicate areas at risk for transgressing regional constraints for freshwater use as a result of overconsumption of blue water, where socioenvironmental systems might face increased conflicts and tensions over water resources. PMID:27671634

Exploiting water versus tolerating drought: water-use strategies of trees in a secondary successional tropical dry forest.

PubMed

Pineda-García, Fernando; Paz, Horacio; Meinzer, Frederick C; Angeles, Guillermo

2016-02-01

In seasonal plant communities where water availability changes dramatically both between and within seasons, understanding the mechanisms that enable plants to exploit water pulses and to survive drought periods is crucial. By measuring rates of physiological processes, we examined the trade-off between water exploitation and drought tolerance among seedlings of trees of a tropical dry forest, and identified biophysical traits most closely associated with plant water-use strategies. We also explored whether early and late secondary successional species occupy different portions of trade-off axes. As predicted, species that maintained carbon capture, hydraulic function and leaf area at higher plant water deficits during drought had low photosynthetic rates, xylem hydraulic conductivity and growth rate under non-limiting water supply. Drought tolerance was associated with more dense leaf, stem and root tissues, whereas rapid resource acquisition was associated with greater stem water storage, larger vessel diameter and larger leaf area per mass invested. We offer evidence that the water exploitation versus drought tolerance trade-off drives species differentiation in the ability of tropical dry forest trees to deal with alternating water-drought pulses. However, we detected no evidence of strong functional differentiation between early and late successional species along the proposed trade-off axes, suggesting that the environmental gradient of water availability across secondary successional habitats in the dry tropics does not filter out physiological strategies of water use among species, at least at the seedling stage. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A Data Acquisition System for Water Heating and Cooling Experiments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perea Martins, J. E. M.

2017-01-01

This work presents a simple analogue waterproof temperature probe design and its electronic interfacing with a computer to compose a data acquisition system for water temperature measurement. It also demonstrates the system usage through an experiment to verify the water heating period with an electric heater and another to verify the Newton's law…

A New Strategy for Fast MRI-Based Quantification of the Myelin Water Fraction: Application to Brain Imaging in Infants

PubMed Central

Kulikova, Sofya; Hertz-Pannier, Lucie; Dehaene-Lambertz, Ghislaine

2016-01-01

The volume fraction of water related to myelin (fmy) is a promising MRI index for in vivo assessment of brain myelination, that can be derived from multi-component analysis of T1 and T2 relaxometry signals. However, existing quantification methods require rather long acquisition and/or post-processing times, making implementation difficult both in research studies on healthy unsedated children and in clinical examinations. The goal of this work was to propose a novel strategy for fmy quantification within acceptable acquisition and post-processing times. Our approach is based on a 3-compartment model (myelin-related water, intra/extra-cellular water and unrestricted water), and uses calibrated values of inherent relaxation times (T1c and T2c) for each compartment c. Calibration was first performed on adult relaxometry datasets (N = 3) acquired with large numbers of inversion times (TI) and echo times (TE), using an original combination of a region contraction approach and a non-negative least-square (NNLS) algorithm. This strategy was compared with voxel-wise fitting, and showed robust estimation of T1c and T2c. The accuracy of fmy calculations depending on multiple factors was investigated using simulated data. In the testing stage, our strategy enabled fast fmy mapping, based on relaxometry datasets acquired with reduced TI and TE numbers (acquisition <6 min), and analyzed with NNLS algorithm (post-processing <5min). In adults (N = 13, mean age 22.4±1.6 years), fmy maps showed variability across white matter regions, in agreement with previous studies. In healthy infants (N = 18, aged 3 to 34 weeks), asynchronous changes in fmy values were demonstrated across bundles, confirming the well-known progression of myelination. PMID:27736872

Hybrid data acquisition and processing strategies with increased throughput and selectivity: pSMART analysis for global qualitative and quantitative analysis.

PubMed

Prakash, Amol; Peterman, Scott; Ahmad, Shadab; Sarracino, David; Frewen, Barbara; Vogelsang, Maryann; Byram, Gregory; Krastins, Bryan; Vadali, Gouri; Lopez, Mary

2014-12-05

Data-dependent acquisition (DDA) and data-independent acquisition strategies (DIA) have both resulted in improved understanding of proteomics samples. Both strategies have advantages and disadvantages that are well-published, where DDA is typically applied for deep discovery and DIA may be used to create sample records. In this paper, we present a hybrid data acquisition and processing strategy (pSMART) that combines the strengths of both techniques and provides significant benefits for qualitative and quantitative peptide analysis. The performance of pSMART is compared to published DIA strategies in an experiment that allows the objective assessment of DIA performance with respect to interrogation of previously acquired MS data. The results of this experiment demonstrate that pSMART creates fewer decoy hits than a standard DIA strategy. Moreover, we show that pSMART is more selective, sensitive, and reproducible than either standard DIA or DDA strategies alone.

Water acquisition and use during unconventional oil and gas development and the existing data challenges: Weld and Garfield counties, CO.

PubMed

Oikonomou, Panagiotis D; Kallenberger, Julie A; Waskom, Reagan M; Boone, Karie K; Plombon, Elizabeth N; Ryan, Joseph N

2016-10-01

Colorado has recently experienced a significant increase in unconventional oil and gas development, with the greatest concentration of activity occurring in Weld and Garfield counties. Water for oil and gas development has received much attention mainly because water resources are limited in these regions and development is taking place closer to populated areas than it did in the past. Publicly available datasets for the period 2011-2014 were used to identify water acquisition strategies and sources of water used for oil and gas. In addition, the annual average water used in these two counties was quantified and compared to their total water withdrawals. The analysis also quantified the water needed for different well types, along with the flowback water that is retrieved. Weld and Garfield counties are dissimilar in respect to development practices for water acquisition, preferred well type and the fate of flowback water. But at the same time, this difference displays how geological characteristics, water availability, and administration localities are the key elements along with economics in the decision making process within the oil and gas sector. This effort also revealed data challenges regarding accessibility and reliability of reported information, and the need for additional data. Improving the understanding of the unconventional oil and gas sector's water use will help identify possible effects and tradeoffs on the local/regional level, which could diminish the conflicting perspectives that shape the water-energy discussions. This would complement the ability to make informed water resources planning and management decisions that are environmentally and socially acceptable. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Acquisition Strategies for Image-Based Construction Site Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuttas, S.; Braun, A.; Borrmann, A.; Stilla, U.

2016-06-01

Construction site monitoring is an essential task for keeping track of the ongoing construction work and providing up-to-date information for a Building Information Model (BIM). The BIM contains the as-planned states (geometry, schedule, costs, ...) of a construction project. For updating, the as-built state has to be acquired repeatedly and compared to the as-planned state. In the approach presented here, a 3D representation of the as-built state is calculated from photogrammetric images using multi-view stereo reconstruction. On construction sites one has to cope with several difficulties like security aspects, limited accessibility, occlusions or construction activity. Different acquisition strategies and techniques, namely (i) terrestrial acquisition with a hand-held camera, (ii) aerial acquisition using a Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and (iii) acquisition using a fixed stereo camera pair at the boom of the crane, are tested on three test sites. They are assessed considering the special needs for the monitoring tasks and limitations on construction sites. The three scenarios are evaluated based on the ability of automation, the required effort for acquisition, the necessary equipment and its maintaining, disturbance of the construction works, and on the accuracy and completeness of the resulting point clouds. Based on the experiences during the test cases the following conclusions can be drawn: Terrestrial acquisition has the lowest requirements on the device setup but lacks on automation and coverage. The crane camera shows the lowest flexibility but the highest grade of automation. The UAV approach can provide the best coverage by combining nadir and oblique views, but can be limited by obstacles and security aspects. The accuracy of the point clouds is evaluated based on plane fitting of selected building parts. The RMS errors of the fitted parts range from 1 to a few cm for the UAV and the hand-held scenario. First results show that the crane camera

The Role of Knowledge Base and Declarative Metamemory in the Acquisition of a Reading Strategy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaultney, Jane F.; Hack-Weiner, Nancy

A study examined whether previous knowledge facilitates the acquisition of a reading comprehension strategy by children who are poor readers. Subjects, 54 fourth- and fifth-grade boys in Palm Beach County, Florida, who were poor readers and baseball experts, were trained in the use of a reading strategy (asking "why" questions), with…

48 CFR 1034.004 - Acquisition strategy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Order, Task Order, or Interagency Agreement) to the overall investment requirements and management... investment; (3) A description of the effort, by acquisition, and the plans to include required clauses in the... requirements to manage the acquisition processes through the investment lifecycle; (7) Consideration of optimal...

The Effects of Teachers’ Motivational Strategies on Learners’ Motivation: A Controlled Investigation of Second Language Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moskovsky, Christo; Alrabai, Fakieh; Paolini, Stefania; Ratcheva, Silvia

2013-01-01

While consensus exists about the critical role of learners’ motivation in second language acquisition, controlled investigations of the effects of teachers’ motivational strategies are limited. The research reported here used a quasi-experimental design to assess the effects of motivational strategies used by Saudi English as a foreign language…

Nicotine intake and problem solving strategies are modified during a cognitively demanding water maze task in rats.

PubMed

Nesil, Tanseli; Kanit, Lutfiye; Pogun, Sakire

2015-11-01

Nicotine is the major addictive component in tobacco, and despite well-established adverse health effects of tobacco addiction, some smokers have difficulty quitting. The acute cognitive enhancement and/or the amelioration of the cognitive disruption during withdrawal that some smokers experience after smoking are among important factors that hinder quit attempts. The animal model presented in the current study is comparable to the human smoking condition although nicotine intake routes are different. Rats were exposed to a free choice of oral nicotine starting at adolescence, and given a water maze (WM) task as adults. This design allowed us to see if rats alter their nicotine intake during the WM task and if nicotine preference and intake modify abilities and strategies rats use for problem solving. Male and female rats were exposed to a free choice of oral nicotine/water for 24weeks, starting at five weeks of age. After this period, they were selected based on their nicotine intake and, together with control animals that received only water, were subjected to a place-learning task in the WM. Free-choice nicotine exposure continued during WM testing. Following acquisition, the probe trial presented the rats with a choice between using two different strategies for problem solving. Nicotine supported acquisition and rats increased their nicotine intake during WM testing; this effect was more pronounced in male rats with minimum nicotine preference and intake. Furthermore, nicotine modified the "female type" strategy in solving the place-learning task and nicotine treated female rats, unlike control females, behaved like males. The increase in nicotine intake during mental engagement, and the sexually dimorphic effect of nicotine on problem solving strategies that we have observed in rats, may suggest that implementing sex-specific smoking cessation approaches, especially under stressful and cognitively demanding conditions, may be useful in helping smokers quit

Language Acquisition without an Acquisition Device

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Grady, William

2012-01-01

Most explanatory work on first and second language learning assumes the primacy of the acquisition phenomenon itself, and a good deal of work has been devoted to the search for an "acquisition device" that is specific to humans, and perhaps even to language. I will consider the possibility that this strategy is misguided and that language…

Public good dynamics drive evolution of iron acquisition strategies in natural bacterioplankton populations.

PubMed

Cordero, Otto X; Ventouras, Laure-Anne; DeLong, Edward F; Polz, Martin F

2012-12-04

A common strategy among microbes living in iron-limited environments is the secretion of siderophores, which can bind poorly soluble iron and make it available to cells via active transport mechanisms. Such siderophore-iron complexes can be thought of as public goods that can be exploited by local communities and drive diversification, for example by the evolution of "cheating." However, it is unclear whether bacterial populations in the environment form stable enough communities such that social interactions significantly impact evolutionary dynamics. Here we show that public good games drive the evolution of iron acquisition strategies in wild populations of marine bacteria. We found that within nonclonal but ecologically cohesive genotypic clusters of closely related Vibrionaceae, only an intermediate percentage of genotypes are able to produce siderophores. Nonproducers within these clusters exhibited selective loss of siderophore biosynthetic pathways, whereas siderophore transport mechanisms were retained, suggesting that these nonproducers can act as cheaters that benefit from siderophore producers in their local environment. In support of this hypothesis, these nonproducers in iron-limited media suffer a significant decrease in growth, which can be alleviated by siderophores, presumably owing to the retention of transport mechanisms. Moreover, using ecological data of resource partitioning, we found that cheating coevolves with the ecological specialization toward association with larger particles in the water column, suggesting that these can harbor stable enough communities for dependencies among organisms to evolve.

Simulation of the evolution of root water foraging strategies in dry and shallow soils

PubMed Central

Renton, Michael; Poot, Pieter

2014-01-01

Background and Aims The dynamic structural development of plants can be seen as a strategy for exploiting the limited resources available within their environment, and we would expect that evolution would lead to efficient strategies that reduce costs while maximizing resource acquisition. In particular, perennial species endemic to habitats with shallow soils in seasonally dry environments have been shown to have a specialized root system morphology that may enhance access to water resources in the underlying rock. This study aimed to explore these hypotheses by applying evolutionary algorithms to a functional–structural root growth model. Methods A simulation model of a plant's root system was developed, which represents the dynamics of water uptake and structural growth. The model is simple enough for evolutionary optimization to be computationally feasible, yet flexible enough to allow a range of structural development strategies to be explored. The model was combined with an evolutionary algorithm in order to investigate a case study habitat with a highly heterogeneous distribution of resources, both spatially and temporally – the situation of perennial plants occurring on shallow soils in seasonally dry environments. Evolution was simulated under two contrasting fitness criteria: (1) the ability to find wet cracks in underlying rock, and (2) maximizing above-ground biomass. Key Results The novel approach successfully resulted in the evolution of more efficient structural development strategies for both fitness criteria. Different rooting strategies evolved when different criteria were applied, and each evolved strategy made ecological sense in terms of the corresponding fitness criterion. Evolution selected for root system morphologies which matched those of real species from corresponding habitats. Conclusions Specialized root morphology with deeper rather than shallower lateral branching enhances access to water resources in underlying rock. More

Simulation of the evolution of root water foraging strategies in dry and shallow soils.

PubMed

Renton, Michael; Poot, Pieter

2014-09-01

The dynamic structural development of plants can be seen as a strategy for exploiting the limited resources available within their environment, and we would expect that evolution would lead to efficient strategies that reduce costs while maximizing resource acquisition. In particular, perennial species endemic to habitats with shallow soils in seasonally dry environments have been shown to have a specialized root system morphology that may enhance access to water resources in the underlying rock. This study aimed to explore these hypotheses by applying evolutionary algorithms to a functional-structural root growth model. A simulation model of a plant's root system was developed, which represents the dynamics of water uptake and structural growth. The model is simple enough for evolutionary optimization to be computationally feasible, yet flexible enough to allow a range of structural development strategies to be explored. The model was combined with an evolutionary algorithm in order to investigate a case study habitat with a highly heterogeneous distribution of resources, both spatially and temporally--the situation of perennial plants occurring on shallow soils in seasonally dry environments. Evolution was simulated under two contrasting fitness criteria: (1) the ability to find wet cracks in underlying rock, and (2) maximizing above-ground biomass. The novel approach successfully resulted in the evolution of more efficient structural development strategies for both fitness criteria. Different rooting strategies evolved when different criteria were applied, and each evolved strategy made ecological sense in terms of the corresponding fitness criterion. Evolution selected for root system morphologies which matched those of real species from corresponding habitats. Specialized root morphology with deeper rather than shallower lateral branching enhances access to water resources in underlying rock. More generally, the approach provides insights into both

Strategy Selection for Cognitive Skill Acquisition Depends on Task Demands and Working Memory Capacity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinze, Scott R.; Bunting, Michael F; Pellegrino, James W.

2009-01-01

The involvement of working memory capacity (WMC) in ruled-based cognitive skill acquisition is well-established, but the duration of its involvement and its role in learning strategy selection are less certain. Participants (N=610) learned four logic rules, their corresponding symbols, or logic gates, and the appropriate input-output combinations…

Shifts in nitrogen acquisition strategies enable enhanced terrestrial carbon storage under elevated CO2 in a global model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sulman, B. N.; Brzostek, E. R.; Menge, D.; Malyshev, S.; Shevliakova, E.

2017-12-01

Earth System Model (ESM) projections of terrestrial carbon (C) uptake are critical to understanding the future of the global C cycle. Current ESMs include intricate representations of photosynthetic C fixation in plants, allowing them to simulate the stimulatory effect of increasing atmospheric CO2 levels on photosynthesis. However, they lack sophisticated representations of plant nutrient acquisition, calling into question their ability to project the future land C sink. We conducted simulations using a new model of terrestrial C and nitrogen (N) cycling within the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) global land model LM4 that uses a return on investment framework to simulate global patterns of N acquisition via fixation of N2 from the atmosphere, scavenging of inorganic N from soil solution, and mining of organic N from soil organic matter (SOM). We show that these strategies drive divergent C cycle responses to elevated CO2 at the ecosystem scale, with the scavenging strategy leading to N limitation of plant growth and the mining strategy facilitating stimulation of plant biomass accumulation over decadal time scales. In global simulations, shifts in N acquisition from inorganic N scavenging to organic N mining along with increases in N fixation supported long-term acceleration of C uptake under elevated CO2. Our results indicate that the ability of the land C sink to mitigate atmospheric CO2 levels is tightly coupled to the functional diversity of ecosystems and their capacity to change their N acquisition strategies over time. Incorporation of these mechanisms into ESMs is necessary to improve confidence in model projections of the global C cycle.

75 FR 54524 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Acquisition Strategies To Ensure Competition...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-08

... Life Cycle of Major Defense Acquisition Programs (DFARS Case 2009-D014) AGENCY: Defense Acquisition... competition at both the prime contract and subcontract level of the MDAP throughout its life cycle as a means...

Towards the Implementation of the GEOSS Water Strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawford, R. G.; Cripe, D.

2014-12-01

Early in 2014, the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) adopted the GEOSS (Global Earth Observation System of Systems) Water Strategy as a potential guide for GEO-related water activities over the next decade. The Water Strategy outlines water-related issues and opportunities that fit within the general GEOSS framework that will be developed over the next decade (2016-2025). Implementation of a water strategy within the GEOSS framework can be complex because GEO Members and Participating Organizations contribute to GEO on a voluntary basis. In spite of these limitations efforts to consolidate an implementation plan have made significant advances during the past nine months. Progress towards the final GEOSS Water Strategy Implementation Plan will be reported and gaps in the plan will be identified. Specific responses to the strategy will address the need for user engagement, the development of integrated of data products, model hierarchies and user support systems, and the research that will be needed to expand the capabilities of GEOSS and its water services. One challenge for the implementation plan involves building a framework from the diverse and wide range of activities and opportunities presented by GEO Members and Participating Organizations. The priority themes within the GEO Water Strategy are being used to provide more focus for new initiatives. New activities related to these priority areas involving projects that link water and other GEO Societal Benefit Areas, as well as initiatives related to the Water-Energy-Food nexus and the Sustainable Development Goals will be described. The presentation will also explore the needs and opportunities for new satellites and other observational and information technologies to advance the implementation of the GEOSS water strategy objectives.

Acquisition of physical dormancy and ontogeny of the micropyle–water-gap complex in developing seeds of Geranium carolinianum (Geraniaceae)

PubMed Central

Gama-Arachchige, N. S.; Baskin, J. M.; Geneve, R. L.; Baskin, C. C.

2011-01-01

Background and Aims The ‘hinged valve gap’ has been previously identified as the initial site of water entry (i.e. water gap) in physically dormant (PY) seeds of Geranium carolinianum (Geraniaceae). However, neither the ontogeny of the hinged valve gap nor acquisition of PY by seeds of Geraniaceae has been studied previously. The aims of the present study were to investigate the physiological events related to acquisition of PY and the ontogeny of the hinged valve gap and seed coat of G. carolinianum. Methods Seeds of G. carolinianum were studied from the ovule stage until dispersal. The developmental stages of acquisition of germinability, physiological maturity and PY were determined by seed measurement, germination and imbibition experiments using intact seeds and isolated embryos of both fresh and slow-dried seeds. Ontogeny of the seed coat and water gap was studied using light microscopy. Key Results Developing seeds achieved germinability, physiological maturity and PY on days 9, 14 and 20 after pollination (DAP), respectively. The critical moisture content of seeds on acquisition of PY was 11 %. Slow-drying caused the stage of acquisition of PY to shift from 20 to 13 DAP. Greater extent of cell division and differentiation at the micropyle, water gap and chalaza than at the rest of the seed coat resulted in particular anatomical features. Palisade and subpalisade cells of varying forms developed in these sites. A clear demarcation between the water gap and micropyle is not evident due to their close proximity. Conclusions Acquisition of PY in seeds of G. carolinianum occurs after physiological maturity and is triggered by maturation drying. The micropyle and water gap cannot be considered as two separate entities, and thus it is more appropriate to consider them together as a ‘micropyle–water-gap complex’. PMID:21546433

Acquisition of physical dormancy and ontogeny of the micropyle--water-gap complex in developing seeds of Geranium carolinianum (Geraniaceae).

PubMed

Gama-Arachchige, N S; Baskin, J M; Geneve, R L; Baskin, C C

2011-07-01

The 'hinged valve gap' has been previously identified as the initial site of water entry (i.e. water gap) in physically dormant (PY) seeds of Geranium carolinianum (Geraniaceae). However, neither the ontogeny of the hinged valve gap nor acquisition of PY by seeds of Geraniaceae has been studied previously. The aims of the present study were to investigate the physiological events related to acquisition of PY and the ontogeny of the hinged valve gap and seed coat of G. carolinianum. Seeds of G. carolinianum were studied from the ovule stage until dispersal. The developmental stages of acquisition of germinability, physiological maturity and PY were determined by seed measurement, germination and imbibition experiments using intact seeds and isolated embryos of both fresh and slow-dried seeds. Ontogeny of the seed coat and water gap was studied using light microscopy. Developing seeds achieved germinability, physiological maturity and PY on days 9, 14 and 20 after pollination (DAP), respectively. The critical moisture content of seeds on acquisition of PY was 11 %. Slow-drying caused the stage of acquisition of PY to shift from 20 to 13 DAP. Greater extent of cell division and differentiation at the micropyle, water gap and chalaza than at the rest of the seed coat resulted in particular anatomical features. Palisade and subpalisade cells of varying forms developed in these sites. A clear demarcation between the water gap and micropyle is not evident due to their close proximity. Acquisition of PY in seeds of G. carolinianum occurs after physiological maturity and is triggered by maturation drying. The micropyle and water gap cannot be considered as two separate entities, and thus it is more appropriate to consider them together as a 'micropyle--water-gap complex'.

The Impacts of Water Conservation Strategies on Water Use: Four Case Studies.

PubMed

Tsai, Yushiou; Cohen, Sara; Vogel, Richard M

2011-08-01

We assessed impacts on water use achieved by implementation of controlled experiments relating to four water conservation strategies in four towns within the Ipswich watershed in Massachusetts. The strategies included (1) installation of weather-sensitive irrigation controller switches (WSICS) in residences and municipal athletic fields; (2) installation of rainwater harvesting systems in residences; (3) two outreach programs: (a) free home indoor water use audits and water fixture retrofit kits and (b) rebates for low-water-demand toilets and washing machines; and (4) soil amendments to improve soil moisture retention at a municipal athletic field. The goals of this study are to summarize the effectiveness of the four water conservation strategies and to introduce nonparametric statistical methods for evaluating the effectiveness of these conservation strategies in reducing water use. It was found that (1) the municipal WSICS significantly reduced water use; (2) residences with high irrigation demand were more likely than low water users to experience a substantial demand decrease when equipped with the WSICS; (3) rainwater harvesting provided substantial rainwater use, but these volumes were small relative to total domestic water use and relative to the natural fluctuations in domestic water use; (4) both the audits/retrofit and rebate programs resulted in significant water savings; and (5) a modeling approach showed potential water savings from soil amendments in ball fields.

Differentiation in the water-use strategies among oak species from central Mexico.

PubMed

Aguilar-Romero, Rafael; Pineda-Garcia, Fernando; Paz, Horacio; González-Rodríguez, Antonio; Oyama, Ken

2017-07-01

Oak species (Fagaceae: Quercus) differ in their distribution at the landscape scale, specializing to a certain portion of environmental gradients. This suggests that functional differentiation favors habitat partitioning among closely related species. To elucidate the mechanisms of species coexistence in oak forests, we explored patterns of interspecific variation in functional traits involved in water-use strategies. We tested the hypothesis that oak species segregate along key trade-offs between xylem hydraulic efficiency and safety, and between hydraulic safety and drought avoidance capacity, leading to species niche partitioning across a gradient of aridity. To do so, we quantified biophysical and physiological traits in four red and five white oak species (sections Lobatae and Quercus, respectively) across an aridity gradient in central Mexico. We also explored the trade-offs guiding species differentiation, particularly between the drought tolerance versus water acquisition capacity, and determined whether the water-use strategy was associated with the portion of the environmental gradient that the species occupy. In a trait-by-trait analysis, we detected differences between white and red oak species. However, a larger part of the variation was explained at the species rather than at the section level. We detected two primary axes of trait covariation. The first exhibited differences between species with dense tissues and species with soft tissues (the tissue construction cost axis); however, the oak sections did not constitute separate groups, while the second suggested a trade-off between xylem resistance to cavitation and tree deciduousness. As expected, the water-use strategies of the species were related to the environment; oak species from arid areas had more deciduousness and a higher instantaneous water-use efficiency. In contrast, their humid counterparts had less deciduousness and had a xylem that was more resistant to embolisms. Altogether, these

75 FR 8272 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Acquisition Strategies To Ensure Competition...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-24

... Competition Throughout the Life Cycle of Major Defense Acquisition Programs AGENCY: Defense Acquisition... subcontract level of the MDAP throughout its life cycle as a means to improve contractor performance; and (2...) throughout the program life cycle as a means to improve contractor performance; and (ii) Document the...

Xenon Acquisition Strategies for High-Power Electric Propulsion NASA Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herman, Daniel A.; Unfried, Kenneth G.

2015-01-01

The benefits of high-power solar electric propulsion (SEP) for both NASA's human and science exploration missions combined with the technology investment from the Space Technology Mission Directorate have enabled the development of a 50kW-class SEP mission. NASA mission concepts developed, including the Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission, and those proposed by contracted efforts for the 30kW-class demonstration have a range of xenon propellant loads from 100's of kg up to 10,000 kg. A xenon propellant load of 10 metric tons represents greater than 10% of the global annual production rate of xenon. A single procurement of this size with short-term delivery can disrupt the xenon market, driving up pricing, making the propellant costs for the mission prohibitive. This paper examines the status of the xenon industry worldwide, including historical xenon supply and pricing. The paper discusses approaches for acquiring on the order of 10 MT of xenon propellant considering realistic programmatic constraints to support potential near-term NASA missions. Finally, the paper will discuss acquisitions strategies for mission campaigns utilizing multiple high-power solar electric propulsion vehicles requiring 100's of metric tons of xenon over an extended period of time where a longer term acquisition approach could be implemented.

Competition as an Acquisition Strategy: Impact of Competitive Research and Development on Procurement Costs

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-11-01

Introduction of Competitive Full-scale Engineering Development . . . . . . . . D-1G 4. Acquisition Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . D- 14 5 . Conduct of...B-u1 B-3 Priority of Technical Characteristics. . . . . . . B- 14 I B-4 Chronology of Later Program Events . . . . . . . .B-45 B- 5 ... Diagnostic Aids 17. Growth Potential 18. Support Equipment 19. Transportability Source: Request for Proposal DAAEO7-76-R-0491, March 4, 1976. B- 14

War-gaming application for future space systems acquisition part 2: acquisition and bidding war-gaming modeling and simulation approaches for FFP and FPIF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Tien M.; Guillen, Andy T.

2017-05-01

This paper describes cooperative and non-cooperative static Bayesian game models with complete and incomplete information for the development of optimum acquisition strategies associated with the Program and Technical Baseline (PTB) solutions obtained from Part 1 of this paper [1]. The optimum acquisition strategies discussed focus on achieving "Affordability" by incorporating contractors' bidding strategies into the government acquisition strategies for acquiring future space systems. The paper discusses System Engineering (SE) frameworks, analytical and simulation approaches and modeling for developing the optimum acquisition strategies from both the government and contractor perspectives for Firm Fixed Price (FFP) and Fixed Price Incentive Firm (FPIF) contract types.

Image Acquisition Context

PubMed Central

Bidgood, W. Dean; Bray, Bruce; Brown, Nicolas; Mori, Angelo Rossi; Spackman, Kent A.; Golichowski, Alan; Jones, Robert H.; Korman, Louis; Dove, Brent; Hildebrand, Lloyd; Berg, Michael

1999-01-01

Objective: To support clinically relevant indexing of biomedical images and image-related information based on the attributes of image acquisition procedures and the judgments (observations) expressed by observers in the process of image interpretation. Design: The authors introduce the notion of “image acquisition context,” the set of attributes that describe image acquisition procedures, and present a standards-based strategy for utilizing the attributes of image acquisition context as indexing and retrieval keys for digital image libraries. Methods: The authors' indexing strategy is based on an interdependent message/terminology architecture that combines the Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) standard, the SNOMED (Systematized Nomenclature of Human and Veterinary Medicine) vocabulary, and the SNOMED DICOM microglossary. The SNOMED DICOM microglossary provides context-dependent mapping of terminology to DICOM data elements. Results: The capability of embedding standard coded descriptors in DICOM image headers and image-interpretation reports improves the potential for selective retrieval of image-related information. This favorably affects information management in digital libraries. PMID:9925229

The Impacts of Water Conservation Strategies on Water Use: Four Case Studies1

PubMed Central

Tsai, Yushiou; Cohen, Sara; Vogel, Richard M

2011-01-01

We assessed impacts on water use achieved by implementation of controlled experiments relating to four water conservation strategies in four towns within the Ipswich watershed in Massachusetts. The strategies included (1) installation of weather-sensitive irrigation controller switches (WSICS) in residences and municipal athletic fields; (2) installation of rainwater harvesting systems in residences; (3) two outreach programs: (a) free home indoor water use audits and water fixture retrofit kits and (b) rebates for low-water-demand toilets and washing machines; and (4) soil amendments to improve soil moisture retention at a municipal athletic field. The goals of this study are to summarize the effectiveness of the four water conservation strategies and to introduce nonparametric statistical methods for evaluating the effectiveness of these conservation strategies in reducing water use. It was found that (1) the municipal WSICS significantly reduced water use; (2) residences with high irrigation demand were more likely than low water users to experience a substantial demand decrease when equipped with the WSICS; (3) rainwater harvesting provided substantial rainwater use, but these volumes were small relative to total domestic water use and relative to the natural fluctuations in domestic water use; (4) both the audits/retrofit and rebate programs resulted in significant water savings; and (5) a modeling approach showed potential water savings from soil amendments in ball fields. PMID:22457572

Heuristic-based information acquisition and decision making among pilots.

PubMed

Wiggins, Mark W; Bollwerk, Sandra

2006-01-01

This research was designed to examine the impact of heuristic-based approaches to the acquisition of task-related information on the selection of an optimal alternative during simulated in-flight decision making. The work integrated features of naturalistic and normative decision making and strategies of information acquisition within a computer-based, decision support framework. The study comprised two phases, the first of which involved familiarizing pilots with three different heuristic-based strategies of information acquisition: frequency, elimination by aspects, and majority of confirming decisions. The second stage enabled participants to choose one of the three strategies of information acquisition to resolve a fourth (choice) scenario. The results indicated that task-oriented experience, rather than the information acquisition strategies, predicted the selection of the optimal alternative. It was also evident that of the three strategies available, the elimination by aspects information acquisition strategy was preferred by most participants. It was concluded that task-oriented experience, rather than the process of information acquisition, predicted task accuracy during the decision-making task. It was also concluded that pilots have a preference for one particular approach to information acquisition. Applications of outcomes of this research include the development of decision support systems that adapt to the information-processing capabilities and preferences of users.

Nutrition acquisition strategies during fungal infection of plants.

PubMed

Divon, Hege H; Fluhr, Robert

2007-01-01

In host-pathogen interactions, efficient pathogen nutrition is a prerequisite for successful colonization and fungal fitness. Filamentous fungi have a remarkable capability to adapt and exploit the external nutrient environment. For phytopathogenic fungi, this asset has developed within the context of host physiology and metabolism. The understanding of nutrient acquisition and pathogen primary metabolism is of great importance in the development of novel disease control strategies. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge on how plant nutrient supplies are utilized by phytopathogenic fungi, and how these activities are controlled. The generation and use of auxotrophic mutants have been elemental to the determination of essential and nonessential nutrient compounds from the plant. Considerable evidence indicates that pathogen entrainment of host metabolism is a widespread phenomenon and can be accomplished by rerouting of the plant's responses. Crucial fungal signalling components for nutrient-sensing pathways as well as their developmental dependency have now been identified, and were shown to operate in a coordinate cross-talk fashion that ensures proper nutrition-related behaviour during the infection process.

Adaptive Optics Facility: control strategy and first on-sky results of the acquisition sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madec, P.-Y.; Kolb, J.; Oberti, S.; Paufique, J.; La Penna, P.; Hackenberg, W.; Kuntschner, H.; Argomedo, J.; Kiekebusch, M.; Donaldson, R.; Suarez, M.; Arsenault, R.

2016-07-01

The Adaptive Optics Facility is an ESO project aiming at converting Yepun, one of the four 8m telescopes in Paranal, into an adaptive telescope. This is done by replacing the current conventional secondary mirror of Yepun by a Deformable Secondary Mirror (DSM) and attaching four Laser Guide Star (LGS) Units to its centerpiece. In the meantime, two Adaptive Optics (AO) modules have been developed incorporating each four LGS WaveFront Sensors (WFS) and one tip-tilt sensor used to control the DSM at 1 kHz frame rate. The four LGS Units and one AO module (GRAAL) have already been assembled on Yepun. Besides the technological challenge itself, one critical area of AOF is the AO control strategy and its link with the telescope control, including Active Optics used to shape M1. Another challenge is the request to minimize the overhead due to AOF during the acquisition phase of the observation. This paper presents the control strategy of the AOF. The current control of the telescope is first recalled, and then the way the AO control makes the link with the Active Optics is detailed. Lab results are used to illustrate the expected performance. Finally, the overall AOF acquisition sequence is presented as well as first results obtained on sky with GRAAL.

Introduction to Defense Acquisition Management

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-03-01

the system after Most new systems follow the same formatted and its usefullness in the weapon inventory predictable life cycle, and fit the model...natives for system concept development Statement (MNS) setting forth requirements need- -An acquisition strategy is developed to guide ed to meet the...6 BUSINESS, FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF SYSTEMS ACQUISITION Management of the systems acquisition process The acquisition planning phase of the

Shoot to root communication is necessary to control the expression of iron-acquisition genes in Strategy I plants.

PubMed

García, María J; Romera, Francisco J; Stacey, Minviluz G; Stacey, Gary; Villar, Eduardo; Alcántara, Esteban; Pérez-Vicente, Rafael

2013-01-01

Previous research showed that auxin, ethylene, and nitric oxide (NO) can activate the expression of iron (Fe)-acquisition genes in the roots of Strategy I plants grown with low levels of Fe, but not in plants grown with high levels of Fe. However, it is still an open question as to how Fe acts as an inhibitor and which pool of Fe (e.g., root, phloem, etc.) in the plant acts as the key regulator for gene expression control. To further clarify this, we studied the effect of the foliar application of Fe on the expression of Fe-acquisition genes in several Strategy I plants, including wild-type cultivars of Arabidopsis [Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh], pea [Pisum sativum L.], tomato [Solanum lycopersicon Mill.], and cucumber [Cucumis sativus L.], as well as mutants showing constitutive expression of Fe-acquisition genes when grown under Fe-sufficient conditions [Arabidopsis opt3-2 and frd3-3, pea dgl and brz, and tomato chln (chloronerva)]. The results showed that the foliar application of Fe blocked the expression of Fe-acquisition genes in the wild-type cultivars and in the frd3-3, brz, and chln mutants, but not in the opt3-2 and dgl mutants, probably affected in the transport of a Fe-related repressive signal in the phloem. Moreover, the addition of either ACC (ethylene precursor) or GSNO (NO donor) to Fe-deficient plants up-regulated the expression of Fe-acquisition genes, but this effect did not occur in Fe-deficient plants sprayed with foliar Fe, again suggesting the existence of a Fe-related repressive signal moving from leaves to roots.

Effectiveness of Analogy Instructional Strategy on Undergraduate Student's Acquisition of Organic Chemistry Concepts in Mutah University, Jordan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samara, Nawaf Ahmad Hasan

2016-01-01

This study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of analogy instructional strategy on undergraduate students' acquisition of organic chemistry concepts in Mutah University, Jordan. A quasi-experimental design was used in the study; Participants were 97 students who enrolled in organic chemistry course at the department of chemistry during the…

Water law as an adaptation strategy for global water scarcity in the future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kakinuma, K.; Yoshikawa, S.; Endo, T.; Kanae, S.

2014-12-01

Water scarcity due to climate changes and growing human population is a major concern for the world. Adaptation and mitigation strategies should be developed for water scarcity in the future. Previous studies assessed the future water availability by hard technology (e.g., reservoirs, reclaimed and desalinated water plants) as adaptation strategies. On the other hand, soft path such as water law and policy would also be important for adaptation strategies. Water transfers is reallocation of water among water users. For example, distribution of the amount of available water is often heterogeneous especially during drought periods. If water transfers are permitted in these areas, water can be moved from surplus areas/sections to critical need areas/sections. There are several studies which describe the water transfer at the local scales (i.e., water bank in California), however the factors that determined the establishment of water transfer are not clear. If we can detect the factors, it could be used to estimate in which areas the water transfer would come into existence. This in turn would reduce the water stress. Here, we focus on historical interaction between human activity and water environments. Generally, rules of water use are developed by repeated discussion among water users. The frequency of these discussions would be related with their land use, frequency of drought and water resource sizes. For example, people in rice crop area need to discuss about water allocation compared to wheat crop area. Therefore, we examine the relationship between the permission of water transfer and factors such as water environment and human activity in the world.

Strategy Guideline. Proper Water Heater Selection

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

Hoeschele, M.; Springer, D.; German, A.

2015-04-09

This Strategy Guideline on proper water heater selection was developed by the Building America team Alliance for Residential Building Innovation to provide step-by-step procedures for evaluating preferred cost-effective options for energy efficient water heater alternatives based on local utility rates, climate, and anticipated loads.

Strategy Guideline: Proper Water Heater Selection

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

Hoeschele, M.; Springer, D.; German, A.

2015-04-01

This Strategy Guideline on proper water heater selection was developed by the Building America team Alliance for Residential Building Innovation to provide step-by-step procedures for evaluating preferred cost-effective options for energy efficient water heater alternatives based on local utility rates, climate, and anticipated loads.

Acquisition and tracking for underwater optical communications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Andrew J.; Laycock, Leslie L.; Griffith, Michael S.; McCarthy, Andrew G.; Rowe, Duncan P.

2017-10-01

There is a growing requirement to transfer large volumes of data between underwater platforms. As seawater is transmissive in the visible band, underwater optical communications is an active area of interest since it offers the potential for power efficient, covert and high bandwidth datalinks at short to medium ranges. Short range systems have been successfully demonstrated using sources with low directionality. To realise higher data rates and/or longer ranges, the use of more efficient directional beams is required; by necessity, these must be sufficiently aligned to achieve the required link margin. For mobile platforms, the acquisition and tracking of each node is therefore critical in order to establish and maintain an optical datalink. This paper describes work undertaken to demonstrate acquisition and tracking in a 3D underwater environment. A range of optical sources, beam steering technologies, and tracking sensors have been assessed for suitability. A novel scanning strategy exploiting variable beam divergence was developed to provide robust acquisition whilst minimising acquisition time. A prototype system was assembled and demonstrated in a large water tank. This utilised custom quadrant detectors based on Silicon PhotoMultiplier (SiPM) arrays for fine tracking, and a Wide Field of View (WFoV) sCMOS camera for link acquisition. Fluidic lenses provided dynamic control of beam divergence, and AC modulation/filtering enabled background rejection. The system successfully demonstrated robust optical acquisition and tracking between two nodes with only nanowatt received optical powers. The acquisition time was shown to be dependent on the initial conditions and the transmitted optical power.

Acquisition of Requests and Apologies in Spanish and French: Impact of Study Abroad and Strategy-Building Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Andrew D.; Shively, Rachel L.

2007-01-01

The primary aim of this study was to assess the impact of a curricular intervention on study-abroad students' use of language- and culture-learning strategies and on their acquisition of requests and apologies. The intervention consisted of a brief face-to-face orientation to learning speech acts, a self-study guidebook on language and culture…

2nd Generation RLV: Program Goals and Acquisition Strategy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graham, J. Bart; Dumbacher, D. L. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The risk to loss of life for Space Shuttle crewmembers is approximately one in 245 missions. U.S. launch service providers captured nearly 100%, of the commercial launch market revenues in the mid 1980s. Today, the U.S. captures less than 50% of that market. A launch system architecture is needed that will dramatically increase the safety of space flight while significantly reducing the cost. NASA's Space Launch Initiative, which is implemented by the 2nd Generation RLV Program Office at Marshall Space Flight Center, seeks to develop technology and reusable launch vehicle concepts which satisfy the commercial launch market needs and the unique needs of NASA. Presented in this paper are the five primary elements of NASA's Integrated Space Transportation Plan along with the highest level goals and the acquisition strategy of the 2nd Generation RLV Program. Approval of the Space Launch Initiative FY01 budget of $290M is seen as a major commitment by the Agency and the Nation to realize the commercial potential that space offers and to move forward in the exploration of space.

Development of perspective-based water management strategies for the Rhine and Meuse basins.

PubMed

van Deursen, W P A; Middelkoop, H

2005-01-01

Water management is surrounded by uncertainties. Water management thus has to answer the question: given the uncertainties, what is the best management strategy? This paper describes the application of the perspectives method on water management in the Rhine and Meuse basins. In the perspectives method, a structured framework to analyse water management strategies under uncertainty is provided. Various strategies are clustered in perspectives according to their underlying assumptions. This framework allows for an analysis of current water management strategies, but also allows for evaluation of the robustness of proposed future water strategies. It becomes clear that no water management strategy is superior to the others, but that inherent choices on risk acceptance and costs make a real political dilemma which will not be solved by further optimisation.

Biofilm bacterial communities in urban drinking water distribution systems transporting waters with different purification strategies.

PubMed

Wu, Huiting; Zhang, Jingxu; Mi, Zilong; Xie, Shuguang; Chen, Chao; Zhang, Xiaojian

2015-02-01

Biofilm formation in drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) has many adverse consequences. Knowledge of microbial community structure of DWDS biofilm can aid in the design of an effective control strategy. However, biofilm bacterial community in real DWDS and the impact of drinking water purification strategy remain unclear. The present study investigated the composition and diversity of biofilm bacterial community in real DWDSs transporting waters with different purification strategies (conventional treatment and integrated treatment). High-throughput Illumina MiSeq sequencing analysis illustrated a large shift in the diversity and structure of biofilm bacterial community in real DWDS. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Nitrospirae, and Cyanobacteria were the major components of biofilm bacterial community. Proteobacteria (mainly Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria) predominated in each DWDS biofilm, but the compositions of the dominant proteobacterial classes and genera and their proportions varied among biofilm samples. Drinking water purification strategy could shape DWDS biofilm bacterial community. Moreover, Pearson's correlation analysis indicated that Actinobacteria was positively correlated with the levels of total alkalinity and dissolved organic carbon in tap water, while Firmicutes had a significant positive correlation with nitrite nitrogen.

Water-temperature data acquisition activities in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pauszek, F.H.

1972-01-01

Water Data Coordination, U.S. Geological Survey, and published in the "Catalog of Information on Water Data, Index to Water Quality Section, Edition 1970." This is one of four indexes, each of which is a separate section of the Catalog. Three of the indexes, "Index to Water-Quality Section," "Index to Surface-Water Section," and "Index to Ground-.Water Stations," contain information on data acquired on a recurrent basis at specific locations for a period of 3 years or more. The fourth section, "Index to Areal Investigations and Miscellaneous Activities," is concerned with specific projects or shorter-term data activities that involve field or laboratory measurements or observations not included in any other section of the Catalog. The Catalog is a record of activities throughout the country (and in some places along the international border between the United States and Canada) conducted by Federal and non-Federal agencies engaged in the acquisition of water data and who furnish such information for presentation in the Catalog. The Catalog itself is an outgrowth of an assignment to the Department of the Interior and in turn to the Geological Survey, by the Office of Management and Budget, through the medium of OMB Circular A-67. This Circular states in part that one of the assigned responsibilities will be maintenance of a "central catalog of information on...water data and on Federal activities being planned or conducted to acquire such data." As an extension of this activity, non-Federal agencies are solicited to participate in the program. In this report, information is presented by means of tables and illustrations preceded by brief explanations. It includes the agencies collecting the data, the number of stations located on surface and ground waters where temperature measurements are made, the distribution of stations by States and by the 21 regions of the Water Resources Council (WRC) (a Federal agency created in accordance with the Water Resources Planning Act of

Memorization versus Semantic Mapping in L2 Vocabulary Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khoii, Roya; Sharififar, Samira

2013-01-01

This study investigated the effects of two cognitive strategies, rote memorization and semantic mapping, on L2 vocabulary acquisition. Thirty-eight intermediate female EFL learners divided into two experimental groups participated in this study. Each experimental group used one of the strategies for vocabulary acquisition. After the four-month…

Steep, cheap and deep: an ideotype to optimize water and N acquisition by maize root systems.

PubMed

Lynch, Jonathan P

2013-07-01

A hypothetical ideotype is presented to optimize water and N acquisition by maize root systems. The overall premise is that soil resource acquisition is optimized by the coincidence of root foraging and resource availability in time and space. Since water and nitrate enter deeper soil strata over time and are initially depleted in surface soil strata, root systems with rapid exploitation of deep soil would optimize water and N capture in most maize production environments. • THE IDEOTYPE: Specific phenes that may contribute to rooting depth in maize include (a) a large diameter primary root with few but long laterals and tolerance of cold soil temperatures, (b) many seminal roots with shallow growth angles, small diameter, many laterals, and long root hairs, or as an alternative, an intermediate number of seminal roots with steep growth angles, large diameter, and few laterals coupled with abundant lateral branching of the initial crown roots, (c) an intermediate number of crown roots with steep growth angles, and few but long laterals, (d) one whorl of brace roots of high occupancy, having a growth angle that is slightly shallower than the growth angle for crown roots, with few but long laterals, (e) low cortical respiratory burden created by abundant cortical aerenchyma, large cortical cell size, an optimal number of cells per cortical file, and accelerated cortical senescence, (f) unresponsiveness of lateral branching to localized resource availability, and (g) low K(m) and high Vmax for nitrate uptake. Some elements of this ideotype have experimental support, others are hypothetical. Despite differences in N distribution between low-input and commercial maize production, this ideotype is applicable to low-input systems because of the importance of deep rooting for water acquisition. Many features of this ideotype are relevant to other cereal root systems and more generally to root systems of dicotyledonous crops.

Accelerating acquisition strategies for low-frequency conductivity imaging using MREIT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Yizhuang; Seo, Jin Keun; Chauhan, Munish; Indahlastari, Aprinda; Ashok Kumar, Neeta; Sadleir, Rosalind

2018-02-01

We sought to improve efficiency of magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography data acquisition so that fast conductivity changes or electric field variations could be monitored. Undersampling of k-space was used to decrease acquisition times in spin-echo-based sequences by a factor of two. Full MREIT data were reconstructed using continuity assumptions and preliminary scans gathered without current. We found that phase data were reconstructed faithfully from undersampled data. Conductivity reconstructions of phantom data were also possible. Therefore, undersampled k-space methods can potentially be used to accelerate MREIT acquisition. This method could be an advantage in imaging real-time conductivity changes with MREIT.

Climate change and large-scale land acquisitions in Africa: Quantifying the future impact on acquired water resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiarelli, Davide Danilo; Davis, Kyle Frankel; Rulli, Maria Cristina; D'Odorico, Paolo

2016-08-01

Pressure on agricultural land has markedly increased since the start of the century, driven by demographic growth, changes in diet, increasing biofuel demand, and globalization. To better ensure access to adequate land and water resources, many investors and countries began leasing large areas of agricultural land in the global South, a phenomenon often termed "large-scale land acquisition" (LSLA). To date, this global land rush has resulted in the appropriation of 41million hectares and about 490 km3 of freshwater resources, affecting rural livelihoods and local environments. It remains unclear to what extent land and water acquisitions contribute to the emergence of water-stress conditions in acquired areas, and how these demands for water may be impacted by climate change. Here we analyze 18 African countries - 20 Mha (or 80%) of LSLA for the continent - and estimate that under present climate 210 km3 year-1of water would be appropriated if all acquired areas were actively under production. We also find that consumptive use of irrigation water is disproportionately contributed by water-intensive biofuel crops. Using the IPCCA1B scenario, we find only small changes in green (-1.6%) and blue (+2.0%) water demand in targeted areas. With a 3 °C temperature increase, crop yields are expected to decrease up to 20% with a consequent increase in the water footprint. When the effect of increasing atmospheric CO2concentrations is accounted for, crop yields increase by as much as 40% with a decrease in water footprint up to 29%. The relative importance of CO2 fertilization and warming will therefore determine water appropriations and changes in water footprint under climate change scenarios.

Developing capital investment guidelines for acquisitions.

PubMed

Bergman, J T; Gordon, D C

1988-05-01

Financial managers are now being asked to evaluate new investment opportunities, such as acquisitions. To do a thorough evaluation, however, it is important to have a plan of action to follow. Strategies such as establishing a framework for evaluating acquisitions based on strategic compatibility with the existing organization, establishing suitable risk-adjusted discount rates for assessing investments, and selecting the proper type of capital allocation method are all necessary steps to ensure a successful acquisition.

A Functional Characterisation of a Wide Range of Cover Crop Species: Growth and Nitrogen Acquisition Rates, Leaf Traits and Ecological Strategies

PubMed Central

Tribouillois, Hélène; Fort, Florian; Cruz, Pablo; Charles, Raphaël; Flores, Olivier; Garnier, Eric; Justes, Eric

2015-01-01

Cover crops can produce ecosystem services during the fallow period, as reducing nitrate leaching and producing green manure. Crop growth rate (CGR) and crop nitrogen acquisition rate (CNR) can be used as two indicators of the ability of cover crops to produce these services in agrosystems. We used leaf functional traits to characterise the growth strategies of 36 cover crops as an approach to assess their ability to grow and acquire N rapidly. We measured specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf nitrogen content (LNC) and leaf area (LA) and we evaluated their relevance to characterise CGR and CNR. Cover crop species were positioned along the Leaf Economics Spectrum (LES), the SLA-LDMC plane, and the CSR triangle of plant strategies. LA was positively correlated with CGR and CNR, while LDMC was negatively correlated with CNR. All cover crops could be classified as resource-acquisitive species from their relative position on the LES and the SLA-LDMC plane. Most cover crops were located along the Competition/Ruderality axis in the CSR triangle. In particular, Brassicaceae species were classified as very competitive, which was consistent with their high CGR and CNR. Leaf functional traits, especially LA and LDMC, allowed to differentiate some cover crops strategies related to their ability to grow and acquire N. LDMC was lower and LNC was higher in cover crop than in wild species, pointing to an efficient acquisitive syndrome in the former, corresponding to the high resource availability found in agrosystems. Combining several leaf traits explained approximately half of the CGR and CNR variances, which might be considered insufficient to precisely characterise and rank cover crop species for agronomic purposes. We hypothesised that may be the consequence of domestication process, which has reduced the range of plant strategies and modified the leaf trait syndrome in cultivated species. PMID:25789485

Data acquisition instruments: Psychopharmacology

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

Hartley, D.S. III

This report contains the results of a Direct Assistance Project performed by Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc., for Dr. K. O. Jobson. The purpose of the project was to perform preliminary analysis of the data acquisition instruments used in the field of psychiatry, with the goal of identifying commonalities of data and strategies for handling and using the data in the most advantageous fashion. Data acquisition instruments from 12 sources were provided by Dr. Jobson. Several commonalities were identified and a potentially useful data strategy is reported here. Analysis of the information collected for utility in performing diagnoses is recommended.more » In addition, further work is recommended to refine the commonalities into a directly useful computer systems structure.« less

On Teaching Strategies in Second Language Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Hong

2008-01-01

How to acquire a second language is a question of obvious importance to teachers and language learners, and how to teach a second language has also become a matter of concern to the linguists' interest in the nature of primary linguistic data. Starting with the development stages of second language acquisition and Stephen Krashen's theory, this…

Acquisition Management for System of Systems: Requirement Evolution and Acquisition Strategy Planning

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-29

of modern portfolio and control theory . The reformulation allows for possible changes in estimated quantities (e.g., due to market shifts in... Portfolio Theory (MPT). Final Report: NPS award N00244-11-1-0003 5 Extending CEM and Markov: Agent-Based Modeling Approach Research conducted in the...integration and acquisition from a robust portfolio theory standpoint. Robust portfolio management methodologies have been widely used by financial

Selective lesion of septal cholinergic neurons in rats impairs acquisition of a delayed matching to position T-maze task by delaying the shift from a response to a place strategy.

PubMed

Fitz, Nicholas F; Gibbs, Robert B; Johnson, David A

2008-12-16

This study tested the hypothesis that septal cholinergic lesions impair acquisition of a delayed matching to position (DMP) T-maze task in male rats by affecting learning strategy. Rats received either the selective cholinergic immunotoxin, 192 IgG-saporin (SAP) or artificial cerebrospinal fluid directly into the medial septum. Two weeks later, animals were trained to acquire the DMP task. SAP-treated rats took significantly longer to acquire the task than corresponding controls. Both SAP-treated and control rats adopted a persistent turn and utilized a response strategy during early periods of training. By the time rats reached criterion the persistent turn was no longer evident, and all rats had shifted to an allocentric strategy, i.e., were relying on extramaze cues to a significant degree. During the acquisition period, SAP-treated rats spent significantly more days showing a persistent turn and using a response strategy than corresponding controls. The added time spent using a response strategy accounted entirely for the added days required to reach criterion among the SAP-treated rats. This suggests that the principal mechanism by which septal cholinergic lesions impair DMP acquisition in male rats is by increasing the predisposition to use a response vs. a place strategy, thereby affecting the ability to switch from one strategy to another.

Predictors of chain acquisition among independent dialysis facilities.

PubMed

Pozniak, Alyssa S; Hirth, Richard A; Banaszak-Holl, Jane; Wheeler, John R C

2010-04-01

To determine the predictors of chain acquisition among independent dialysis providers. Retrospective facility-level data combined from CMS Cost Reports, Medical Evidence Forms, Annual Facility Surveys, and claims for 1996-2003. Independent dialysis facilities' probability of acquisition by a dialysis chain (overall and by chain size) was estimated using a discrete time hazard rate model, controlling for financial and clinical performance, practice patterns, market factors, and other facility characteristics. The sample includes all U.S. freestanding dialysis facilities that report not being chain affiliated for at least 1 year between 1997 and 2003. Above-average costs and better quality outcomes are significant determinants of dialysis chain acquisition. Facilities in larger markets were more likely to be acquired by a chain. Furthermore, small dialysis chains have different acquisition strategies than large chains. Dialysis chains appear to employ a mix of turn-around and cream-skimming strategies. Poor financial health is a predictor of chain acquisition as in other health care sectors, but the increased likelihood of chain acquisition among higher quality facilities is unique to the dialysis industry. Significant differences among predictors of acquisition by small and large chains reinforce the importance of using a richer classification for chain status.

A response strategy predicts acquisition of schedule-induced polydipsia in rats.

PubMed

Gregory, James Gardner; Hawken, Emily R; Banasikowski, Tomek J; Dumont, Eric C; Beninger, Richard J

2015-08-03

Schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP) is excessive, non-regulatory drinking. We aimed to identify phenotypic learning traits representative of neural circuitry that underlies SIP and hypothesized that rats that are response-learners will be more susceptible in developing compulsive water drinking. Using the Y-maze, the rats were characterized as either place- or response-learners. They were exposed to the SIP protocol for a period of 21days. Subsequent histological staining for FosB/ΔFosB examined neuronal activation associated with SIP in several brain regions. The rats with a preference for a response-learning strategy were more likely to develop SIP than the rats using a place-learning strategy. Furthermore amphetamine sensitization, observed to increase SIP, also shifted learning strategy to a response-learning strategy. No differences were observed in FosB/ΔFosB expression between SIP and non-SIP rats in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) and CA1 region of the hippocampus. However, SIP rats had greater FosB/ΔFosB expression in prefrontal cortex regions. The rats that develop SIP have a preference for response-learning strategies and increased neuronal activation in frontal cortical regions associated with habit formation and compulsion. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

48 CFR 23.103 - Sustainable acquisitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY, RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY, AND DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE Sustainable Acquisition Policy 23.103 Sustainable acquisitions. (a... the products are— (1) Energy-efficient (ENERGY STAR® or Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP...

Water Resilience by Design: A water infrastructure planning framework for developing sustainable water management strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, C.; Ray, P. A.; Freeman, S.

2016-12-01

Societal need for improved water management and concerns for the long-term sustainability of water resources systems are prominent around the world. The continued susceptibility of society to the harmful effects of hydrologic variability, pervasive concerns related to climate change and the emergent awareness of devastating effects of current practice on aquatic ecosystems all illustrate our limited understanding of how water ought to be managed in a dynamic world. To address these challenges, new problem solving approaches are required that acknowledge uncertainties, incorporate best available information, and link engineering design principles, typically based on determinism, with our best geoscience-based understanding of planetary change. In this presentation, we present and demonstrate a framework for developing water planning and management strategies that are resilient in the face of future uncertainties and our limited ability to anticipate the future. The approach begins with stakeholder engagement and decision framing to elicit relevant context, uncertainties, choices and connections that drive planning and serve as an entry point to exploring possible futures. The result is the development of water strategies that are informed by the best available predictive information and designed to perform well over a future of change. Examples from around the world are presented to illustrate the methodology.

48 CFR 970.2301 - Sustainable acquisition.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

.... 970.2301 Section 970.2301 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AGENCY SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS DOE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATING CONTRACTS Environment, Energy and Water Efficiency, Renewable Energy Technologies, Occupational Safety and Drug-Free Work Place 970.2301 Sustainable acquisition...

48 CFR 970.2301 - Sustainable acquisition.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

.... 970.2301 Section 970.2301 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AGENCY SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS DOE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATING CONTRACTS Environment, Energy and Water Efficiency, Renewable Energy Technologies, Occupational Safety and Drug-Free Work Place 970.2301 Sustainable acquisition. ...

48 CFR 23.103 - Sustainable acquisitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY, RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY, AND DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE Sustainable Acquisition Policy 23.103 Sustainable acquisitions. (a... the products are— (1) Energy-efficient (ENERGY STAR ® or Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP...

48 CFR 970.2301 - Sustainable acquisition.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

.... 970.2301 Section 970.2301 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AGENCY SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS DOE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATING CONTRACTS Environment, Energy and Water Efficiency, Renewable Energy Technologies, Occupational Safety and Drug-Free Work Place 970.2301 Sustainable acquisition. ...

48 CFR 970.2301 - Sustainable acquisition.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

.... 970.2301 Section 970.2301 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AGENCY SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS DOE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATING CONTRACTS Environment, Energy and Water Efficiency, Renewable Energy Technologies, Occupational Safety and Drug-Free Work Place 970.2301 Sustainable acquisition. ...

48 CFR 970.2301 - Sustainable acquisition.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

.... 970.2301 Section 970.2301 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AGENCY SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS DOE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATING CONTRACTS Environment, Energy and Water Efficiency, Renewable Energy Technologies, Occupational Safety and Drug-Free Work Place 970.2301 Sustainable acquisition. ...

Antifouling membranes for sustainable water purification: strategies and mechanisms.

PubMed

Zhang, Runnan; Liu, Yanan; He, Mingrui; Su, Yanlei; Zhao, Xueting; Elimelech, Menachem; Jiang, Zhongyi

2016-10-24

One of the greatest challenges to the sustainability of modern society is an inadequate supply of clean water. Due to its energy-saving and cost-effective features, membrane technology has become an indispensable platform technology for water purification, including seawater and brackish water desalination as well as municipal or industrial wastewater treatment. However, membrane fouling, which arises from the nonspecific interaction between membrane surface and foulants, significantly impedes the efficient application of membrane technology. Preparing antifouling membranes is a fundamental strategy to deal with pervasive fouling problems from a variety of foulants. In recent years, major advancements have been made in membrane preparation techniques and in elucidating the antifouling mechanisms of membrane processes, including ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis and forward osmosis. This review will first introduce the major foulants and the principal mechanisms of membrane fouling, and then highlight the development, current status and future prospects of antifouling membranes, including antifouling strategies, preparation techniques and practical applications. In particular, the strategies and mechanisms for antifouling membranes, including passive fouling resistance and fouling release, active off-surface and on-surface strategies, will be proposed and discussed extensively.

U.S. Geological Survey Water science strategy--observing, understanding, predicting, and delivering water science to the nation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Evenson, Eric J.; Orndorff, Randall C.; Blome, Charles D.; Böhlke, John Karl; Hershberger, Paul K.; Langenheim, V.E.; McCabe, Gregory J.; Morlock, Scott E.; Reeves, Howard W.; Verdin, James P.; Weyers, Holly S.; Wood, Tamara M.

2013-01-01

This report expands the Water Science Strategy that began with the USGS Science Strategy, “Facing Tomorrow’s Challenges—U.S. Geological Survey Science in the Decade 2007–2017” (U.S. Geological Survey, 2007). This report looks at the relevant issues facing society and develops a strategy built around observing, understanding, predicting, and delivering water science for the next 5 to 10 years by building new capabilities, tools, and delivery systems to meet the Nation’s water-resource needs. This report begins by presenting the vision of water science for the USGS and the societal issues that are influenced by, and in turn influence, the water resources of our Nation. The essence of the Water Science Strategy is built on the concept of “water availability,” defined as spatial and temporal distribution of water quantity and quality, as related to human and ecosystem needs, as affected by human and natural influences. The report also describes the core capabilities of the USGS in water science—the strengths, partnerships, and science integrity that the USGS has built over its 134-year history. Nine priority actions are presented in the report, which combine and elevate the numerous specific strategic actions listed throughout the report. Priority actions were developed as a means of providing the audience of this report with a list for focused attention, even if resources and time limit the ability of managers to address all of the strategic actions in the report.

Implementation Strategies for a Universal Acquisition and Tracking Channel Applied to Real GNSS Signals.

PubMed

Fortin, Marc-Antoine; Landry, René

2016-05-02

This paper presents a universal GNSS receiver channel capable of tracking any civil GNSS signal. This fundamentally differs from dedicated channels, each customized for a given signal. A mobile device could integrate fewer universal channels to harvest all available signals. This would allow securing signal availability, while minimizing power consumption and chip size, thus maximizing battery lifetime. In fact, the universal channel allows sequential acquisition and tracking of any chipping rate, carrier frequency, FDMA channel, modulation, or constellation, and is totally configurable (any integration time, any discriminator, etc.). It can switch from one signal to another in 1.07 ms, making it possible for the receiver to rapidly adapt to its sensed environment. All this would consume 3.5 mW/channel in an ASIC implementation, i.e., with a slight overhead compared to the original GPS L1 C/A dedicated channel from which it was derived. After extensive surveys on GNSS signals and tracking channels, this paper details the implementation strategies that led to the proposed universal channel architecture. Validation is achieved using GNSS signals issued from different constellations, frequency bands, modulations and spreading code schemes. A discussion on acquisition approaches and conclusive remarks follow, which open up a new signal selection challenge, rather than satellite selection.

Implementation Strategies for a Universal Acquisition and Tracking Channel Applied to Real GNSS Signals

PubMed Central

Fortin, Marc-Antoine; Landry, René

2016-01-01

This paper presents a universal GNSS receiver channel capable of tracking any civil GNSS signal. This fundamentally differs from dedicated channels, each customized for a given signal. A mobile device could integrate fewer universal channels to harvest all available signals. This would allow securing signal availability, while minimizing power consumption and chip size, thus maximizing battery lifetime. In fact, the universal channel allows sequential acquisition and tracking of any chipping rate, carrier frequency, FDMA channel, modulation, or constellation, and is totally configurable (any integration time, any discriminator, etc.). It can switch from one signal to another in 1.07 ms, making it possible for the receiver to rapidly adapt to its sensed environment. All this would consume 3.5 mW/channel in an ASIC implementation, i.e., with a slight overhead compared to the original GPS L1 C/A dedicated channel from which it was derived. After extensive surveys on GNSS signals and tracking channels, this paper details the implementation strategies that led to the proposed universal channel architecture. Validation is achieved using GNSS signals issued from different constellations, frequency bands, modulations and spreading code schemes. A discussion on acquisition approaches and conclusive remarks follow, which open up a new signal selection challenge, rather than satellite selection. PMID:27144569

Mobilization strategy to overcome global crisis of water consumption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzdaleva, Antonina; Goryunova, Svetlana; Marchuk, Aleksey; Borovkov, Valery

2017-10-01

Today, the global water consumption crisis is one of the main threats that can disrupt socio-economic and environmental conditions of life of the majority of the world’s population. The water consumption mobilization strategy is based on the idea of increasing the available water resources. The main direction for the implementation of this strategy is the construction of anti-rivers - the systems for inter-basin (interregional) water resources redistribution. Antirivers are intended for controlled redistribution of water resources from regions with their catastrophic excess to regions with their critical shortage. The creation of anti-rivers, taking into account the requirements of environmental safety, will form large-scale managed natural- engineering systems and implement the principle of sustainable development adopted by the United Nations. The aim of the article is to substantiate a new methodological approach to address the problem, where the implementation of this approach can prevent large-scale humanitarian and environmental disasters expected in the coming years.

The Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Strategy. Appendix 1: DOD Strategic Human Capital Plan Update. The Defense Acquisition Workforce

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

Frank J . Anderson, Jr., April 5, 2010. A Message from the Under Secretary of Defense For Acquisition, Technology and Logistics The importance of...Defense agencies. The Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Honorable William J . Lynn III, recently emphasized that the acquisition workforce rebalancing...20 Asch B., Haider S., and Zizzimopoulos, J . (2003) The Effects of Workforce-Shaping Incentives

Healthcare mergers and acquisitions: strategies for consolidation.

PubMed

Zuckerman, Alan M

2011-01-01

The passage of federal healthcare reform legislation, in combination with other factors, makes it likely that the next few years will be a major period of consolidation for healthcare organizations. This article examines the seven key forces reshaping healthcare delivery--from insurance industry consolidation to cost inflation to the increasing gap between financially strong and struggling providers--and provides advice for organizations on both sides of an acquisition.

Predictors of Chain Acquisition among Independent Dialysis Facilities

PubMed Central

Pozniak, Alyssa S; Hirth, Richard A; Banaszak-Holl, Jane; Wheeler, John R C

2010-01-01

Objective To determine the predictors of chain acquisition among independent dialysis providers. Data Sources Retrospective facility-level data combined from CMS Cost Reports, Medical Evidence Forms, Annual Facility Surveys, and claims for 1996–2003. Study Design Independent dialysis facilities' probability of acquisition by a dialysis chain (overall and by chain size) was estimated using a discrete time hazard rate model, controlling for financial and clinical performance, practice patterns, market factors, and other facility characteristics. Data Collection The sample includes all U.S. freestanding dialysis facilities that report not being chain affiliated for at least 1 year between 1997 and 2003. Principal Findings Above-average costs and better quality outcomes are significant determinants of dialysis chain acquisition. Facilities in larger markets were more likely to be acquired by a chain. Furthermore, small dialysis chains have different acquisition strategies than large chains. Conclusions Dialysis chains appear to employ a mix of turn-around and cream-skimming strategies. Poor financial health is a predictor of chain acquisition as in other health care sectors, but the increased likelihood of chain acquisition among higher quality facilities is unique to the dialysis industry. Significant differences among predictors of acquisition by small and large chains reinforce the importance of using a richer classification for chain status. PMID:20148985

Reported care giver strategies for improving drinking water for young children.

PubMed

McLennan, John D; Farrelly, Ashley

2010-11-01

Care givers may engage in a variety of strategies to try and improve drinking water for children. However, the pattern of these efforts is not well known, particularly for young children in high-risk situations. The objective of this study was to determine care giver-reported strategies for young children with (1) undernutrition and (2) living in an unplanned poor peri-urban community in the Dominican Republic. Practices reported by care givers of young children from a community and clinic group were extracted from interviews conducted between 2004 and 2008 (n = 563). These results were compared to two previous similar samples interviewed in 1997 (n = 341). Bottled water is currently the most prevalent reported strategy for improving drinking water for young children. Its use increased from 6% to 69% in the community samples over the last decade and from 13% to 79% in the clinic samples. Boiling water continues to be a common strategy, particularly for the youngest children, though its overall use has decreased over time. Household-level chlorination is infrequently used and has dropped over time. Care givers are increasingly turning to bottled water in an attempt to provide safe drinking water for their children. While this may represent a positive trend for protecting children from water-transmitted diseases, it may represent an inefficient approach to safe drinking water provision that may place a financial burden on low-income families.

Comparison of Data Acquisition Strategies on Quadrupole Ion Trap Instrumentation for Shotgun Proteomics

PubMed Central

Canterbury, Jesse D.; Merrihew, Gennifer E.; Goodlett, David R.; MacCoss, Michael J.; Shaffer, Scott A.

2015-01-01

A common strategy in mass spectrometry analyses of complex protein mixtures is to digest the proteins to peptides, separate the peptides by microcapillary liquid chromatography and collect tandem mass spectra (MS/MS) on the eluting, complex peptide mixtures, a process commonly termed “shotgun proteomics”. For years, the most common way of data collection was via data-dependent acquisition (DDA), a process driven by an automated instrument control routine that directs MS/MS acquisition from the highest abundant signals to the lowest, a process often leaving lower abundant signals unanalyzed and therefore unidentified in the experiment. Advances in both instrumentation duty cycle and sensitivity allow DDA to probe to lower peptide abundance and therefore enable mapping proteomes to a more significant depth. An alternative to acquiring data by DDA is by data-independent acquisition (DIA), in which a specified range in m/z is fragmented without regard to prioritization of a precursor ion or its relative abundance in the mass spectrum. As a consequence, DIA acquisition potentially offers more comprehensive analysis of peptides than DDA and in principle can yield tandem mass spectra of all ionized molecules following their conversion to the gas-phase. In this work, we evaluate both DDA and DIA on three different linear ion trap instruments: an LTQ, an LTQ modified in-house with an electrodynamic ion funnel, and an LTQ-Velos. These instruments were chosen as they are representative of both older (LTQ) and newer (LTQ-Velos) ion trap designs i.e., linear ion trap and dual ion traps, respectively, and allow direct comparison of peptide identification using both DDA and DIA analysis. Further, as the LTQ-Velos has an improved “S-lens” ion guide in the high-pressure region to improve ion flux, we found it logical to determine if the former LTQ model could be leveraged by improving sensitivity by modifying with an electrodynamic ion guide of significantly different

Optimal urban water conservation strategies considering embedded energy: coupling end-use and utility water-energy models.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Escriva-Bou, A.; Lund, J. R.; Pulido-Velazquez, M.; Spang, E. S.; Loge, F. J.

2014-12-01

Although most freshwater resources are used in agriculture, a greater amount of energy is consumed per unit of water supply for urban areas. Therefore, efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of water in cities, including the energy embedded within household uses, can be an order of magnitude larger than for other water uses. This characteristic of urban water systems creates a promising opportunity to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, particularly given rapidly growing urbanization worldwide. Based on a previous Water-Energy-CO2 emissions model for household water end uses, this research introduces a probabilistic two-stage optimization model considering technical and behavioral decision variables to obtain the most economical strategies to minimize household water and water-related energy bills given both water and energy price shocks. Results show that adoption rates to reduce energy intensive appliances increase significantly, resulting in an overall 20% growth in indoor water conservation if household dwellers include the energy cost of their water use. To analyze the consequences on a utility-scale, we develop an hourly water-energy model based on data from East Bay Municipal Utility District in California, including the residential consumption, obtaining that water end uses accounts for roughly 90% of total water-related energy, but the 10% that is managed by the utility is worth over 12 million annually. Once the entire end-use + utility model is completed, several demand-side management conservation strategies were simulated for the city of San Ramon. In this smaller water district, roughly 5% of total EBMUD water use, we found that the optimal household strategies can reduce total GHG emissions by 4% and utility's energy cost over 70,000/yr. Especially interesting from the utility perspective could be the "smoothing" of water use peaks by avoiding daytime irrigation that among other benefits might reduce utility energy costs by 0.5% according to our

Environmental benefit analysis of strategies for potable water savings in residential buildings.

PubMed

Marinoski, Ana Kelly; Rupp, Ricardo Forgiarini; Ghisi, Enedir

2018-01-15

The objective of this study is to assess the environmental benefit of using rainwater, greywater, water-efficient appliances and their combinations in low-income houses. The study was conducted surveying twenty households located in southern Brazil, which resulted in water end-uses estimation. Then, embodied energy, potential for potable water savings and sewage reduction when using the different strategies were estimated. The environmental benefit analysis of these strategies was performed using an indicator that includes embodied energy, potable water savings, reduction of sewage and energy consumption in the water utility, and sewage production during the life cycle of the system. The results indicated that the strategy with the greatest environmental benefit is the use of water-efficient appliances, which resulted in substantial water savings and reduction of sewage, causing low environmental impact due to lower embodied energy over the life cycle. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multi-echo acquisition

PubMed Central

Posse, Stefan

2011-01-01

The rapid development of fMRI was paralleled early on by the adaptation of MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) methods to quantify water relaxation changes during brain activation. This review describes the evolution of multi-echo acquisition from high-speed MRSI to multi-echo EPI and beyond. It highlights milestones in the development of multi-echo acquisition methods, such as the discovery of considerable gains in fMRI sensitivity when combining echo images, advances in quantification of the BOLD effect using analytical biophysical modeling and interleaved multi-region shimming. The review conveys the insight gained from combining fMRI and MRSI methods and concludes with recent trends in ultra-fast fMRI, which will significantly increase temporal resolution of multi-echo acquisition. PMID:22056458

Sensor Acquisition for Water Utilities: Survey, Down Selection Process, and Technology List

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

Alai, M; Glascoe, L; Love, A

2005-06-29

The early detection of the biological and chemical contamination of water distribution systems is a necessary capability for securing the nation's water supply. Current and emerging early-detection technology capabilities and shortcomings need to be identified and assessed to provide government agencies and water utilities with an improved methodology for assessing the value of installing these technologies. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has tasked a multi-laboratory team to evaluate current and future needs to protect the nation's water distribution infrastructure by supporting an objective evaluation of current and new technologies. The LLNL deliverable from this Operational Technology Demonstration (OTD) wasmore » to assist the development of a technology acquisition process for a water distribution early warning system. The technology survey includes a review of previous sensor surveys and current test programs and a compiled database of relevant technologies. In the survey paper we discuss previous efforts by governmental agencies, research organizations, and private companies. We provide a survey of previous sensor studies with regard to the use of Early Warning Systems (EWS) that includes earlier surveys, testing programs, and response studies. The list of sensor technologies was ultimately developed to assist in the recommendation of candidate technologies for laboratory and field testing. A set of recommendations for future sensor selection efforts has been appended to this document, as has a down selection example for a hypothetical water utility.« less

A systematic data acquisition and mining strategy for chemical profiling of Aster tataricus rhizoma (Ziwan) by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS and the corresponding anti-depressive activity screening.

PubMed

Sun, Yupeng; Li, Li; Liao, Man; Su, Min; Wan, Changchen; Zhang, Lantong; Zhang, Hailin

2018-05-30

In this study, a systematic data acquisition and mining strategy aimed at the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) complex system based on ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was reported. The workflow of this strategy is as follows: First, the high resolution mass data are acquired by both data-dependent acquisition mode (DDA) and data-independent acquisition mode (DIA). Then a global data mining that combined targeted and non-targeted compound finding is applied to analyze mass spectral data. Furthermore, some assistant tools, such as key product ions (KPIs), are employed for compound hunting and identification. The TCM Ziwan (ZW, Aster tataricus rhizoma) was used to illustrate this strategy for the first time. In this research, total 131 compounds including organic acids, peptides, terpenes, steroids, flavonoids, coumarins, anthraquinones and aldehydes were identified or tentatively characterized in ZW based on accurate mass measurements within ±5 ppm error, and 50 of them were unambiguously confirmed by comparing standard compounds. Afterwards, based on the traditional Chinese medical theory and the key determinants of firing patterns of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) neurons in the development of depression, the confirmed compounds were subsequently evaluated the pharmacological effect of activity of VTA DA neurons and anti-depressive efficacy. This research provided not only a chemical profiling for further in vivo study of ZW, but also an efficient data acquisition and mining strategy to profile the chemical constituents and find new bioactive substances for other TCM complex system. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aviation Acquisition: A Comprehensive Strategy Is Needed for Cultural Change at FAA

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-08-22

The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) timely acquisition of new air : traffic control equipment has become increasingly critical for aviation safety : and efficiency. However, persistent acquisition problems raise questions about : the agency's...

Computational Modeling for Language Acquisition: A Tutorial With Syntactic Islands.

PubMed

Pearl, Lisa S; Sprouse, Jon

2015-06-01

Given the growing prominence of computational modeling in the acquisition research community, we present a tutorial on how to use computational modeling to investigate learning strategies that underlie the acquisition process. This is useful for understanding both typical and atypical linguistic development. We provide a general overview of why modeling can be a particularly informative tool and some general considerations when creating a computational acquisition model. We then review a concrete example of a computational acquisition model for complex structural knowledge referred to as syntactic islands. This includes an overview of syntactic islands knowledge, a precise definition of the acquisition task being modeled, the modeling results, and how to meaningfully interpret those results in a way that is relevant for questions about knowledge representation and the learning process. Computational modeling is a powerful tool that can be used to understand linguistic development. The general approach presented here can be used to investigate any acquisition task and any learning strategy, provided both are precisely defined.

Water conservation benefits of urban heat mitigation: can cooling strategies reduce water consumption in California?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vahmani, P.; Jones, A. D.

2017-12-01

Urban areas are at the forefront of climate mitigation and adaptation efforts given their high concentration of people, industry, and infrastructure. Many cities globally are seeking strategies to counter the consequences of both a hotter and drier climate. While urban heat mitigation strategies have been shown to have beneficial effects on health, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions, their implications for water conservation have not been widely examined. Here we show that broad implementation of cool roofs, an urban heat mitigation strategy, not only results in significant cooling of air temperature, but also meaningfully decreases outdoor water consumption by reducing evaporative and irrigation water demands. Based on a suite of satellite-supported, multiyear regional climate simulations, we find that cool roof adoption has the potential to reduce outdoor water consumption across the major metropolitan areas in California by up to 9%. Irrigation water savings per capita, induced by cool roofs, range from 1.8 to 15.4 gallons per day across 18 counties examined. Total water savings in Los Angeles county alone is about 83 million gallons per day. While this effect is robust across the 15 years examined (2001-2015), including both drought and non-drought years, we find that cool roofs are most effective during the hottest days of the year, indicating that they could play an even greater role in reducing outdoor water use in a hotter future climate. We further show that this synergistic relationship between heat mitigation and water conservation is asymmetrical - policies that encourage direct reductions in irrigation water use can lead to substantial regional warming, potentially conflicting with heat mitigation efforts designed to counter the effects of the projected warming climate.

Linking Acquisition Decisionmaking With National Military Strategy

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-10-01

DTIC CONTAINED A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF COLOR PAGES WHICH DO NOT REPRODUCE LEGIBLY ON BLACK AND WHITE MICROFICHE, L i REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form...objectives I within the planning process. A fourth issue was the pace of change in enchancing the joint role in the acquisition g process. The former CJCS...goals, the roadmap, and PPOs. Hence, the DPG provides a VI-22 5 I systematic institutional memory , incorporating decisions as they are made, and thus

Water Reserves Program. An adaptation strategy to balance water in nature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez Perez, M.; Barrios, E.; Salinas-Rodriguez, S.; Wickel, B.; Villon, R. A.

2013-05-01

-allocation takes place. The strategy is to identify and protect basins with an availability of water that is close to their natural flow regime and that also have a high conservation value (based on prior national conservation priority definitions such as protected areas, and biodiversity conservation gap analyses) in order to implement legal restrictions on water resource development. With such protection, these systems will be best positioned to adjust and respond to water shortages, and regime shifts. To date, 189 basins around the country were identified as potential water reserves. The next step will be the nomination of these water reserves to be integrated in the National Water Reserves Program. This program forms the core of the official Mexican government adaptation strategy towards climate prepared water management, which recognizes that water reserves are the buffer society needs to face uncertainty, and reduce water scarcity risk. The development of activities that alter the natural flow regime such as dams and levees are closely examined, and would potentially be restricted.

Plant hydraulic traits govern forest water use and growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matheny, Ashley; Bohrer, Gil; Fiorella, Rich; Mirfenderesgi, Golnazalsadat

2016-04-01

Biophysical controls at the leaf, stem, and root levels govern plant water acquisition and use. Suites of sometimes co-varying traits afford plants the ability to manage water stress at each of these three levels. We studied the contrasting hydraulic strategies of red oaks (Q. rubra) and red maples (A. rubrum) in northern Michigan, USA. These two species differ in stomatal regulation strategy and xylem architecture, and are thought to root at different depths. Water use was monitored through sap flux, stem water storage, and leaf water potential measurements. Depth of water acquisition was determined on the basis of stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes from xylem water samples taken from both species. Fifteen years of bole growth records were used to compare the influence of the trees' opposing hydraulic strategies on carbon acquisition and growth. During non-limiting soil moisture conditions, transpiration from red maples typically exceeded that of red oak. However, during a 20% soil dry down, transpiration from red maples decreased by more than 80%, while transpiration from red oaks only fell by 31%. Stem water storage in red maple also declined sharply, while storage in red oaks remained nearly constant. The more consistent isotopic compositions of xylem water samples indicated that oaks can draw upon a steady, deep supply of water which red maples cannot access. Additionally, red maple bole growth correlated strongly with mean annual soil moisture, while red oak bole growth did not. These results indicate that the deeper rooting strategy of red oaks allowed the species to continue transpiration and carbon uptake during periods of intense soil water limitation, when the shallow-rooted red maples ceased transpiration. The ability to root deeply could provide an additional buffer against drought-induced mortality, which may permit some anisohydric species, like red oak, to survive hydrologic conditions that would be expected to favor survival of more isohydric

State and territorial use of ground-water strategy grant funds (Section 106 Clean Water Act). Technical report (Final)

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

Not Available

1987-05-01

This document reports on the activities of States in FY 85 and 86 in developing and implementing State ground-water protection strategies using Clean Water Act Section 106 funds. Every State and all but one territory has participated in the program. Strategies have included emphasis on the need to consolidate State and local agency efforts, and to provide clear policy direction, greater public awareness and education concerning ground-water protection.

Strategies for ensuring global consistency/comparability of water-quality data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klein, J.M.

1999-01-01

In the past 20 years the water quality of the United States has improved remarkably-the waters are safer for drinking, swimming, and fishing. However, despite many accomplishments, it is still difficult to answer such basic questions as: 'How clean is the water?' and 'How is it changing over time?' These same questions exist on a global scale as well. In order to focus water-data issues in the United States, a national Intergovernmental Task Force on Monitoring Water Quality (ITFM) was initiated for public and private organizations, whereby key elements involved in data collection, analysis, storage, and management could be made consistent and comparable. The ITFM recommended and its members are implementing a nationwide strategy to improve water-quality monitoring, assessment, and reporting activities. The intent of this paper is to suggest that a voluntary effort be initiated to ensure the comparability and utility of hydrological data on a global basis. Consistent, long-term data sets that are comparable are necessary in order to formulate ideas regarding regional and global trends in water quantity and quality. The author recommends that a voluntary effort similar to the ITFM effort be utilized. The strategy proposed would involve voluntary representation from countries and international organizations (e.g. World Health Organization) involved in drinking-water assessments and/or ambient water-quality monitoring. Voluntary partnerships such as this will improve curability to reduce health risks and achieve a better return on public and private investments in monitoring, environmental protection, and natural resource management, and result in a collaborative process that will save millions of dollars.In this work it is suggested that a voluntary effort be initiated to ensure the comparability and utility of hydrological data on a global basis. The strategy proposed would involve voluntary representation from countries and international organizations involved in

Acquisition of Derivational Lexical Rules: A Case Study of the Acquisition of French Agent Noun Forms by L2 Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redouane, Rabia

2007-01-01

This study investigates L2 learners' use of French derivational processes and their strategies as they form agent nouns. It also attempts to find out which of the acquisitional principles (conventionality, semantic transparency, formal simplicity, and productivity) advanced by Clark (1993, 2003) for various L1s acquisition of word formation…

Root Traits and Phenotyping Strategies for Plant Improvement

PubMed Central

Paez-Garcia, Ana; Motes, Christy M.; Scheible, Wolf-Rüdiger; Chen, Rujin; Blancaflor, Elison B.; Monteros, Maria J.

2015-01-01

Roots are crucial for nutrient and water acquisition and can be targeted to enhance plant productivity under a broad range of growing conditions. A current challenge for plant breeding is the limited ability to phenotype and select for desirable root characteristics due to their underground location. Plant breeding efforts aimed at modifying root traits can result in novel, more stress-tolerant crops and increased yield by enhancing the capacity of the plant for soil exploration and, thus, water and nutrient acquisition. Available approaches for root phenotyping in laboratory, greenhouse and field encompass simple agar plates to labor-intensive root digging (i.e., shovelomics) and soil boring methods, the construction of underground root observation stations and sophisticated computer-assisted root imaging. Here, we summarize root architectural traits relevant to crop productivity, survey root phenotyping strategies and describe their advantages, limitations and practical value for crop and forage breeding programs. PMID:27135332

Root Traits and Phenotyping Strategies for Plant Improvement.

PubMed

Paez-Garcia, Ana; Motes, Christy M; Scheible, Wolf-Rüdiger; Chen, Rujin; Blancaflor, Elison B; Monteros, Maria J

2015-06-15

Roots are crucial for nutrient and water acquisition and can be targeted to enhance plant productivity under a broad range of growing conditions. A current challenge for plant breeding is the limited ability to phenotype and select for desirable root characteristics due to their underground location. Plant breeding efforts aimed at modifying root traits can result in novel, more stress-tolerant crops and increased yield by enhancing the capacity of the plant for soil exploration and, thus, water and nutrient acquisition. Available approaches for root phenotyping in laboratory, greenhouse and field encompass simple agar plates to labor-intensive root digging (i.e., shovelomics) and soil boring methods, the construction of underground root observation stations and sophisticated computer-assisted root imaging. Here, we summarize root architectural traits relevant to crop productivity, survey root phenotyping strategies and describe their advantages, limitations and practical value for crop and forage breeding programs.

Chemical application strategies to protect water quality.

PubMed

Rice, Pamela J; Horgan, Brian P; Barber, Brian L; Koskinen, William C

2018-07-30

Management of turfgrass on golf courses and athletic fields often involves application of plant protection products to maintain or enhance turfgrass health and performance. However, the transport of fertilizer and pesticides with runoff to adjacent surface waters can enhance algal blooms, promote eutrophication and may have negative impacts on sensitive aquatic organisms and ecosystems. Thus, we evaluated the effectiveness of chemical application setbacks to reduce the off-site transport of chemicals with storm runoff. Experiments with water soluble tracer compounds confirmed an increase in application setback distance resulted in a significant increase in the volume of runoff measured before first off-site chemical detection, as well as a significant reduction in the total percentage of applied chemical transported with the storm runoff. For example, implementation of a 6.1 m application setback reduced the total percentage of an applied water soluble tracer by 43%, from 18.5% of applied to 10.5% of applied. Evaluation of chemographs revealed the efficacy of application setbacks could be observed with storms resulting in lesser (e.g. 100 L) and greater (e.g. > 300 L) quantities of runoff. Application setbacks offer turfgrass managers a mitigation approach that requires no additional resources or time inputs and may serve as an alternative practice when buffers are less appropriate for land management objectives or site conditions. Characterizing potential contamination of surface waters and developing strategies to safeguard water quality will help protect the environment and improve water resource security. This information is useful to grounds superintendents for designing chemical application strategies to maximize environmental stewardship. The data will also be useful to scientists and regulators working with chemical transport and risk models. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Designing a Graphical Decision Support Tool to Improve System Acquisition Decisions

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

relationships within the data [9]. Displaying acquisition data in a graphical manner was chosen because graphical formats, in general, have been...acquisition plan which includes information pertaining to the acquisition objectives, the required capability of the system, design trade-off, budgeting...which introduce artificial neural networks to approximate the real world experience of an acquisition manager [8]. However, these strategies lack a

Integrating air quality, water and climate concerns into China's energy strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Wei

As the world's top carbon emitter, China also suffers from serious air pollution and increasingly severe water stress. My dissertation focuses on a variety of energy strategies in China and examines potential synergies and tradeoffs between air quality, water conservation and carbon mitigation objectives. It includes four analytical chapters. Chapter 2 and 3 examines the air quality and climate implications of a variety policy options in the near term and at the 2030 time horizon, respectively. Based on an integrated assessment using regional air pollution model and epidemiological evidence, I find that improving industrial energy efficiency is the most effective near-term strategy to curb air pollution and carbon emissions, while electrifying end-use sectors (e.g. vehicles and residential stoves) with decarbonized electricity will likely become the favorable co-control strategy in 2030. These two chapters hence provide a scientific basis for policymakers in China to coordinate air pollution and carbon mitigation strategies. Chapter 4 and 5 then examines the role of electricity transmission, as a critical element of the electrification strategy, in the nexus of air pollution, water stress and carbon emissions. Chapter 4 evaluates the potential air quality and climate benefits of long-distance electricity transmission in China in the near term. I find that transmitting a hybrid mix of renewable and coal power can be a cost-effective energy transfer strategy to curb air pollution impacts and carbon emissions, because it not only utilizes zero-carbon renewable resources in the west, but also displaces coal power generation and associated air pollution impacts in highly populated eastern regions. Chapter 5 studies the potential tradeoffs in the transmission system designs to achieve air quality or water conservation benefits from a decarbonized generation system. Since air pollution and water stress are severe in eastern and northern China respectively, I find that an

Kilo-sequencing: an ordered strategy for rapid DNA sequence data acquisition.

PubMed Central

Barnes, W M; Bevan, M

1983-01-01

A strategy for rapid DNA sequence acquisition in an ordered, nonrandom manner, while retaining all of the conveniences of the dideoxy method with M13 transducing phage DNA template, is described. Target DNA 3 to 14 kb in size can be stably carried by our M13 vectors. Suitable targets are stretches of DNA which lack an enzyme recognition site which is unique on our cloning vectors and adjacent to the sequencing primer; current sites that are so useful when lacking are Pst, Xba, HindIII, BglII, EcoRI. By an in vitro procedure, we cut RF DNA once randomly and once specifically, to create thousands of deletions which start at the unique restriction site adjacent to the dideoxy sequencing primer and extend various distances across the target DNA. Phage carrying a desired size of deletions, whose DNA as template will give rise to DNA sequence data in a desired location along the target DNA, may be purified by electrophoresis alive on agarose gels. Phage running in the same location on the agarose gel thus conveniently give rise to nucleotide sequence data from the same kilobase of target DNA. Images PMID:6298723

Acquisition Management for System-of-Systems: Requirement Evolution and Acquisition Strategy Planning

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-30

DoD SERC Aeronautics & Astronautics 5/16/2012 NPS 9th Annual Acquisition Research Symposium...0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 0 60 120 180 240 300 360 420 480 540 600 Pr ob ab ili ty to c om pl et e a m is si on Time (mins) architecture 1 architecture 2...1 6 11 /1 6 12 /1 6 13 /1 6 14 /1 6 15 /1 6 1Pr ob ab ili ty to c om pl et e a m is si on % of system failures worst-case in arch1 worst-case in

18 CFR 1306.2 - Uniform real property acquisition policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Uniform real property... RELOCATION ASSISTANCE AND REAL PROPERTY ACQUISITION POLICIES Regulations and Procedures § 1306.2 Uniform real property acquisition policy. (a) Before negotiations are initiated for acquisition of real property, the...

18 CFR 1306.2 - Uniform real property acquisition policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Uniform real property... RELOCATION ASSISTANCE AND REAL PROPERTY ACQUISITION POLICIES Regulations and Procedures § 1306.2 Uniform real property acquisition policy. (a) Before negotiations are initiated for acquisition of real property, the...

War-gaming application for future space systems acquisition: MATLAB implementation of war-gaming acquisition models and simulation results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vienhage, Paul; Barcomb, Heather; Marshall, Karel; Black, William A.; Coons, Amanda; Tran, Hien T.; Nguyen, Tien M.; Guillen, Andy T.; Yoh, James; Kizer, Justin; Rogers, Blake A.

2017-05-01

The paper describes the MATLAB (MathWorks) programs that were developed during the REU workshop1 to implement The Aerospace Corporation developed Unified Game-based Acquisition Framework and Advanced Game - based Mathematical Framework (UGAF-AGMF) and its associated War-Gaming Engine (WGE) models. Each game can be played from the perspectives of the Department of Defense Acquisition Authority (DAA) or of an individual contractor (KTR). The programs also implement Aerospace's optimum "Program and Technical Baseline (PTB) and associated acquisition" strategy that combines low Total Ownership Cost (TOC) with innovative designs while still meeting warfighter needs. The paper also describes the Bayesian Acquisition War-Gaming approach using Monte Carlo simulations, a numerical analysis technique to account for uncertainty in decision making, which simulate the PTB development and acquisition processes and will detail the procedure of the implementation and the interactions between the games.

Analysis of intra-country virtual water trade strategy to alleviate water scarcity in Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faramarzi, M.; Yang, H.; Mousavi, J.; Schulin, R.; Binder, C. R.; Abbaspour, K. C.

2010-08-01

Increasing water scarcity has posed a major constraint to sustain food production in many parts of the world. To study the situation at the regional level, we took Iran as an example and analyzed how an intra-country "virtual water trade strategy" (VWTS) may help improve cereal production as well as alleviate the water scarcity problem. This strategy calls, in part, for the adjustment of the structure of cropping pattern (ASCP) and interregional food trade where crop yield and crop water productivity as well as local economic and social conditions are taken into account. We constructed a systematic framework to assess ASCP at the provincial level under various driving forces and constraints. A mixed-integer, multi-objective, linear optimization model was developed and solved by linear programming. Data from 1990-2004 were used to account for yearly fluctuations of water availability and food production. Five scenarios were designed aimed at maximizing the national cereal production while meeting certain levels of wheat self-sufficiency under various water and land constraints in individual provinces. The results show that under the baseline scenario, which assumes a continuation of the existing water use and food policy at the national level, some ASCP scenarios could produce more wheat with less water. Based on different scenarios in ASCP, we calculated that 31% to 100% of the total wheat shortage in the deficit provinces could be supplied by the wheat surplus provinces. As a result, wheat deficit provinces would receive 3.5 billion m3 to 5.5 billion m3 of virtual water by importing wheat from surplus provinces.

Analysis of intra-country virtual water trade strategy to alleviate water scarcity in Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faramarzi, M.; Yang, H.; Mousavi, J.; Schulin, R.; Binder, C. R.; Abbaspour, K. C.

2010-04-01

Increasing water scarcity has posed a major constraint to sustain food production in many parts of the world. To study the situation at the regional level, we took Iran as an example and analyzed how an intra-country "virtual water trade strategy" (VWTS) may help improve cereal production as well as alleviate the water scarcity problem. This strategy calls, in part, for the adjustment of the structure of cropping pattern (ASCP) and interregional food trade where crop yield and crop water productivity as well as local economic and social conditions are taken into account. We constructed a systematic framework to assess ASCP at the provincial level under various driving forces and constraints. A mixed-integer, multi-objective, linear optimization model was developed and solved by linear programming. Data from 1990-2004 were used to account for yearly fluctuations of water availability and food production. Five scenarios were designed aimed at maximizing the national cereal production while meeting certain levels of wheat self-sufficiency under various water and land constraints in individual provinces. The results show that under the baseline scenario, which assumes a continuation of the existing water use and food policy at the national level, some ASCP scenarios could produce more wheat with less water. Based on different scenarios in ASCP, we calculated that 31% to 100% of the total wheat shortage in the deficit provinces could be supplied by the wheat surplus provinces. As a result, wheat deficit provinces would receive 3.5 billion m3 to 5.5 billion m3 of virtual water by importing wheat from surplus provinces.

Blue Planet dialysis: novel water-sparing strategies for reducing dialysate flow.

PubMed

Molano-Triviño, Alejandra; Wancjer, Benjamin; Neri, Mauro M; Karopadi, Akash N; Rosner, Mitchell; Ronco, Claudio

2017-11-08

Hemodialysis (HD) is an expensive therapy in economic and in ecological terms, owing to a high carbon footprint and significant consumption of natural sources, especially water. Our aim was to review strategies to diminish waste of water in maintenance dialysis, exploring previously described water reuse trends and less known strategies for reducing the dialysate flow. We conducted a systematic review of water-sparing strategies, including the reuse of reverse osmosis rejected water and the reduction of dialysate flux. We performed a search in Medline, Pubmed, Scielo, OVID and Biblioteca Redentor, using key words: Dialysate flow rate, Dialysate flux, and decrease; excluding: online, peritoneal, continuous, blood access, needle, hemodiafiltration, acute, pharmacokinetics, increase. We limited our search to adult humans or in vitro trials in English, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, between January 1980 and June 2017. We found 816 trials. 37 articles were retrieved for review, and 11 articles were analyzed. Conservation of water in chronic HD should be considered an important responsibility of healthcare practitioners all over the world. We present a wider usage of dialysate flow rates, considering that it would lead to significant water conservation without much compromise on dialysis efficacy in small patients. We believe that further investigation into the utility of reduced dialysate flux in different populations is needed to broaden our understanding of how we can use these techniques in order to significantly reduce water consumption during chronic HD while still ensuring optimum efficacy and efficiency of the therapy.

Optimal residential water conservation strategies considering related energy in California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Escriva-Bou, Alvar; Lund, Jay R.; Pulido-Velazquez, Manuel

2015-06-01

Although most freshwater resources are used in agriculture, residential water use is a much more energy intensive user. Based on this, we analyze the increased willingness to adopt water conservation strategies if energy cost is included in the customers' utility function. Using a Water-Energy-CO2 emissions model for household water end uses and probability distribution functions for parameters affecting water and water-related energy use in 10 different locations in California, this research introduces a probabilistic two-stage optimization model considering technical and behavioral decision variables to obtain the most economical strategies to minimize household water and water-related energy bills and costs given both water and energy price shocks. Results can provide an upper bound of household savings for customers with well-behaved preferences, and show greater adoption rates to reduce energy intensive appliances when energy is accounted, resulting in an overall 24% reduction in indoor water use that represents a 30% reduction in water-related energy use and a 53% reduction in household water-related CO2 emissions. Previous use patterns and water and energy rate structures can affect greatly the potential benefits for customers and so their behavior. Given that water and energy are somewhat complementary goods for customers, we use results of the optimization to obtain own-price and cross-price elasticities of residential water use by simulating increases in water and energy prices. While the results are highly influenced by assumptions due to lack of empirical data, the method presented has no precedent in the literature and hopefully will stimulate the collection of additional relevant data.

Strategy for managing water in the Middle East and North Africa. Arabic edition

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

Berkoff, J.

1995-03-21

Proposes a practical, step-by-step approach to managing water resources in a coordinated and sustainable manner. The people of the Middle East and North Africa have faced scarce water resources since time immemorial. Today, burgeoning populations dwarf the concerns of the past. New strategies for planning and managing water are urgently needed to avoid escalating conflicts and to reverse environmental degradation. This booklet details the implications of a new World Bank policy for the region, calling for a strong effort by governments and Bank staff to manage water resources in a coordinated and sustainable manner. A practical, step-by-step strategy is proposedmore » that could lead to new Bank-funded operations throughout the water sector. The issues involved are complex but must be addressed if water scarcity is not to hinder development projects. The strategy proposed in this booklet could help build a new partnership for sustainable water management between the World Bank and regional governments.« less

Product Line Acquisition in the DoD: The Promise, The Challenges

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-12-01

Organizational Structure 8 3.4 Providing an Appropriate Funding Model 9 3.5 Developing and Implementing an Acquisition Strategy 10 3.6 Contractor Interface...providing an appropriate funding model • achieving the right organizational structure • developing and implementing an acquisition strategy • contractor...organizational change rather than attempt a risky enterprise overhaul. 3.4 Providing an Appropriate Funding Model The funding model is closely

Electric Water Heater Modeling and Control Strategies for Demand Response

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

Diao, Ruisheng; Lu, Shuai; Elizondo, Marcelo A.

2012-07-22

Abstract— Demand response (DR) has a great potential to provide balancing services at normal operating conditions and emergency support when a power system is subject to disturbances. Effective control strategies can significantly relieve the balancing burden of conventional generators and reduce investment on generation and transmission expansion. This paper is aimed at modeling electric water heaters (EWH) in households and tests their response to control strategies to implement DR. The open-loop response of EWH to a centralized signal is studied by adjusting temperature settings to provide regulation services; and two types of decentralized controllers are tested to provide frequency supportmore » following generator trips. EWH models are included in a simulation platform in DIgSILENT to perform electromechanical simulation, which contains 147 households in a distribution feeder. Simulation results show the dependence of EWH response on water heater usage . These results provide insight suggestions on the need of control strategies to achieve better performance for demand response implementation. Index Terms— Centralized control, decentralized control, demand response, electrical water heater, smart grid« less

Two strategies by epiphytic orchids for maintaining water balance: thick cuticles in leaves and water storage in pseudobulbs.

PubMed

Yang, Shi-Jian; Sun, Mei; Yang, Qiu-Yun; Ma, Ren-Yi; Zhang, Jiao-Lin; Zhang, Shi-Bao

2016-01-01

Epiphytes are an important component of tropical and subtropical flora, and serve vital ecological functions in forest hydrology and nutrient fluxes. However, they often encounter water deficits because there is no direct contact between their roots and the soil. The strategies employed by epiphytes for maintaining water balance in relatively water-limited habitats are not completely understood. In the present study, we investigated the anatomical traits, water loss rates, and physiology of leaves and pseudobulbs of four Dendrobium species with different pseudobulb morphologies to understand the roles of leaf and pseudobulb in maintaining water balance of epiphytic orchids. Our results showed that two species (D. chrysotoxum and D. officinale), with lower rates of water loss, have thicker leaves and upper cuticles, but lower epidermal thickness and leaf dry mass per area. In contrast, the other two species (D. chrysanthum and D. crystallinum) with thinner cuticles and higher rates of water loss, have less tissue density and greater saturated water contents in their pseudobulbs. Therefore, our results indicate that these latter two species may resist drought by storing water in the pseudobulbs to compensate for their thin cuticles and rapid water loss through the leaves. Under the same laboratory conditions, excised pseudobulbs with attached leaves had lower rates of water loss when compared with samples comprising only excised leaves. This implies that epiphytic orchids utilize two different strategies for sustaining water balance: thick cuticles to conserve water in leaves and water storage in pseudobulbs. Our results also show that Dendrobium species with thin cuticles tend to have pseudobulbs with high water storage capacity that compensates for their faster rates of water loss. These outcomes contribute to our understanding of the adaptive water-use strategies in Dendrobium species, which is beneficial for the conservation and cultivation of epiphytic orchids

Two strategies by epiphytic orchids for maintaining water balance: thick cuticles in leaves and water storage in pseudobulbs

PubMed Central

Yang, Shi-Jian; Sun, Mei; Yang, Qiu-Yun; Ma, Ren-Yi; Zhang, Jiao-Lin; Zhang, Shi-Bao

2016-01-01

Epiphytes are an important component of tropical and subtropical flora, and serve vital ecological functions in forest hydrology and nutrient fluxes. However, they often encounter water deficits because there is no direct contact between their roots and the soil. The strategies employed by epiphytes for maintaining water balance in relatively water-limited habitats are not completely understood. In the present study, we investigated the anatomical traits, water loss rates, and physiology of leaves and pseudobulbs of four Dendrobium species with different pseudobulb morphologies to understand the roles of leaf and pseudobulb in maintaining water balance of epiphytic orchids. Our results showed that two species (D. chrysotoxum and D. officinale), with lower rates of water loss, have thicker leaves and upper cuticles, but lower epidermal thickness and leaf dry mass per area. In contrast, the other two species (D. chrysanthum and D. crystallinum) with thinner cuticles and higher rates of water loss, have less tissue density and greater saturated water contents in their pseudobulbs. Therefore, our results indicate that these latter two species may resist drought by storing water in the pseudobulbs to compensate for their thin cuticles and rapid water loss through the leaves. Under the same laboratory conditions, excised pseudobulbs with attached leaves had lower rates of water loss when compared with samples comprising only excised leaves. This implies that epiphytic orchids utilize two different strategies for sustaining water balance: thick cuticles to conserve water in leaves and water storage in pseudobulbs. Our results also show that Dendrobium species with thin cuticles tend to have pseudobulbs with high water storage capacity that compensates for their faster rates of water loss. These outcomes contribute to our understanding of the adaptive water-use strategies in Dendrobium species, which is beneficial for the conservation and cultivation of epiphytic orchids

Assessment of climate change impact on water diversion strategies of Melamchi Water Supply Project in Nepal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrestha, Sangam; Shrestha, Manish; Babel, Mukand S.

2017-04-01

This paper analyzes the climate change impact on water diversion plan of Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP) in Nepal. The MWSP is an interbasin water transfer project aimed at diverting water from the Melamchi River of the Indrawati River basin to Kathmandu Valley for drinking water purpose. Future temperature and precipitation of the basin were predicted using the outputs of two regional climate models (RCMs) and two general circulation models (GCMs) under two representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios which were then used as inputs to Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to predict the water availability and evaluate the water diversion strategies in the future. The average temperature of the basin is projected to increase by 2.35 to 4.25 °C under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, respectively, by 2085s. The average precipitation in the basin is projected to increase by 6-18 % in the future. The annual water availability is projected to increase in the future; however, the variability is observed in monthly water availability in the basin. The water supply and demand scenarios of Kathmandu Valley was also examined by considering the population increase, unaccounted for water and water diversion from MWSP in the future. It is observed that even with the additional supply of water from MWSP and reduction of unaccounted for water, the Kathmandu Valley will be still under water scarcity in the future. The findings of this study can be helpful to formulate water supply and demand management strategies in Kathmandu Valley in the context of climate change in the future.

Implicit and Explicit Cognitive Processes in Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ender, Andrea

2016-01-01

Studies on vocabulary acquisition in second language learning have revealed that a large amount of vocabulary is learned without an overt intention, in other words, incidentally. This article investigates the relevance of different lexical processing strategies for vocabulary acquisition when reading a text for comprehension among 24 advanced…

Plant Water Uptake in Drying Soils1

PubMed Central

Lobet, Guillaume; Couvreur, Valentin; Meunier, Félicien; Javaux, Mathieu; Draye, Xavier

2014-01-01

Over the last decade, investigations on root water uptake have evolved toward a deeper integration of the soil and roots compartment properties, with the goal of improving our understanding of water acquisition from drying soils. This evolution parallels the increasing attention of agronomists to suboptimal crop production environments. Recent results have led to the description of root system architectures that might contribute to deep-water extraction or to water-saving strategies. In addition, the manipulation of root hydraulic properties would provide further opportunities to improve water uptake. However, modeling studies highlight the role of soil hydraulics in the control of water uptake in drying soil and call for integrative soil-plant system approaches. PMID:24515834

Developing America's Shale Reserves - Water Strategies For A Sustainable Future (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shephard, L. E.; Oshikanlu, T.

2013-12-01

The development of shale oil and gas reserves over the last several years has had a significant impact on securing America's energy future while making substantial contributions to our nation's economic prosperity. These developments have also raised serious concerns about potential detrimental impacts to our environment (i.e., land, air and water) with much media attention focused on the impacts to our nation's fresh water supply. These concerns are being discussed across the nation often with little or no distinction that the nature of the water issues vary depending on local circumstances (e.g., depth of aquifer and reservoir zone, water demand and availability, availability of discharge wells, regulatory framework, etc.) and regional shale reservoir development strategies (depth of wells, length of laterals, fluid-type used for fracturing, etc.). Growing concerns over long standing drought conditions in some areas and competing demands for water from other sectors (e.g., agriculture, domestic, etc.) add even greater uncertainty relative to fresh water. Water demands for gas and oil wells vary from region to region but nominally range from 10 to 15 acre feet of water (4 to 6 million gallons) for drilling and hydraulic fracturing applications. Flowback water from the hydraulic fracturing process varies and can range from 5 to 40 % of the water used for drilling and 'fracing'. Produced water can be substantial, leading to significant volumes of 'disposed water' where injection wells are available. A science-based systems approach to water lifecycle management that incorporates leading-edge technology development and considers economic and social impacts is critical for the long-term sustainable development of shale reserves. Various water recycling and reuse technologies are being deployed within select regions across the nation with each having limited success depending on region. The efficacy of reuse technology will vary based on produced water quantity and

48 CFR 7.107 - Additional requirements for acquisitions involving bundling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... the Government. However, because of the potential impact on small business participation, the head of... performance or efficiency, reduction in acquisition cycle times, better terms and conditions, and any other...; and (2) The acquisition strategy provides for maximum practicable participation by small business...

One Size Does Not Fit All: How Acquisition Fails the Joint Force Commander

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-02

Campaign Planning and Strategy . The contents of this paper reflect my own personal views and are not necessarily endorsed by the Joint Forces Staff...one-size-fits-all‖ approach has insidiously led to a flawed aircraft acquisition strategy that allows unacceptable risk to combat effectiveness in an...and 78% of the total US tactical aviation fleet. This ―one-size-fits-all‖ approach has insidiously led to a flawed aircraft acquisition strategy

Water resources management in the Ganges Basin: a comparison of three strategies for conjunctive use of groundwater and surface water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Khan, Mahfuzur R.; Voss, Clifford I.; Yu, Winston; Michael, Holly A.

2014-01-01

The most difficult water resources management challenge in the Ganges Basin is the imbalance between water demand and seasonal availability. More than 80 % of the annual flow in the Ganges River occurs during the 4-month monsoon, resulting in widespread flooding. During the rest of the year, irrigation, navigation, and ecosystems suffer because of water scarcity. Storage of monsoonal flow for utilization during the dry season is one approach to mitigating these problems. Three conjunctive use management strategies involving subsurface water storage are evaluated in this study: Ganges Water Machine (GWM), Pumping Along Canals (PAC), and Distributed Pumping and Recharge (DPR). Numerical models are used to determine the efficacy of these strategies. Results for the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh (UP) indicate that these strategies create seasonal subsurface storage from 6 to 37 % of the yearly average monsoonal flow in the Ganges exiting UP over the considered range of conditions. This has clear implications for flood reduction, and each strategy has the potential to provide irrigation water and to reduce soil waterlogging. However, GWM and PAC require significant public investment in infrastructure and management, as well as major shifts in existing water use practices; these also involve spatially-concentrated pumping, which may induce land subsidence. DPR also requires investment and management, but the distributed pumping is less costly and can be more easily implemented via adaptation of existing water use practices in the basin.

Marketing of Information in the Water Sector in Tanzania: A Strategy for MAJIDOC.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michael, Benedict P.

1992-01-01

Outlines a strategy for marketing the information products and services of the Water and Sanitation Information and Documentation Centre (MAJIDOC) of the Water Resources Institute in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Objectives of the marketing strategy are explained, ideas for internal and external promotion are described, and a budget plan is included.…

A Comparison of Erosion and Water Pollution Control Strategies for an Agricultural Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prato, Tony; Shi, Hongqi

1990-02-01

The effectiveness and efficiency of two erosion control strategies and one water pollution control (riparian) strategy are compared for Idaho's Tom Beall watershed. Erosion control strategies maximize annualized net returns per hectare on each field and restrict field erosion rates to no more than 11.2 or 16.8 tons per hectare. The riparian strategy uses good vegetative cover on all fields adjacent to the creek and in noncropland areas and the resource management system that maximizes annualized net returns per hectare on remaining fields. The Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution model is used to simulate the levels and concentrations of sediment, nitrogen, phosphorus, and chemical oxygen demand at the outlet of the watershed. Erosion control strategies generate less total erosion and water pollution but are less efficient than the riparian strategy. The riparian strategy is less equitable for farmers than the erosion control strategies.

Trends in federal land acquisition, protection strategies, and planning

Treesearch

Warren Brown

1980-01-01

In the past, Federal land acquisition has been one of the most popular ways to protect outstanding natural resources and provide recreational opportunities. Federal purchase, maintenance, and operation can help take pressure off the State or local budget. Federal involvement also can provide a way for local officials to avoid making some tough decisions about...

A Water Demand Management Strategy For The Namibian Tourism Sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schachtschneider, K.; Winter, K.

The arid conditions of Namibia are forcing its decision-makers to resort to new wa- ter resource management approaches, including Water Demand Management (WDM). When Namibia achieved its independence from South Africa 1990, a new opportunity arose to rewrite certain restrictive laws and policies in order to bring about redress, development and transformation. The new Water Policy is one example in which the mindset is changed from a supply to a demand oriented water management ap- proach. Legal support for WDM within the new Water Act is a critical component that will support the implementation of WDM in all economic sectors, such as agri- culture, mining and tourism. It is argued that an appropriate WDM strategy should be designed specifically for each sector, once the typical water use patterns in a sec- tor are understood and key water resource managers at all levels are identified. The Namibian tourism sector is geographically dispersed and control over its operations is compounded by the fact that it is frequently located in extremely remote areas that are arid and ecologically sensitive. In general, WDM is rarely practised, because it is not yet supported by law and there are currently no institutional arrangements to con- trol water use in this geographically dispersed industrial sector through which WDM could be enforced either through metering and/or payments. Managers of tourist en- terprises undertake most of the water management themselves, and have been identi- fied as being crucial to the implementation of WDM strategies. A study of six tourist facilities determined the willingness and motivation of these managers to undertake various WDM initiatives. The study identified three factors which appear to influence the actions of managers, namely external controls, economics and company ethics. It is recommended that a tourism sector WDM strategy should focus on these three factors in order to transform the WDM aims and objectives on the policy level into

18. Perimeter acquisition radar building room #105, deionizers (filter tanks) ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

18. Perimeter acquisition radar building room #105, deionizers (filter tanks) for data processor cooling and ice backup; sign reads: Deionizer units provide high-purity water by removal of oxygen, and organic and mineral content from water - Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex, Perimeter Acquisition Radar Building, Limited Access Area, between Limited Access Patrol Road & Service Road A, Nekoma, Cavalier County, ND

Retention strategies and factors associated with missed visits among low income women at increased risk of HIV acquisition in the US (HPTN 064).

PubMed

Haley, Danielle F; Lucas, Jonathan; Golin, Carol E; Wang, Jing; Hughes, James P; Emel, Lynda; El-Sadr, Wafaa; Frew, Paula M; Justman, Jessica; Adimora, Adaora A; Watson, Christopher Chauncey; Mannheimer, Sharon; Rompalo, Anne; Soto-Torres, Lydia; Tims-Cook, Zandraetta; Carter, Yvonne; Hodder, Sally L

2014-04-01

Women at high-risk for HIV acquisition often face challenges that hinder their retention in HIV prevention trials. These same challenges may contribute to missed clinical care visits among HIV-infected women. This article, informed by the Gelberg-Andersen Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations, identifies factors associated with missed study visits and describes the multifaceted retention strategies used by study sites. HPTN 064 was a multisite, longitudinal HIV seroincidence study in 10 US communities. Eligible women were aged 18-44 years, resided in a census tract/zipcode with high poverty and HIV prevalence, and self-reported ≥1 personal or sex partner behavior related to HIV acquisition. Multivariate analyses of predisposing (e.g., substance use) and enabling (e.g., unmet health care needs) characteristics, and study attributes (i.e., recruitment venue, time of enrollment) identified factors associated with missed study visits. Retention strategies included: community engagement; interpersonal relationship building; reduction of external barriers; staff capacity building; and external tracing. Visit completion was 93% and 94% at 6 and 12 months. Unstable housing and later date of enrollment were associated with increased likelihood of missed study visits. Black race, recruitment from an outdoor venue, and financial responsibility for children were associated with greater likelihood of attendance. Multifaceted retention strategies may reduce missed study visits. Knowledge of factors associated with missed visits may help to focus efforts.

Retention Strategies and Factors Associated with Missed Visits Among Low Income Women at Increased Risk of HIV Acquisition in the US (HPTN 064)

PubMed Central

Lucas, Jonathan; Golin, Carol E.; Wang, Jing; Hughes, James P.; Emel, Lynda; El-Sadr, Wafaa; Frew, Paula M.; Justman, Jessica; Adimora, Adaora A.; Watson, Christopher Chauncey; Mannheimer, Sharon; Rompalo, Anne; Soto-Torres, Lydia; Tims-Cook, Zandraetta; Carter, Yvonne; Hodder, Sally L.

2014-01-01

Abstract Women at high-risk for HIV acquisition often face challenges that hinder their retention in HIV prevention trials. These same challenges may contribute to missed clinical care visits among HIV-infected women. This article, informed by the Gelberg-Andersen Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations, identifies factors associated with missed study visits and describes the multifaceted retention strategies used by study sites. HPTN 064 was a multisite, longitudinal HIV seroincidence study in 10 US communities. Eligible women were aged 18–44 years, resided in a census tract/zipcode with high poverty and HIV prevalence, and self-reported ≥1 personal or sex partner behavior related to HIV acquisition. Multivariate analyses of predisposing (e.g., substance use) and enabling (e.g., unmet health care needs) characteristics, and study attributes (i.e., recruitment venue, time of enrollment) identified factors associated with missed study visits. Retention strategies included: community engagement; interpersonal relationship building; reduction of external barriers; staff capacity building; and external tracing. Visit completion was 93% and 94% at 6 and 12 months. Unstable housing and later date of enrollment were associated with increased likelihood of missed study visits. Black race, recruitment from an outdoor venue, and financial responsibility for children were associated with greater likelihood of attendance. Multifaceted retention strategies may reduce missed study visits. Knowledge of factors associated with missed visits may help to focus efforts. PMID:24697160

Impacts of water quality on the corrosion of cast iron pipes for water distribution and proposed source water switch strategy.

PubMed

Hu, Jun; Dong, Huiyu; Xu, Qiang; Ling, Wencui; Qu, Jiuhui; Qiang, Zhimin

2018-02-01

Switch of source water may induce "red water" episodes. This study investigated the impacts of water quality on iron release, dissolved oxygen consumption (ΔDO), corrosion scale evolution and bacterial community succession in cast iron pipes used for drinking water distribution at pilot scale, and proposed a source water switch strategy accordingly. Three sets of old cast iron pipe section (named BP, SP and GP) were excavated on site and assembled in a test base, which had historically transported blended water, surface water and groundwater, respectively. Results indicate that an increasing Cl - or SO 4 2- concentration accelerated iron release, but alkalinity and calcium hardness exhibited an opposite tendency. Disinfectant shift from free chlorine to monochloramine slightly inhibited iron release, while the impact of peroxymonosulfate depended on the source water historically transported in the test pipes. The ΔDO was highly consistent with iron release in all three pipe systems. The mass ratio of magnetite to goethite in the corrosion scales of SP was higher than those of BP and GP and kept almost unchanged over the whole operation period. Siderite and calcite formation confirmed that an increasing alkalinity and hardness inhibited iron release. Iron-reducing bacteria decreased in the BP but increased in the SP and GP; meanwhile, sulfur-oxidizing, sulfate-reducing and iron oxidizing bacteria increased in all three pipe systems. To avoid the occurrence of "red water", a source water switch strategy was proposed based on the difference between local and foreign water qualities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The European Marine Strategy: Noise Monitoring in European Marine Waters from 2014.

PubMed

Dekeling, René; Tasker, Mark; Ainslie, Michael; Andersson, Mathias; André, Michel; Borsani, Fabrizio; Brensing, Karsten; Castellote, Manuel; Dalen, John; Folegot, Thomas; van der Graaf, Sandra; Leaper, Russell; Liebschner, Alexander; Pajala, Jukka; Robinson, Stephen; Sigray, Peter; Sutton, Gerry; Thomsen, Frank; Werner, Stefanie; Wittekind, Dietrich; Young, John V

2016-01-01

The European Marine Strategy Framework Directive requires European member states to develop strategies for their marine waters leading to programs of measures that achieve or maintain good environmental status (GES) in all European seas by 2020. An essential step toward reaching GES is the establishment of monitoring programs, enabling the state of marine waters to be assessed on a regular basis. A register for impulsive noise-generating activities would enable assessment of their cumulative impacts on wide temporal and spatial scales; monitoring of ambient noise would provide essential insight into current levels and any trend in European waters.

Root morphology and mycorrhizal symbioses together shape nutrient foraging strategies of temperate trees

PubMed Central

Chen, Weile; Koide, Roger T.; Adams, Thomas S.; DeForest, Jared L.; Cheng, Lei; Eissenstat, David M.

2016-01-01

Photosynthesis by leaves and acquisition of water and minerals by roots are required for plant growth, which is a key component of many ecosystem functions. Although the role of leaf functional traits in photosynthesis is generally well understood, the relationship of root functional traits to nutrient uptake is not. In particular, predictions of nutrient acquisition strategies from specific root traits are often vague. Roots of nearly all plants cooperate with mycorrhizal fungi in nutrient acquisition. Most tree species form symbioses with either arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) or ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi. Nutrients are distributed heterogeneously in the soil, and nutrient-rich “hotspots” can be a key source for plants. Thus, predicting the foraging strategies that enable mycorrhizal root systems to exploit these hotspots can be critical to the understanding of plant nutrition and ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycling. Here, we show that in 13 sympatric temperate tree species, when nutrient availability is patchy, thinner root species alter their foraging to exploit patches, whereas thicker root species do not. Moreover, there appear to be two distinct pathways by which thinner root tree species enhance foraging in nutrient-rich patches: AM trees produce more roots, whereas EM trees produce more mycorrhizal fungal hyphae. Our results indicate that strategies of nutrient foraging are complementary among tree species with contrasting mycorrhiza types and root morphologies, and that predictable relationships between below-ground traits and nutrient acquisition emerge only when both roots and mycorrhizal fungi are considered together. PMID:27432986

Root morphology and mycorrhizal symbioses together shape nutrient foraging strategies of temperate trees.

PubMed

Chen, Weile; Koide, Roger T; Adams, Thomas S; DeForest, Jared L; Cheng, Lei; Eissenstat, David M

2016-08-02

Photosynthesis by leaves and acquisition of water and minerals by roots are required for plant growth, which is a key component of many ecosystem functions. Although the role of leaf functional traits in photosynthesis is generally well understood, the relationship of root functional traits to nutrient uptake is not. In particular, predictions of nutrient acquisition strategies from specific root traits are often vague. Roots of nearly all plants cooperate with mycorrhizal fungi in nutrient acquisition. Most tree species form symbioses with either arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) or ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi. Nutrients are distributed heterogeneously in the soil, and nutrient-rich "hotspots" can be a key source for plants. Thus, predicting the foraging strategies that enable mycorrhizal root systems to exploit these hotspots can be critical to the understanding of plant nutrition and ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycling. Here, we show that in 13 sympatric temperate tree species, when nutrient availability is patchy, thinner root species alter their foraging to exploit patches, whereas thicker root species do not. Moreover, there appear to be two distinct pathways by which thinner root tree species enhance foraging in nutrient-rich patches: AM trees produce more roots, whereas EM trees produce more mycorrhizal fungal hyphae. Our results indicate that strategies of nutrient foraging are complementary among tree species with contrasting mycorrhiza types and root morphologies, and that predictable relationships between below-ground traits and nutrient acquisition emerge only when both roots and mycorrhizal fungi are considered together.

Computational Modeling for Language Acquisition: A Tutorial with Syntactic Islands

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pearl, Lisa S.; Sprouse, Jon

2015-01-01

Purpose: Given the growing prominence of computational modeling in the acquisition research community, we present a tutorial on how to use computational modeling to investigate learning strategies that underlie the acquisition process. This is useful for understanding both typical and atypical linguistic development. Method: We provide a general…

Integrated EPA Science for Decision-Making: Lawrence, MA Water Strategy

EPA Science Inventory

Powerpoint presentation on the Lawrence MA Making a Visible Difference in Communities project’s comprehensive water quality strategy, demonstrating a systems approach applying integrated EPA science

An in situ approach to detect tree root ecology: linking ground-penetrating radar imaging to isotope-derived water acquisition zones

PubMed Central

Isaac, Marney E; Anglaaere, Luke C N

2013-01-01

Tree root distribution and activity are determinants of belowground competition. However, studying root response to environmental and management conditions remains logistically challenging. Methodologically, nondestructive in situ tree root ecology analysis has lagged. In this study, we tested a nondestructive approach to determine tree coarse root architecture and function of a perennial tree crop, Theobroma cacao L., at two edaphically contrasting sites (sandstone and phyllite–granite derived soils) in Ghana, West Africa. We detected coarse root vertical distribution using ground-penetrating radar and root activity via soil water acquisition using isotopic matching of δ18O plant and soil signatures. Coarse roots were detected to a depth of 50 cm, however, intraspecifc coarse root vertical distribution was modified by edaphic conditions. Soil δ18O isotopic signature declined with depth, providing conditions for plant–soil δ18O isotopic matching. This pattern held only under sandstone conditions where water acquisition zones were identifiably narrow in the 10–20 cm depth but broader under phyllite–granite conditions, presumably due to resource patchiness. Detected coarse root count by depth and measured fine root density were strongly correlated as were detected coarse root count and identified water acquisition zones, thus validating root detection capability of ground-penetrating radar, but exclusively on sandstone soils. This approach was able to characterize trends between intraspecific root architecture and edaphic-dependent resource availability, however, limited by site conditions. This study successfully demonstrates a new approach for in situ root studies that moves beyond invasive point sampling to nondestructive detection of root architecture and function. We discuss the transfer of such an approach to answer root ecology questions in various tree-based landscapes. PMID:23762519

In-situ Image Acquisition Strategy on Asteroid Surface by MINERVA Rover in HAYABUSA Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshimitsu, T.; Sasaki, S.; Yanagisawa, M.

Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) has launched the engineering test spacecraft ``HAYABUSA'' (formerly called ``MUSES-C'') to the near Earth asteroid ``ITOKAWA (1998SF36)'' on May 9, 2003. HAYABUSA will go to the target asteroid after two years' interplanetary cruise and will descend onto the asteroid surface in 2005 to acquire some fragments, which will be brought back to the Earth in 2007. A tiny rover called ``MINERVA'' has boarded the HAYABUSA spacecraft. MINERVA is the first asteroid rover in the world. It will be deployed onto the surface immediately before the spacecraft touches the asteroid to acquire some fragments. Then it will autonomously move over the surface by hopping for a couple of days and the obtained data on multiple places are transmitted to the Earth via the mother spacecraft. Small cameras and thermometers are installed in the rover. This paper describes the image acquisition strategy by the cameras installed in the rover.

18 CFR 157.15 - Requirements for applications covering acquisitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Requirements for... Requirements for applications covering acquisitions. An application for a certificate authorizing acquisition... all of vendor's facilities. (e) Any franchise, license, or permit respecting the facilities involved...

How a phosphorus-acquisition strategy based on carboxylate exudation powers the success and agronomic potential of lupines (Lupinus, Fabaceae).

PubMed

Lambers, Hans; Clements, Jon C; Nelson, Matthew N

2013-02-01

Lupines (Lupinus species; Fabaceae) are an ancient crop with great potential to be developed further for high-protein feed and food, cover crops, and phytoremediation. Being legumes, they are capable of symbiotically fixing atmospheric nitrogen. However, Lupinus species appear to be nonmycorrhizal or weakly mycorrhizal at most; instead some produce cluster roots, which release vast amounts of phosphate-mobilizing carboxylates (inorganic anions). Other lupines produce cluster-like roots, which function in a similar manner, and some release large amounts of carboxylates without specialized roots. These traits associated with nutrient acquisition make lupines ideally suited for either impoverished soils or soils with large amounts of phosphorus that is poorly available for most plants, e.g., acidic or alkaline soils. Here we explore how common the nonmycorrhizal phosphorus-acquisition strategy based on exudation of carboxylates is in the genus Lupinus, concluding it is very likely more widespread than generally acknowledged. This trait may partly account for the role of lupines as pioneers or invasive species, but also makes them suitable crop plants while we reach "peak phosphorus".

Influence of plant composition and water use strategies on green roof stormwater retention.

PubMed

Zhang, Zheng; Szota, Christopher; Fletcher, Tim D; Williams, Nicholas S G; Werdin, Joerg; Farrell, Claire

2018-06-01

Green roofs are increasingly being considered a promising engineered ecosystem for reducing stormwater runoff. Plants are a critical component of green roofs and it has been suggested that plants with high water use after rainfall, but which are also drought tolerant, can improve rainfall retention on green roofs. However, there is little evidence to show how plants with different water use strategies will affect green roof retention performance, either in monocultures or in mixed plantings. This study tested how monocultures and a mixture of herbaceous species (Dianella admixta, Lomandra longifolia and Stypandra glauca) affected rainfall retention on green roofs. These species were chosen based on their water use strategies and compared with a commonly used succulent species (Sedum pachyphyllum) with conservative water use. We measured retention performance for 67 rainfall events, quantifying all components of the water balance. We also compared growth for species in monocultures and mixtures. We found that monocultures of L. longifolia had the greatest stormwater retention and ET. Although S. glauca has a similar water use strategy to D. admixta, it had the lowest stormwater retention and ET. In both the mixture and as a monoculture, S. glauca created preferential flow pathways, resulting in lower substrate water contents which reduced ET and therefore rainfall retention. This species also dominated performance of the mixture, such that the mixture had lower ET and retention than all monocultures (except S. glauca). We suggest that root traits and their interaction with substrates should be considered alongside water use strategies for rainfall retention on green roofs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rapid water and lipid imaging with T2 mapping using a radial IDEAL-GRASE technique.

PubMed

Li, Zhiqiang; Graff, Christian; Gmitro, Arthur F; Squire, Scott W; Bilgin, Ali; Outwater, Eric K; Altbach, Maria I

2009-06-01

Three-point Dixon methods have been investigated as a means to generate water and fat images without the effects of field inhomogeneities. Recently, an iterative algorithm (IDEAL, iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least squares estimation) was combined with a gradient and spin-echo acquisition strategy (IDEAL-GRASE) to provide a time-efficient method for lipid-water imaging with correction for the effects of field inhomogeneities. The method presented in this work combines IDEAL-GRASE with radial data acquisition. Radial data sampling offers robustness to motion over Cartesian trajectories as well as the possibility of generating high-resolution T(2) maps in addition to the water and fat images. The radial IDEAL-GRASE technique is demonstrated in phantoms and in vivo for various applications including abdominal, pelvic, and cardiac imaging.

Identifying mismatches between institutional perceptions of water-related risk drivers and water management strategies in three river basin areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Räsänen, Aleksi; Juhola, Sirkku; Monge Monge, Adrián; Käkönen, Mira; Kanninen, Markku; Nygren, Anja

2017-07-01

Water-related risks and vulnerabilities are driven by variety of stressors, including climate and land use change, as well as changes in socio-economic positions and political landscapes. Hence, water governance, which addresses risks and vulnerabilities, should target multiple stressors. We analyze the institutional perceptions of the drivers and strategies for managing water-related risks and vulnerabilities in three regionally important river basin areas located in Finland, Mexico, and Laos. Our analysis is based on data gathered through participatory workshops and complemented by qualitative content analysis of relevant policy documents. The identified drivers and proposed risk reduction strategies showed the multidimensionality and context-specificity of water-related risks and vulnerabilities across study areas. Most of the identified drivers were seen to increase risks, but some of the drivers were positive trends, and drivers also included also policy instruments that can both increase or decrease risks. Nevertheless, all perceived drivers were not addressed with suggested risk reduction strategies. In particular, most of the risk reduction strategies were incremental adjustments, although many of the drivers classified as most important were large-scale trends, such as climate change, land use changes and increase in foreign investments. We argue that there is a scale mismatch between the identified drivers and suggested strategies, which questions the opportunity to manage the drivers by single-scale incremental adjustments. Our study suggests that for more sustainable risk and vulnerability reduction, the root causes of water-related risks and vulnerabilities should be addressed through adaptive multi-scale governance that carefully considers the context-specificity and the multidimensionality of the associated drivers and stressors.

Regional Differences in Brain Volume Predict the Acquisition of Skill in a Complex Real-Time Strategy Videogame

PubMed Central

Basak, Chandramallika; Voss, Michelle W.; Erickson, Kirk I.; Boot, Walter R.; Kramer, Arthur F.

2015-01-01

Previous studies have found that differences in brain volume among older adults predict performance in laboratory tasks of executive control, memory, and motor learning. In the present study we asked whether regional differences in brain volume as assessed by the application of a voxel-based morphometry technique on high resolution MRI would also be useful in predicting the acquisition of skill in complex tasks, such as strategy-based video games. Twenty older adults were trained for over 20 hours to play Rise of Nations, a complex real-time strategy game. These adults showed substantial improvements over the training period in game performance. MRI scans obtained prior to training revealed that the volume of a number of brain regions, which have been previously associated with subsets of the trained skills, predicted a substantial amount of variance in learning on the complex game. Thus, regional differences in brain volume can predict learning in complex tasks that entail the use of a variety of perceptual, cognitive and motor processes. PMID:21546146

Regional differences in brain volume predict the acquisition of skill in a complex real-time strategy videogame.

PubMed

Basak, Chandramallika; Voss, Michelle W; Erickson, Kirk I; Boot, Walter R; Kramer, Arthur F

2011-08-01

Previous studies have found that differences in brain volume among older adults predict performance in laboratory tasks of executive control, memory, and motor learning. In the present study we asked whether regional differences in brain volume as assessed by the application of a voxel-based morphometry technique on high resolution MRI would also be useful in predicting the acquisition of skill in complex tasks, such as strategy-based video games. Twenty older adults were trained for over 20 h to play Rise of Nations, a complex real-time strategy game. These adults showed substantial improvements over the training period in game performance. MRI scans obtained prior to training revealed that the volume of a number of brain regions, which have been previously associated with subsets of the trained skills, predicted a substantial amount of variance in learning on the complex game. Thus, regional differences in brain volume can predict learning in complex tasks that entail the use of a variety of perceptual, cognitive and motor processes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analyzing ecological restoration strategies for water and soil conservation

PubMed Central

Mota da Silva, Jonathan; Silva, Marx Leandro Naves; Guimarães, João Luis Bittencourt; Sousa Júnior, Wilson Cabral; Figueiredo, Ricardo de Oliveira; da Rocha, Humberto Ribeiro

2018-01-01

The choice of areas for nature conservation involves the attempt to maximize the benefits, whether by carrying out an economic activity or by the provision of Ecosystem Services. Studies are needed to improve the understanding of the effect of the extent and position along the watershed of restored areas on soil and water conservation. This study aimed to understand how different restoration strategies might reflect in soil conservation and sediment retention. Using InVEST tool, sediment transport was simulated in a small 12 km2 watershed (Posses River, in Southeast Brazil), where one of first Brazilian Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) projects is being carried out, comparing different hypothetical restoration strategies. With 25% of restoration, sediment export decreased by 78% for riparian restoration, and 27% for the steepest slopes restoration. On the other hand, the decrease in soil loss was lower for riparian restoration, with a 16% decrease, while the steepest slopes restoration reduced it by 21%. This mismatch between the reduction of sediment export and soil loss was explained by the fact that forest not only reduces soil loss locally but also traps sediment arriving from the upper parts of the watershed. While the first mechanism is important to provide soil stability, decreasing the risk of landslip, and to maintain agricultural productivity, the second can improve water quality and decrease the risk of silting, with positive effects on the water reservoirs at the outlet of the watershed. This suggests that Riparian and the Steepest Slopes restoration strategies are complementary in the sense of preventing sediments from reaching the water bodies as well as protecting them at their origin (with the reduction of erosion), so it will be advisable to consider the two types of restoration. PMID:29425214

Analyzing ecological restoration strategies for water and soil conservation.

PubMed

Saad, Sandra Isay; Mota da Silva, Jonathan; Silva, Marx Leandro Naves; Guimarães, João Luis Bittencourt; Sousa Júnior, Wilson Cabral; Figueiredo, Ricardo de Oliveira; Rocha, Humberto Ribeiro da

2018-01-01

The choice of areas for nature conservation involves the attempt to maximize the benefits, whether by carrying out an economic activity or by the provision of Ecosystem Services. Studies are needed to improve the understanding of the effect of the extent and position along the watershed of restored areas on soil and water conservation. This study aimed to understand how different restoration strategies might reflect in soil conservation and sediment retention. Using InVEST tool, sediment transport was simulated in a small 12 km2 watershed (Posses River, in Southeast Brazil), where one of first Brazilian Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) projects is being carried out, comparing different hypothetical restoration strategies. With 25% of restoration, sediment export decreased by 78% for riparian restoration, and 27% for the steepest slopes restoration. On the other hand, the decrease in soil loss was lower for riparian restoration, with a 16% decrease, while the steepest slopes restoration reduced it by 21%. This mismatch between the reduction of sediment export and soil loss was explained by the fact that forest not only reduces soil loss locally but also traps sediment arriving from the upper parts of the watershed. While the first mechanism is important to provide soil stability, decreasing the risk of landslip, and to maintain agricultural productivity, the second can improve water quality and decrease the risk of silting, with positive effects on the water reservoirs at the outlet of the watershed. This suggests that Riparian and the Steepest Slopes restoration strategies are complementary in the sense of preventing sediments from reaching the water bodies as well as protecting them at their origin (with the reduction of erosion), so it will be advisable to consider the two types of restoration.

Water Reserves Program. An adaptation strategy to prevent imbalance of water in nature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salinas-Rodriguez, S. A.; López Pérez, M.; Barrios Ordóñez, J.; Wickel, B.; Villón Bracamonte, R. A.

2013-12-01

allocated, and where the flow regime is then protected before over-allocation takes place. The strategy has been to identify and protect basins with an availability of water that is close to their natural flow regime and that also have a high conservation value (based on prior national conservation priority definitions such as protected areas, and biodiversity conservation gap analyses) in order to implement legal restrictions on water resource development. With such protection, these systems will be best positioned to adjust and respond to water shortages, and regime shifts. To date, 189 basins around the country were identified as potential water reserves. The next step will be the nomination of these water reserves to be integrated in the National Water Reserves Program. This program forms the core of the official Mexican government adaptation strategy towards climate prepared water management, which recognizes that water reserves are the buffer society needs to face uncertainty, imbalance of the man-made, global changes, and thus to reduce water scarcity risk. The development of activities that alter the natural flow regime such as dams and levees are closely examined, and would potentially be restricted.

Innovative Strategy on Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Utilizing Activated Liquid Water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, Bing-Joe; Chen, Hsiao-Chien; Mai, Fu-Der; Tsai, Hui-Yen; Yang, Chih-Ping; Rick, John; Liu, Yu-Chuan

2015-11-01

Splitting water for hydrogen production using light, or electrical energy, is the most developed ‘green technique’. For increasing efficiency in hydrogen production, currently, the most exciting and thriving strategies are focused on efficient and inexpensive catalysts. Here, we report an innovative idea for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) utilizing plasmon-activated liquid water with reduced hydrogen-bonded structure by hot electron transfer. This strategy is effective for all HERs in acidic, basic and neutral systems, photocatalytic system with a g-C3N4 (graphite carbon nitride) electrode, as well as in an inert system with an ITO (indium tin oxide) electrode. Compared to deionized water, the efficiency of HER increases by 48% based on activated water ex situ on a Pt electrode. Increase in energy efficiency from activated water is 18% at a specific current yield of -20 mA in situ on a nanoscale-granulated Au electrode. Moreover, the onset potential of -0.023 V vs RHE was very close to the thermodynamic potential of the HER (0 V). The measured current density at the corresponding overpotential for HER in an acidic system was higher than any data previously reported in the literature. This approach establishes a new vista in clean green energy production.

Acquisition Workforce Strategy: The Challenge Department of Defense (DoD) Faces to Improve its Acquisition Workforce

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

Personnel Trends Relevant to Policy, 1993–2006. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation/TR-572-OSD, by Gates, Susan M., Edward G. Keating , Adria D...settlement of contracts and subcontracts. Duties include evaluating information about contractor economic assertions, comparing those assertions to...Quality, and Manufacturing Acquisition-related manufacturing and production duties vary greatly in managerial , administrative, and technical

The Effects of Storm Runoff on Water Quality and the Coping Strategy of a Deep Canyon-Shaped Source Water Reservoir in China

PubMed Central

Ma, Weixing; Huang, Tinglin; Li, Xuan; Zhou, Zizhen; Li, Yang; Zeng, Kang

2015-01-01

Storm runoff events in the flooding season affect the water quality of reservoirs and increase risks to the water supply, but coping strategies have seldom been reported. The phenomenon of turbid current intrusion resulting in water turbidity and anoxic conditions reappearing after storm runoff, resulting in the deterioration of water quality, was observed in the flooding season in the deep canyon-shaped Heihe Reservoir. The objective of this work was to elucidate the effects of storm runoff on the Heihe Reservoir water quality and find a coping strategy. In this study, an intensive sampling campaign measuring water temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, nutrients, and metals were conducted in the reservoir over a period of two years, and the water-lifting aerators were improved to achieve single aeration and a full layer of mixing and oxygenation functions using different volumes of gas. The operation of the improved water-lifting aerators mixed the reservoir three months ahead of the natural mixing time, and good water quality was maintained during the induced mixing period, thereby extending the good water quality period. The results can provide an effective coping strategy to improve the water quality of a source water reservoir and ensure the safety of drinking water. PMID:26184258

Cognitive Strategies and Skill Acquisition.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-02-09

Behavior (Acadmic Press, N.Y., 1974). ( 9). Craik , F.I.M., 8 Lockhart , R.S., Levels of processing : A frame- work for memory research, Journal of...C.D., a Stein, B.S., Some general constraints on learning and memory research, in: F.I.M. Craik 6 L.S. Cermak.(eds.), Levels of Processing and...instructions, or instructions in the use of particular strategies. (Belmont & Butterfield, 1971; Craik & Lockhart , 1972; Weinstein, 1978) have had

Discrete event simulation for exploring strategies: an urban water management case.

PubMed

Huang, Dong-Bin; Scholz, Roland W; Gujer, Willi; Chitwood, Derek E; Loukopoulos, Peter; Schertenleib, Roland; Siegrist, Hansruedi

2007-02-01

This paper presents a model structure aimed at offering an overview of the various elements of a strategy and exploring their multidimensional effects through time in an efficient way. It treats a strategy as a set of discrete events planned to achieve a certain strategic goal and develops a new form of causal networks as an interfacing component between decision makers and environment models, e.g., life cycle inventory and material flow models. The causal network receives a strategic plan as input in a discrete manner and then outputs the updated parameter sets to the subsequent environmental models. Accordingly, the potential dynamic evolution of environmental systems caused by various strategies can be stepwise simulated. It enables a way to incorporate discontinuous change in models for environmental strategy analysis, and enhances the interpretability and extendibility of a complex model by its cellular constructs. It is exemplified using an urban water management case in Kunming, a major city in Southwest China. By utilizing the presented method, the case study modeled the cross-scale interdependencies of the urban drainage system and regional water balance systems, and evaluated the effectiveness of various strategies for improving the situation of Dianchi Lake.

National Ignition Facility project acquisition plan

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

Callaghan, R.W.

The purpose of this National Ignition Facility Acquisition Plan is to describe the overall procurement strategy planned for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) Project. The scope of the plan describes the procurement activities and acquisition strategy for the following phases of the NIF Project, each of which receives either plant and capital equipment (PACE) or other project cost (OPC) funds: Title 1 and 2 design and Title 3 engineering (PACE); Optics manufacturing facilitization and pilot production (OPC); Convention facility construction (PACE); Procurement, installation, and acceptance testing of equipment (PACE); and Start-up (OPC). Activities that are part of the base Inertialmore » Confinement Fusion (ICF) Program are not included in this plan. The University of California (UC), operating Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Lockheed-Martin, which operates Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) and the University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics (UR-LLE), will conduct the acquisition of needed products and services in support of their assigned responsibilities within the NIF Project structure in accordance with their prime contracts with the Department of Energy (DOE). LLNL, designated as the lead Laboratory, will have responsibility for all procurements required for construction, installation, activation, and startup of the NIF.« less

Screen Channel Liquid Acquisition Devices for Cryogenic Propellants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chato, David J.; Kudlac, Maureen T.

2005-01-01

This paper describes an on-going project to study the application screen channel liquid acquisition devices to cryogenic propellant systems. The literature of screen liquid acquisition devices is reviewed for prior cryogenic experience. Test programs and apparatus are presented to study these devices. Preliminary results are shown demonstrating bubble points for 200 x 1400 wires per inch and 325 x 2300 wires per inch Dutch twill screens. The 200 x 1400 screen has a bubble point of 15.8 inches of water in isopropyl alcohol and 6.6 inches of water in liquid nitrogen. The 325 x 2300 screen has a bubble point of 24.5 inches of water in isopropyl alcohol, 10.7 inches of water in liquid nitrogen, and 1.83 inches of water in liquid hydrogen. These values are found to be in good agreement with the results reported in the literature.

Greywater reuse: A strategy for water demand management in Harare?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madungwe, Emaculate; Sakuringwa, Saniso

Greywater is wastewater from baths, sinks and washing machines, accounting for about 60% of the outflow from homes. It contains little pathogens and 90% less nitrogen than toilet water, so does not require the same treatment process. With the increasing demand for freshwater, its use may reduce irrigation water needs, increasing its availability of freshwater for other primary uses. Agriculture is the main water consumer in Africa, which cannot be compromised due to its role in domestic food security and export supplies. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate findings of the research done on benefits of greywater reuse in some countries, applicable to African countries. In Australia, greywater reuse has reduced freshwater demand, strain on wastewater treatment plants and energy consumption. Aquifer recharge has improved due to increased infiltration flows from greywater uses. In Lebanon, greywater is a valuable resource for encouraging plant growth from nutrients that may otherwise have been wasted. Palestine shares similar climate and water scarcity conditions with most arid sub-Saharan African countries, yet utilizes grey water in production of crops and citrus fruits. Thus use of grey water should be possible in African cities such as Harare, where nearly two thirds of the population rely on agriculture for livelihoods. The problem of blue green algae in sewerage ponds and water reservoirs is significantly reduced by household reuse of grey water in Mexico. Water savings are increased and expenses reduced, as illustrated by the reduction in consumption of municipality freshwater supplies in South African urban areas. Rural communities and schools in Namibia and Egypt have raised funds from grey water reuse in banana plantations. A possible constraint to this strategy could be the unavailability of appropriate technology for primary treatment of grey water before reuse. This strategy may pose health risks where water quality tests are unknown or unavailable

The Effect of Using Jigsaw Strategy in Teaching Science on the Acquisition of Scientific Concepts among the Fourth Graders of Bani Kinana Directorate of Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamadneh, Qaseem Mohammad Salim

2017-01-01

The study aimed to identify the effect of using Jigsaw strategy in teaching science on the acquisition of scientific concepts among the fourth graders of Bani Kinana Directorate of Education compared to the traditional way. The study sample consisted of 70 male and female students, divided into two groups: experimental and control where the…

Strategies for Optimizing Water-Exchange Rates of Lanthanide-Based Contrast Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

PubMed Central

Siriwardena-Mahanama, Buddhima N.; Allen, Matthew J.

2013-01-01

This review describes recent advances in strategies for tuning the water-exchange rates of contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Water-exchange rates play a critical role in determining the efficiency of contrast agents; consequently, optimization of water-exchange rates, among other parameters, is necessary to achieve high efficiencies. This need has resulted in extensive research efforts to modulate water-exchange rates by chemically altering the coordination environments of the metal complexes that function as contrast agents. The focus of this review is coordination-chemistry-based strategies used to tune the water-exchange rates of lanthanide(III)-based contrast agents for MRI. Emphasis will be given to results published in the 21st century, as well as implications of these strategies on the design of contrast agents. PMID:23921796

Evaluation of a Mixing versus a Cycling Strategy of Antibiotic Use in Critically-Ill Medical Patients: Impact on Acquisition of Resistant Microorganisms and Clinical Outcomes.

PubMed

Cobos-Trigueros, Nazaret; Solé, Mar; Castro, Pedro; Torres, Jorge Luis; Rinaudo, Mariano; De Lazzari, Elisa; Morata, Laura; Hernández, Cristina; Fernández, Sara; Soriano, Alex; Nicolás, José María; Mensa, Josep; Vila, Jordi; Martínez, José Antonio

2016-01-01

To compare the effect of two strategies of antibiotic use (mixing vs. cycling) on the acquisition of resistant microorganisms, infections and other clinical outcomes. Prospective cohort study in an 8-bed intensive care unit during 35- months in which a mixing-cycling policy of antipseudomonal beta-lactams (meropenem, ceftazidime/piperacillin-tazobactam) and fluoroquinolones was operative. Nasopharyngeal and rectal swabs and respiratory secretions were obtained within 48h of admission and thrice weekly thereafter. Target microorganisms included methicillin-resistant S. aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and non-fermenters. A total of 409 (42%) patients were included in mixing and 560 (58%) in cycling. Exposure to ceftazidime/piperacillin-tazobactam and fluoroquinolones was significantly higher in mixing while exposure to meropenem was higher in cycling, although overall use of antipseudomonals was not significantly different (37.5/100 patient-days vs. 38.1/100 patient-days). There was a barely higher acquisition rate of microorganisms during mixing, but this difference lost its significance when the cases due to an exogenous Burkholderia cepacia outbreak were excluded (19.3% vs. 15.4%, OR 0.8, CI 0.5-1.1). Acquisition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistant to the intervention antibiotics or with multiple-drug resistance was similar. There were no significant differences between mixing and cycling in the proportion of patients acquiring any infection (16.6% vs. 14.5%, OR 0.9, CI 0.6-1.2), any infection due to target microorganisms (5.9% vs. 5.2%, OR 0.9, CI 0.5-1.5), length of stay (median 5 d for both groups) or mortality (13.9 vs. 14.3%, OR 1.03, CI 0.7-1.3). A cycling strategy of antibiotic use with a 6-week cycle duration is similar to mixing in terms of acquisition of resistant microorganisms, infections, length of stay and mortality.

Proposed Strategy for San Joaquin River Basin Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A Proposed Strategy for San Joaquin River Basin Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment was published in 2010, and a Strawman Proposal was developed in 2012 by the Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship, California Water Resources Board, EPA.

Communication Strategies in the Written Medium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xhaferi, Brikena

2012-01-01

The field of second language acquisition has distinguished between two types of strategies: learning strategies and communication strategies. Learning strategies deal with the receptive domain of intake, memory, storage, and recall. Communication strategies pertain to the employment of verbal and nonverbal mechanisms for the productive…

Water and wastewater in developing countries: present reality and strategy for the future.

PubMed

Ujang, Z; Buckley, C

2002-01-01

This paper summarises the paper presentation sessions at the Conference, as well giving insights on the issues related to developing countries. It also discusses the present status of practice and research on water and wastewater management, and projected future scenario based not only on the papers presented in the Conference, but also on other sources. The strategy is presented to overcome many problems in developing countries such as rapid urbanization, industrialization, population growth, financial and institutional problems and, depleting water resources. The strategy consists of Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM), cleaner industrial production, waste minimisation and financial arrangements.

A full value-chain Water Footprint Assessment to help informed decision in corporate sustainability strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Guoping; Chico Zamanilo, Daniel; Bai, Xue; Ren, Xiajing; Chen, Rong; Qin, Jun

2017-04-01

This study evaluated the water footprint (WF) of five production facilities along Muyuan Foodstuff Co. Ltd's (Muyuan) value chain, and assessed the sustainability and impact of their water footprints at the river catchment level. Muyuan, a large-scale, integrated pig breeder and producer in China, is keen to fulfil its corporate social responsibilities and committed to ensuring food quality and security, promoting environmental protection, and participating in catchment water resources management. Formulating corporate water related sustainability strategies, however, has been challenging. This study carried out a comprehensive Water Footprint Assessment (WFA) for Muyuan's full value chain to assist in formulating such strategies and setting up action plans with water footprint reduction targets. The study showed that that the water footprint of the supply chain, resulting from crops and crop products used in Muyuan's feed production facility is a major contributor to Muyuan's facilities' water footprint. From the perspective of the direct WF at the facilities, addressing the impact on water quality from effluents (i.e. the grey water footprint) at hog farms is a critical component of any water sustainability strategy. From the blue WF perspective, there are opportunities to reduce blue water consumption at hog farms through improved technology and implementation of best practices. The water footprint sustainability assessment in this study indicated that Muyuan operates in a catchment which is already under water stress and is a hotspot in terms of both blue water scarcity and water pollution level. The study helped identify potential water-related risks and opportunities for improving Muyuan's water use efficiency as well as ways Muyuan could contribute to sustainable water resources management in the catchment within which it operates. This is an innovative application of WFA in the livestock sector and supports the development of Muyuan's corporate water

Analysis of water use strategies of the desert riparian forest plant community in inland rivers of two arid regions in northwestern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y. N.; Li, W. H.; Zhou, H. H.; Chen, Y. P.; Hao, X. M.; Fu, A. H.; Ma, J. X.

2014-10-01

Studies of the water use of the desert riparian forest plant community in arid regions and analyses of the response and adaptive strategies of plants to environmental stress are of great significance to the formulation of effective ecological conservation and restoration strategies. Taking two inland rivers in the arid regions of northwestern China, downstream of the Tarim River and Heihe River Basin as the research target regions, this paper explored the stem water potential, sap flow, root hydraulic lift, and characteristics of plant water sources of the major constructive species in the desert riparian forest, Populus euphratica and Tamarix ramosissima. Specifically, this was accomplished by combining the monitoring of field physiological and ecological indicators, and the analysis of laboratory tests. Then, the water use differences of species in different ecological environments and their ecological significance were analyzed. This study indicated that: (1) in terms of water sources, Populus euphratica and Tamarix ramosissima mainly used deep subsoil water and underground water, but the plant root system in the downstream of the Tarim River was more diversified than that in the downstream of the Heihe River in water absorption, (2) in terms of water distribution, Populus euphratica root possessed hydraulic lift capacity, but Populus euphratica root in the downstream of the Tarim River presented stronger hydraulic lift capacity and more significant ecological effect of water redistribution, (3) in terms of water transport, the plants in the downstream of the Heihe River can adapt to the environment through the current limiting of branch xylem, while plants in the downstream of the Tarim River substantially increased the survival probability of the whole plant by sacrificing weak branches and improving the water acquisition capacity of dominant branches; and (4) in terms of water dissipation, the water use and consumption of Populus euphratica at night exhibited

Large-Scale Land Acquisition and Its Effects on the Water Balance in Investor and Host Countries

PubMed Central

Breu, Thomas; Bader, Christoph; Messerli, Peter; Heinimann, Andreas; Rist, Stephan; Eckert, Sandra

2016-01-01

This study examines the validity of the assumption that international large-scale land acquisition (LSLA) is motivated by the desire to secure control over water resources, which is commonly referred to as ‘water grabbing’. This assumption was repeatedly expressed in recent years, ascribing the said motivation to the Gulf States in particular. However, it must be considered of hypothetical nature, as the few global studies conducted so far focused primarily on the effects of LSLA on host countries or on trade in virtual water. In this study, we analyse the effects of 475 intended or concluded land deals recorded in the Land Matrix database on the water balance in both host and investor countries. We also examine how these effects relate to water stress and how they contribute to global trade in virtual water. The analysis shows that implementation of the LSLAs in our sample would result in global water savings based on virtual water trade. At the level of individual LSLA host countries, however, water use intensity would increase, particularly in 15 sub-Saharan states. From an investor country perspective, the analysis reveals that countries often suspected of using LSLA to relieve pressure on their domestic water resources—such as China, India, and all Gulf States except Saudi Arabia—invest in agricultural activities abroad that are less water-intensive compared to their average domestic crop production. Conversely, large investor countries such as the United States, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Japan are disproportionately externalizing crop water consumption through their international land investments. Statistical analyses also show that host countries with abundant water resources are not per se favoured targets of LSLA. Indeed, further analysis reveals that land investments originating in water-stressed countries have only a weak tendency to target areas with a smaller water risk. PMID:26943794

Large-Scale Land Acquisition and Its Effects on the Water Balance in Investor and Host Countries.

PubMed

Breu, Thomas; Bader, Christoph; Messerli, Peter; Heinimann, Andreas; Rist, Stephan; Eckert, Sandra

2016-01-01

This study examines the validity of the assumption that international large-scale land acquisition (LSLA) is motivated by the desire to secure control over water resources, which is commonly referred to as 'water grabbing'. This assumption was repeatedly expressed in recent years, ascribing the said motivation to the Gulf States in particular. However, it must be considered of hypothetical nature, as the few global studies conducted so far focused primarily on the effects of LSLA on host countries or on trade in virtual water. In this study, we analyse the effects of 475 intended or concluded land deals recorded in the Land Matrix database on the water balance in both host and investor countries. We also examine how these effects relate to water stress and how they contribute to global trade in virtual water. The analysis shows that implementation of the LSLAs in our sample would result in global water savings based on virtual water trade. At the level of individual LSLA host countries, however, water use intensity would increase, particularly in 15 sub-Saharan states. From an investor country perspective, the analysis reveals that countries often suspected of using LSLA to relieve pressure on their domestic water resources--such as China, India, and all Gulf States except Saudi Arabia--invest in agricultural activities abroad that are less water-intensive compared to their average domestic crop production. Conversely, large investor countries such as the United States, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Japan are disproportionately externalizing crop water consumption through their international land investments. Statistical analyses also show that host countries with abundant water resources are not per se favoured targets of LSLA. Indeed, further analysis reveals that land investments originating in water-stressed countries have only a weak tendency to target areas with a smaller water risk.

War-gaming application for future space systems acquisition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Tien M.; Guillen, Andy T.

2016-05-01

Recently the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) released the Defense Innovation Initiative (DII) [1] to focus DOD on five key aspects; Aspect #1: Recruit talented and innovative people, Aspect #2: Reinvigorate war-gaming, Aspect #3: Initiate long-range research and development programs, Aspect #4: Make DOD practices more innovative, and Aspect #5: Advance technology and new operational concepts. Per DII instruction, this paper concentrates on Aspect #2 and Aspect #4 by reinvigorating the war-gaming effort with a focus on an innovative approach for developing the optimum Program and Technical Baselines (PTBs) and their corresponding optimum acquisition strategies for acquiring future space systems. The paper describes a unified approach for applying the war-gaming concept for future DOD acquisition of space systems. The proposed approach includes a Unified Game-based Acquisition Framework (UGAF) and an Advanced Game-Based Mathematical Framework (AGMF) using Bayesian war-gaming engines to optimize PTB solutions and select the corresponding optimum acquisition strategies for acquiring a space system. The framework defines the action space for all players with a complete description of the elements associated with the games, including Department of Defense Acquisition Authority (DAA), stakeholders, warfighters, and potential contractors, War-Gaming Engines (WGEs) played by DAA, WGEs played by Contractor (KTR), and the players' Payoff and Cost functions (PCFs). The AGMF presented here addresses both complete and incomplete information cases. The proposed framework provides a recipe for the DAA and USAF-Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) to acquire future space systems optimally.

Habitat acquisition strategies for grassland birds in an urbanizing landscape

Treesearch

Stephanie A. Snyder; James R. Miller; Adam M. Skibbe; Robert G. Haight

2007-01-01

Habitat protection for grassland birds is an important component of open space land acquisition in suburban Chicago. We use optimization decision models to develop recommendations for land protection and analyze tradeoffs between alternative goals. One goal is to acquire (and restore if necessary) as much grassland habitat as possible for a given budget. Because a...

Two strategies for phosphorus removal from reject water of municipal wastewater treatment plant using alum sludge.

PubMed

Yang, Y; Zhao, Y Q; Babatunde, A O; Kearney, P

2009-01-01

In view of the well recognized need of reject water treatment in MWWTP (municipal wastewater treatment plant), this paper outlines two strategies for P removal from reject water using alum sludge, which is produced as by-product in drinking water treatment plant when aluminium sulphate is used for flocculating raw waters. One strategy is the use of the alum sludge in liquid form for co-conditioning and dewatering with the anaerobically digested activated sludge in MWWTP. The other strategy involves the use of the dewatered alum sludge cakes in a fixed bed for P immobilization from the reject water that refers to the mixture of the supernatant of the sludge thickening process and the supernatant of the anaerobically digested sludge. Experimental trials have demonstrated that the alum sludge can efficiently reduce P level in reject water. The co-conditioning strategy could reduce P from 597-675 mg P/L to 0.14-3.20 mg P/L in the supernatant of the sewage sludge while the organic polymer dosage for the conditioning of the mixed sludges would also be significantly reduced. The second strategy of reject water filtration with alum sludge bed has shown a good performance of P reduction. The alum sludge has P-adsorption capacity of 31 mg-P/g-sludge, which was tested under filtration velocity of 1.0 m/h. The two strategies highlight the beneficial utilization of alum sludge in wastewater treatment process in MWWTP, thus converting the alum sludge as a useful material, rather than a waste for landfill.

Impacts of Urban Water Conservation Strategies on Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Health: Southern California as a Case Study.

PubMed

Sokolow, Sharona; Godwin, Hilary; Cole, Brian L

2016-05-01

To determine how urban water conservation strategies in California cities can affect water and energy conservation efforts, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and benefit public health. We expanded upon our 2014 health impact assessment of California's urban water conservation strategies by comparing the status quo to 2 options with the greatest potential impact on the interrelated issues of water and energy in California: (1) banning landscape irrigation and (2) expanding alternative water sources (e.g., desalination, recycled water). Among the water conservation strategies evaluated, expanded use of recycled water stood out as the water conservation strategy with potential to reduce water use, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions, with relatively small negative impacts for the public's health. Although the suitability of recycled water for urban uses depends on local climate, geography, current infrastructure, and finances, analyses similar to that presented here can help guide water policy decisions in cities across the globe facing challenges of supplying clean, sustainable water to urban populations.

Plant nutrient acquisition strategies in tundra species: at which soil depth do species take up their nitrogen?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limpens, Juul; Heijmans, Monique; Nauta, Ake; van Huissteden, Corine; van Rijssel, Sophie

2016-04-01

The Arctic is warming at unprecedented rates. Increased thawing of permafrost releases nutrients locked up in the previously frozen soils layers, which may initiate shifts in vegetation composition. The direction in which the vegetation shifts will co-determine whether Arctic warming is mitigated or accelerated, making understanding successional trajectories urgent. One of the key factors influencing the competitive relationships between plant species is their access to nutrients, in particularly nitrogen (N). We assessed the depth at which plant species took up N by performing a 15N tracer study, injecting 15(NH4)2SO4 at three depths (5, 15, 20 cm) into the soil in arctic tundra in north-eastern Siberia in July. In addition we explored plant nutrient acquisition strategy by analyzing natural abundances of 15N in leaves. We found that vascular plants took up 15N at all injection depths, irrespective of species, but also that species showed a clear preference for specific soil layers that coincided with their functional group (graminoids, dwarf shrubs, cryptogams). Graminoids took up most 15N at 20 cm depth nearest to the thaw front, with grasses showing a more pronounced preference than sedges. Dwarf shrubs took up most 15N at 5 cm depth, with deciduous shrubs displaying more preference than evergreens. Cryptogams did not take up any of the supplied 15N . The natural 15N abundances confirmed the pattern of nutrient acquisition from deeper soil layers in graminoids and from shallow soil layers in both deciduous and evergreen dwarf shrubs. Our results prove that graminoids and shrubs differ in their N uptake strategies, with graminoids profiting from nutrients released at the thaw front, whereas shrubs forage in the upper soil layers. The above implies that graminoids, grasses in particular, will have a competitive advantage over shrubs as the thaw front proceeds and/or superficial soil layers dry out. Our results suggest that the vertical distribution of nutrients

Water deprivation induces appetite and alters metabolic strategy in Notomys alexis: unique mechanisms for water production in the desert.

PubMed

Takei, Yoshio; Bartolo, Ray C; Fujihara, Hiroaki; Ueta, Yoichi; Donald, John A

2012-07-07

Like many desert animals, the spinifex hopping mouse, Notomys alexis, can maintain water balance without drinking water. The role of the kidney in producing a small volume of highly concentrated urine has been well-documented, but little is known about the physiological mechanisms underpinning the metabolic production of water to offset obligatory water loss. In Notomys, we found that water deprivation (WD) induced a sustained high food intake that exceeded the pre-deprivation level, which was driven by parallel changes in plasma leptin and ghrelin and the expression of orexigenic and anorectic neuropeptide genes in the hypothalamus; these changed in a direction that would stimulate appetite. As the period of WD was prolonged, body fat disappeared but body mass increased gradually, which was attributed to hepatic glycogen storage. Switching metabolic strategy from lipids to carbohydrates would enhance metabolic water production per oxygen molecule, thus providing a mechanism to minimize respiratory water loss. The changes observed in appetite control and metabolic strategy in Notomys were absent or less prominent in laboratory mice. This study reveals novel mechanisms for appetite regulation and energy metabolism that could be essential for desert rodents to survive in xeric environments.

Water deprivation induces appetite and alters metabolic strategy in Notomys alexis: unique mechanisms for water production in the desert

PubMed Central

Takei, Yoshio; Bartolo, Ray C.; Fujihara, Hiroaki; Ueta, Yoichi; Donald, John A.

2012-01-01

Like many desert animals, the spinifex hopping mouse, Notomys alexis, can maintain water balance without drinking water. The role of the kidney in producing a small volume of highly concentrated urine has been well-documented, but little is known about the physiological mechanisms underpinning the metabolic production of water to offset obligatory water loss. In Notomys, we found that water deprivation (WD) induced a sustained high food intake that exceeded the pre-deprivation level, which was driven by parallel changes in plasma leptin and ghrelin and the expression of orexigenic and anorectic neuropeptide genes in the hypothalamus; these changed in a direction that would stimulate appetite. As the period of WD was prolonged, body fat disappeared but body mass increased gradually, which was attributed to hepatic glycogen storage. Switching metabolic strategy from lipids to carbohydrates would enhance metabolic water production per oxygen molecule, thus providing a mechanism to minimize respiratory water loss. The changes observed in appetite control and metabolic strategy in Notomys were absent or less prominent in laboratory mice. This study reveals novel mechanisms for appetite regulation and energy metabolism that could be essential for desert rodents to survive in xeric environments. PMID:22398167

Smart Water: Energy-Water Optimization in Drinking Water Systems

EPA Science Inventory

This project aims to develop and commercialize a Smart Water Platform – Sensor-based Data-driven Energy-Water Optimization technology in drinking water systems. The key technological advances rely on cross-platform data acquisition and management system, model-based real-time sys...

Nanonization strategies for poorly water-soluble drugs.

PubMed

Chen, Huabing; Khemtong, Chalermchai; Yang, Xiangliang; Chang, Xueling; Gao, Jinming

2011-04-01

Poor water solubility for many drugs and drug candidates remains a major obstacle to their development and clinical application. Conventional formulations to improve solubility suffer from low bioavailability and poor pharmacokinetics, with some carriers rendering systemic toxicities (e.g. Cremophor(®) EL). In this review, several major nanonization techniques that seek to overcome these limitations for drug solubilization are presented. Strategies including drug nanocrystals, nanoemulsions and polymeric micelles are reviewed. Finally, perspectives on existing challenges and future opportunities are highlighted. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Green and Mild Oxidation: An Efficient Strategy toward Water-Dispersible Graphene.

PubMed

You, Xiaofei; Yang, Siwei; Li, Jipeng; Deng, Yuan; Dai, Lianqi; Peng, Xiong; Huang, Haoguang; Sun, Jing; Wang, Gang; He, Peng; Ding, Guqiao; Xie, Xiaoming

2017-01-25

Scalable fabrication of water-dispersible graphene (W-Gr) is highly desirable yet technically challenging for most practical applications of graphene. Herein, a green and mild oxidation strategy to prepare bulk W-Gr (dispersion, slurry, and powder) with high yield was proposed by fully exploiting structure defects of thermally reduced graphene oxide (TRGO) and oxidizing radicals generated from hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). Owing to the increased carboxyl group from the mild oxidation process, the obtained W-Gr can be redispersed in low-boiling solvents with a reasonable concentration. Benefiting from the modified surface chemistry, macroscopic samples processed from the W-Gr show good hydrophilicity (water contact angle of 55.7°) and excellent biocompatibility, which is expected to be an alternative biomaterial for bone, vessel, and skin regeneration. In addition, the green and mild oxidation strategy is also proven to be effective for dispersing other carbon nanomaterials in a water system.

The Influence of the Intermediary System of Cognition on Vocabulary Acquisition for Chinese English-Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luo, Yanyan

2009-01-01

In the article, the author tries to find out the main factors that affect the subject's vocabulary acquisition by an investigation. It is concluded that vocabulary acquisition models and strategies are something external, what really works upon vocabulary acquisition is the intermediary system of cognition including the knowledge structure and…

18 CFR 157.16 - Exhibits relating to acquisitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Exhibits relating to acquisitions. 157.16 Section 157.16 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY... derive the related depreciation, depletion and amortization reserves. (2) The original cost of the...

18 CFR 157.16 - Exhibits relating to acquisitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Exhibits relating to acquisitions. 157.16 Section 157.16 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY... derive the related depreciation, depletion and amortization reserves. (2) The original cost of the...

18 CFR 157.16 - Exhibits relating to acquisitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Exhibits relating to acquisitions. 157.16 Section 157.16 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY... derive the related depreciation, depletion and amortization reserves. (2) The original cost of the...

18 CFR 157.16 - Exhibits relating to acquisitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Exhibits relating to acquisitions. 157.16 Section 157.16 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY... derive the related depreciation, depletion and amortization reserves. (2) The original cost of the...

The strategy for improving water-quality monitoring in the United States; final report of the Intergovernmental Task Force on Monitoring Water Quality; technical appendices

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1995-01-01

The Intergovernmental Task Force on Monitoring Water Quality (ITFM) prepared this report in collaboration with representatives of all levels of government and the private sector. The report recommends a strategy for nationwide water-quality monitoring and technical monitoring improvements to support sound water-quality decisionmaking. The strategy is intended to achieve a better return on public and private investments in monitoring, environmental protection, and natural resources management. It is also designed to expand the base of information useful to a variety of users at multiple geographic scales. Institutional and technical changes are needed to improve water-quality monitoring and to meet the full range of monitoring requirements. Monitoring must be incorporated as a critical element of program planning, implementation, and evaluation. The strategy includes recommendations in many key elements, such as the development of goal-oriented monitoring and indicators, institutional collaboration, and methods comparability. Initial actions have been taken to implement the strategy. Several Federal agencies have jointly purchased and shared remotely sensed land-cover information needed for water assessment. Major agency data systems are using common data-element names and reference tables that will ensure easy sharing of data. A number of States have held meetings with collectors of water information to initiate statewide monitoring strategies. New monitoring guidance has been developed for Federal water-quality grants to States. Many State offices have changed monitoring programs to place emphasis on priority watersheds and to improve assessment of water quality. As the competition increases for adequate supplies of clean water, concerns about public health and the environment escalate, and more demands are placed on the water information infrastructure. To meet these demands, the collaborative approach has already produced benefits, which will continue to grow as

25. Perimeter acquisition radar building room #2M4, (mezzanine), power supply ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

25. Perimeter acquisition radar building room #2M4, (mezzanine), power supply room; computer power supply on left and water flow on right. This room is directly below data processing area (room #318). Sign on right reads: High purity water digital rack - Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex, Perimeter Acquisition Radar Building, Limited Access Area, between Limited Access Patrol Road & Service Road A, Nekoma, Cavalier County, ND

An Analysis of the Defense Acquisition Strategy for Unmanned Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-20

Product Service Code RAA Rapid Acquisition Authority RCS Radar Cross Section REF Rapid Equipping Force RFID Radio Frequency Identification RDT...the radio frequency identification (RFID) chip also provides a useful basis for comparison. WWII served as the proving ground for RFID technology...enabling miniaturized Free Space Optical Communications systems capable of scaling across data rates, distances, and platforms and integrating with radio

National Ignition Facility project acquisition plan revision 1

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

Clobes, A.R.

The purpose of this National Ignition Facility Acquisition Plan is to describe the overall procurement strategy planned for the National Ignition Facility M Project. It was prepared for the NIP Prood Office by the NIF Procurement Manager.

Unbiased classification of spatial strategies in the Barnes maze.

PubMed

Illouz, Tomer; Madar, Ravit; Clague, Charlotte; Griffioen, Kathleen J; Louzoun, Yoram; Okun, Eitan

2016-11-01

Spatial learning is one of the most widely studied cognitive domains in neuroscience. The Morris water maze and the Barnes maze are the most commonly used techniques to assess spatial learning and memory in rodents. Despite the fact that these tasks are well-validated paradigms for testing spatial learning abilities, manual categorization of performance into behavioral strategies is subject to individual interpretation, and thus to bias. We have previously described an unbiased machine-learning algorithm to classify spatial strategies in the Morris water maze. Here, we offer a support vector machine-based, automated, Barnes-maze unbiased strategy (BUNS) classification algorithm, as well as a cognitive score scale that can be used for memory acquisition, reversal training and probe trials. The BUNS algorithm can greatly benefit Barnes maze users as it provides a standardized method of strategy classification and cognitive scoring scale, which cannot be derived from typical Barnes maze data analysis. Freely available on the web at http://okunlab.wix.com/okunlab as a MATLAB application. eitan.okun@biu.ac.ilSupplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Impacts of Urban Water Conservation Strategies on Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Health: Southern California as a Case Study

PubMed Central

Sokolow, Sharona; Godwin, Hilary

2016-01-01

Objectives. To determine how urban water conservation strategies in California cities can affect water and energy conservation efforts, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and benefit public health. Methods. We expanded upon our 2014 health impact assessment of California's urban water conservation strategies by comparing the status quo to 2 options with the greatest potential impact on the interrelated issues of water and energy in California: (1) banning landscape irrigation and (2) expanding alternative water sources (e.g., desalination, recycled water). Results. Among the water conservation strategies evaluated, expanded use of recycled water stood out as the water conservation strategy with potential to reduce water use, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions, with relatively small negative impacts for the public’s health. Conclusions. Although the suitability of recycled water for urban uses depends on local climate, geography, current infrastructure, and finances, analyses similar to that presented here can help guide water policy decisions in cities across the globe facing challenges of supplying clean, sustainable water to urban populations. PMID:26985606

Xenon Acquisition Strategies for High-Power Electric Propulsion NASA Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herman, Daniel A.; Unfried, Kenneth G.

2015-01-01

Solar electric propulsion (SEP) has been used for station-keeping of geostationary communications satellites since the 1980s. Solar electric propulsion has also benefitted from success on NASA Science Missions such as Deep Space One and Dawn. The xenon propellant loads for these applications have been in the 100s of kilograms range. Recent studies performed for NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) have demonstrated that SEP is critically enabling for both near-term and future exploration architectures. The high payoff for both human and science exploration missions and technology investment from NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) are providing the necessary convergence and impetus for a 30-kilowatt-class SEP mission. Multiple 30-50- kilowatt Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Mission (SEP TDM) concepts have been developed based on the maturing electric propulsion and solar array technologies by STMD with recent efforts focusing on an Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM). Xenon is the optimal propellant for the existing state-of-the-art electric propulsion systems considering efficiency, storability, and contamination potential. NASA mission concepts developed and those proposed by contracted efforts for the 30-kilowatt-class demonstration have a range of xenon propellant loads from 100s of kilograms up to 10,000 kilograms. This paper examines the status of the xenon industry worldwide, including historical xenon supply and pricing. The paper will provide updated information on the xenon market relative to previous papers that discussed xenon production relative to NASA mission needs. The paper will discuss the various approaches for acquiring on the order of 10 metric tons of xenon propellant to support potential near-term NASA missions. Finally, the paper will discuss acquisitions strategies for larger NASA missions requiring 100s of metric tons of xenon will be discussed.

Is evaluative conditioning really uncontrollable? A comparative test of three emotion-focused strategies to prevent the acquisition of conditioned preferences.

PubMed

Gawronski, Bertram; Mitchell, Derek G V; Balas, Robert

2015-10-01

Evaluative conditioning (EC) is defined as the change in the evaluation of a conditioned stimulus (CS) because of its pairing with a valenced unconditioned stimulus (US). Counter to views that EC is the product of automatic learning processes, recent research has revealed various characteristics of nonautomatic processing in EC. The current research investigated the controllability of EC by testing the effectiveness of 3 emotion-focused strategies in preventing the acquisition of conditioned preferences: (a) suppression of emotional reactions to the US, (b) reappraisal of the valence of the US, and (c) facial blocking of emotional responses. Although all 3 strategies reduced EC effects on self-reported evaluations by impairing recollective memory for CS-US pairings, they were ineffective in reducing EC effects on an evaluative priming measure. Regardless of the measure, effective control did not depend on the level of arousal elicited by the US. The results suggest that the 3 strategies can influence deliberate CS evaluations through memory-related processes, but they are ineffective in reducing EC effects on spontaneous evaluative responses. Implications for mental process theories of EC are discussed. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

A New Treatment Strategy for Inactivating Algae in Ballast Water Based on Multi-Trial Injections of Chlorine

PubMed Central

Sun, Jinyang; Wang, Junsheng; Pan, Xinxiang; Yuan, Haichao

2015-01-01

Ships’ ballast water can carry aquatic organisms into foreign ecosystems. In our previous studies, a concept using ion exchange membrane electrolysis to treat ballast water has been proven. In addition to other substantial approaches, a new strategy for inactivating algae is proposed based on the developed ballast water treatment system. In the new strategy, the means of multi-trial injection with small doses of electrolytic products is applied for inactivating algae. To demonstrate the performance of the new strategy, contrast experiments between new strategies and routine processes were conducted. Four algae species including Chlorella vulgaris, Platymonas subcordiformis, Prorocentrum micans and Karenia mikimotoi were chosen as samples. The different experimental parameters are studied including the injection times and doses of electrolytic products. Compared with the conventional one trial injection method, mortality rate time (MRT) and available chlorine concentration can be saved up to about 84% and 40%, respectively, under the application of the new strategy. The proposed new approach has great potential in practical ballast water treatment. Furthermore, the strategy is also helpful for deep insight of mechanism of algal tolerance. PMID:26068239

Naval Sea Systems Command Acquisition Strategy Guide v1.0

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

necessary to perform the contract. 2. Program context in overall prime system and major subsystem level industry sector and market . 3...organizations, and with industry through maximum use of alerts and the Government- Industry Data Exchange Program (GIDEP). 6.9 Military Equipment Valuation...simplified acquisition threshold. (2) The head of an agency shall use the results of market research to determine whether there are commercial

An Analysis of the Defense Acquisition Strategy for Unmanned Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-01

product service code RAA Rapid Acquisition Authority RCS radar cross section REF Rapid Equipping Force RFID radio frequency identification RDT...commercialization of the radio frequency identification (RFID) chip also provides a useful basis for comparison. WWII served as the proving ground for RFID...companies following the September 11 , 2001 attacks. It is important to note that despite advances in GPS technology and long-range communications

Fewer Mistakes on the First Day: Architectural Strategies and their Impacts on Acquisition Outcomes

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-01

Acquisition Processes Danielle Worger and Teresa Wu, Arizona State University Eugene Rex Jalao, Arizona State University and University of the...and J. Robert Wirthlin Air Force Institute of Technology The RITE Approach to Agile Acquisition Timothy Boyce, Iva Sherman, and Nicholas Roussel...of the Joint Capabilities Technology Demonstration Office: Ad Hoc Problem Solving as a Mechanism for Adaptive Change Kathryn Aten and John T

Sparse and optimal acquisition design for diffusion MRI and beyond

PubMed Central

Koay, Cheng Guan; Özarslan, Evren; Johnson, Kevin M.; Meyerand, M. Elizabeth

2012-01-01

Purpose: Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in combination with functional MRI promises a whole new vista for scientists to investigate noninvasively the structural and functional connectivity of the human brain—the human connectome, which had heretofore been out of reach. As with other imaging modalities, diffusion MRI data are inherently noisy and its acquisition time-consuming. Further, a faithful representation of the human connectome that can serve as a predictive model requires a robust and accurate data-analytic pipeline. The focus of this paper is on one of the key segments of this pipeline—in particular, the development of a sparse and optimal acquisition (SOA) design for diffusion MRI multiple-shell acquisition and beyond. Methods: The authors propose a novel optimality criterion for sparse multiple-shell acquisition and quasimultiple-shell designs in diffusion MRI and a novel and effective semistochastic and moderately greedy combinatorial search strategy with simulated annealing to locate the optimum design or configuration. The goal of the optimality criteria is threefold: first, to maximize uniformity of the diffusion measurements in each shell, which is equivalent to maximal incoherence in angular measurements; second, to maximize coverage of the diffusion measurements around each radial line to achieve maximal incoherence in radial measurements for multiple-shell acquisition; and finally, to ensure maximum uniformity of diffusion measurement directions in the limiting case when all the shells are coincidental as in the case of a single-shell acquisition. The approach taken in evaluating the stability of various acquisition designs is based on the condition number and the A-optimal measure of the design matrix. Results: Even though the number of distinct configurations for a given set of diffusion gradient directions is very large in general—e.g., in the order of 10232 for a set of 144 diffusion gradient directions, the proposed search

Functional Traits and Water Transport Strategies in Lowland Tropical Rainforest Trees.

PubMed

Apgaua, Deborah M G; Ishida, Françoise Y; Tng, David Y P; Laidlaw, Melinda J; Santos, Rubens M; Rumman, Rizwana; Eamus, Derek; Holtum, Joseph A M; Laurance, Susan G W

2015-01-01

Understanding how tropical rainforest trees may respond to the precipitation extremes predicted in future climate change scenarios is paramount for their conservation and management. Tree species clearly differ in drought susceptibility, suggesting that variable water transport strategies exist. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, we examined the hydraulic variability in trees in a lowland tropical rainforest in north-eastern Australia. We studied eight tree species representing broad plant functional groups (one palm and seven eudicot mature-phase, and early-successional trees). We characterised the species' hydraulic system through maximum rates of volumetric sap flow and velocities using the heat ratio method, and measured rates of tree growth and several stem, vessel, and leaf traits. Sap flow measures exhibited limited variability across species, although early-successional species and palms had high mean sap velocities relative to most mature-phase species. Stem, vessel, and leaf traits were poor predictors of sap flow measures. However, these traits exhibited different associations in multivariate analysis, revealing gradients in some traits across species and alternative hydraulic strategies in others. Trait differences across and within tree functional groups reflect variation in water transport and drought resistance strategies. These varying strategies will help in our understanding of changing species distributions under predicted drought scenarios.

Functional Traits and Water Transport Strategies in Lowland Tropical Rainforest Trees

PubMed Central

Apgaua, Deborah M. G.; Ishida, Françoise Y.; Tng, David Y. P.; Laidlaw, Melinda J.; Santos, Rubens M.; Rumman, Rizwana; Eamus, Derek; Holtum, Joseph A. M.; Laurance, Susan G. W.

2015-01-01

Understanding how tropical rainforest trees may respond to the precipitation extremes predicted in future climate change scenarios is paramount for their conservation and management. Tree species clearly differ in drought susceptibility, suggesting that variable water transport strategies exist. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, we examined the hydraulic variability in trees in a lowland tropical rainforest in north-eastern Australia. We studied eight tree species representing broad plant functional groups (one palm and seven eudicot mature-phase, and early-successional trees). We characterised the species’ hydraulic system through maximum rates of volumetric sap flow and velocities using the heat ratio method, and measured rates of tree growth and several stem, vessel, and leaf traits. Sap flow measures exhibited limited variability across species, although early-successional species and palms had high mean sap velocities relative to most mature-phase species. Stem, vessel, and leaf traits were poor predictors of sap flow measures. However, these traits exhibited different associations in multivariate analysis, revealing gradients in some traits across species and alternative hydraulic strategies in others. Trait differences across and within tree functional groups reflect variation in water transport and drought resistance strategies. These varying strategies will help in our understanding of changing species distributions under predicted drought scenarios. PMID:26087009

Perceptional and socio-demographic factors associated with household drinking water management strategies in rural Puerto Rico.

PubMed

Jain, Meha; Lim, Yili; Arce-Nazario, Javier A; Uriarte, María

2014-01-01

Identifying which factors influence household water management can help policy makers target interventions to improve drinking water quality for communities that may not receive adequate water quality at the tap. We assessed which perceptional and socio-demographic factors are associated with household drinking water management strategies in rural Puerto Rico. Specifically, we examined which factors were associated with household decisions to boil or filter tap water before drinking, or to obtain drinking water from multiple sources. We find that households differ in their management strategies depending on the institution that distributes water (i.e. government PRASA vs community-managed non-PRASA), perceptions of institutional efficacy, and perceptions of water quality. Specifically, households in PRASA communities are more likely to boil and filter their tap water due to perceptions of low water quality. Households in non-PRASA communities are more likely to procure water from multiple sources due to perceptions of institutional inefficacy. Based on informal discussions with community members, we suggest that water quality may be improved if PRASA systems improve the taste and odor of tap water, possibly by allowing for dechlorination prior to distribution, and if non-PRASA systems reduce the turbidity of water at the tap, possibly by increasing the degree of chlorination and filtering prior to distribution. Future studies should examine objective water quality standards to identify whether current management strategies are effective at improving water quality prior to consumption.

Perceptional and Socio-Demographic Factors Associated with Household Drinking Water Management Strategies in Rural Puerto Rico

PubMed Central

Jain, Meha; Lim, Yili; Arce-Nazario, Javier A.; Uriarte, María

2014-01-01

Identifying which factors influence household water management can help policy makers target interventions to improve drinking water quality for communities that may not receive adequate water quality at the tap. We assessed which perceptional and socio-demographic factors are associated with household drinking water management strategies in rural Puerto Rico. Specifically, we examined which factors were associated with household decisions to boil or filter tap water before drinking, or to obtain drinking water from multiple sources. We find that households differ in their management strategies depending on the institution that distributes water (i.e. government PRASA vs community-managed non-PRASA), perceptions of institutional efficacy, and perceptions of water quality. Specifically, households in PRASA communities are more likely to boil and filter their tap water due to perceptions of low water quality. Households in non-PRASA communities are more likely to procure water from multiple sources due to perceptions of institutional inefficacy. Based on informal discussions with community members, we suggest that water quality may be improved if PRASA systems improve the taste and odor of tap water, possibly by allowing for dechlorination prior to distribution, and if non-PRASA systems reduce the turbidity of water at the tap, possibly by increasing the degree of chlorination and filtering prior to distribution. Future studies should examine objective water quality standards to identify whether current management strategies are effective at improving water quality prior to consumption. PMID:24586302

Auditory Processing Disorder and Foreign Language Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Veselovska, Ganna

2015-01-01

This article aims at exploring various strategies for coping with the auditory processing disorder in the light of foreign language acquisition. The techniques relevant to dealing with the auditory processing disorder can be attributed to environmental and compensatory approaches. The environmental one involves actions directed at creating a…

Effect of irrigation techniques and strategies on water footprint of growing crops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chukalla, A. D.; Krol, M. S.; Hoekstra, A. Y. Y.

2014-12-01

Reducing the water footprint (WF) of growing crops, the largest water user and a significant contributor to the WF of many consumer products, plays a significant role in integrated and sustainable water management. The water footprint for growing crop is accounted by relating the crop yield with the corresponding consumptive water use (CWU), which both can be adjusted by measures that affect the crop growth and root-zone soil water balance. This study explored the scope for reducing the water footprint of irrigated crops by experimenting set of field level technical and managerial measures: (i) irrigation technologies (Furrow, sprinkler, drip and sub-surface drip), (ii) irrigation strategies (full and a range of sustained and controlled deficit) and (iii) field management options (zero, organic and synthetic mulching). Ranges of cases were also considered: (a) Arid and semi-arid environment (b) Loam and Sandy-loam soil types and (c) for Potato, Wheat and Maize crops; under (c) wet, normal and dry years. AquaCrop, the water driven crop growth and soil water balance model, offered the opportunity to systematically experiment these measures on water consumption and yield. Further, the green and blue water footprints of growing crop corresponding to each measure were computed by separating the root zone fluxes of the AquaCrop output into the green and blue soil water stocks and their corresponding fluxes. Results showed that in arid environment reduction in irrigation supply, CWU and WF up to 300 mm, 80 mm and 75 m3/tonne respectively can be achieved for Maize by a combination of organic mulching and drip technology with controlled deficit irrigation strategies (10-20-30-40% deficit with reference to the full irrigation requirement). These reductions come with a yield drop of 0.54 tonne/ha. In the same environment under the absence of mulching practice, the sub-surface drip perform better in reducing CWU and WF of irrigated crops followed by drip and furrow irrigation

Water Management Strategy in Assessing the Water Scarcity in Northern Western Region of Nile Delta, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mabrouk, Badr; Arafa, Salah; Gemajl, Khaled

2015-04-01

Sustainable development in the Nile Delta of Egypt is retarded by serious environmental problems, where land-use and land-cover of the region are subjected to continuous changes; including shoreline changes either by erosion or accretion, subsidence of the delta, as well as by sea level rise due to climate change. The current research attempts to; (1) study the vulnerability of the northern western region of the Nile Delta coastal zone to climate change/sea level rise while setting basic challenges, review adaptation strategies based on adaptation policy framework, and highlight recommended programs for preparedness to climate change, (2) study the scarcity of water resources in the area of study with review of the socioeconomic impacts and the critical need of establishing desalination plants with new standards assessing the environmental situation and population clusters, and (3) monitor of the brine water extracted from the desalination plants and injected to subsurface strata. This monitoring process is divided into 3 main directions: 1) studying the chemical characteristics of water extracted from the water desalinations plants qualitatively and quantitatively. 2) mapping the subsurface of which that brine water will be injected to it and the flow directions and effects using resistivity data, and 3) using GIS and suitable numerical models in order to study the effect, volume, flow of the brine water and its long term environmental impacts on the area. The results indicate that the area is particularly vulnerable to the impact of SLR, salt water intrusion, the deterioration of coastal tourism and the impact of extreme dust storms. This in turn will directly affect the agricultural productivity and human settlements in coastal zones. The paper presents different scenarios for water management and recommends the most suitable scenarios in order to establish a core for water management strategy in the region according to existing socio-economic and environmental

Pumping strategies for management of a shallow water table: The value of the simulation-optimization approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barlow, P.M.; Wagner, B.J.; Belitz, K.

1996-01-01

The simulation-optimization approach is used to identify ground-water pumping strategies for control of the shallow water table in the western San Joaquin Valley, California, where shallow ground water threatens continued agricultural productivity. The approach combines the use of ground-water flow simulation with optimization techniques to build on and refine pumping strategies identified in previous research that used flow simulation alone. Use of the combined simulation-optimization model resulted in a 20 percent reduction in the area subject to a shallow water table over that identified by use of the simulation model alone. The simulation-optimization model identifies increasingly more effective pumping strategies for control of the water table as the complexity of the problem increases; that is, as the number of subareas in which pumping is to be managed increases, the simulation-optimization model is better able to discriminate areally among subareas to determine optimal pumping locations. The simulation-optimization approach provides an improved understanding of controls on the ground-water flow system and management alternatives that can be implemented in the valley. In particular, results of the simulation-optimization model indicate that optimal pumping strategies are constrained by the existing distribution of wells between the semiconfined and confined zones of the aquifer, by the distribution of sediment types (and associated hydraulic conductivities) in the western valley, and by the historical distribution of pumping throughout the western valley.

Technology Proliferation: Acquisition Strategies and Opportunities for an Uncertain Future

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-04-20

The large programs of record characteristic of federal acquisition consist of rigorous research, development, testing, and evaluation (RDT&E...and evaluation (IOT&E) activities drive the program toward the decision to enter full rate production (FRP). Finally, in the sustainment phase, the...the new feature by a full release at a later date, or halt the development altogether. As stated by the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation

Dynamic equilibrium strategy for drought emergency temporary water transfer and allocation management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Jiuping; Ma, Ning; Lv, Chengwei

2016-08-01

Efficient water transfer and allocation are critical for disaster mitigation in drought emergencies. This is especially important when the different interests of the multiple decision makers and the fluctuating water resource supply and demand simultaneously cause space and time conflicts. To achieve more effective and efficient water transfers and allocations, this paper proposes a novel optimization method with an integrated bi-level structure and a dynamic strategy, in which the bi-level structure works to deal with space dimension conflicts in drought emergencies, and the dynamic strategy is used to deal with time dimension conflicts. Combining these two optimization methods, however, makes calculation complex, so an integrated interactive fuzzy program and a PSO-POA are combined to develop a hybrid-heuristic algorithm. The successful application of the proposed model in a real world case region demonstrates its practicality and efficiency. Dynamic cooperation between multiple reservoirs under the coordination of a global regulator reflects the model's efficiency and effectiveness in drought emergency water transfer and allocation, especially in a fluctuating environment. On this basis, some corresponding management recommendations are proposed to improve practical operations.

Golden-ratio rotated stack-of-stars acquisition for improved volumetric MRI.

PubMed

Zhou, Ziwu; Han, Fei; Yan, Lirong; Wang, Danny J J; Hu, Peng

2017-12-01

To develop and evaluate an improved stack-of-stars radial sampling strategy for reducing streaking artifacts. The conventional stack-of-stars sampling strategy collects the same radial angle for every partition (slice) encoding. In an undersampled acquisition, such an aligned acquisition generates coherent aliasing patterns and introduces strong streaking artifacts. We show that by rotating the radial spokes in a golden-angle manner along the partition-encoding direction, the aliasing pattern is modified, resulting in improved image quality for gridding and more advanced reconstruction methods. Computer simulations were performed and phantom as well as in vivo images for three different applications were acquired. Simulation, phantom, and in vivo experiments confirmed that the proposed method was able to generate images with less streaking artifact and sharper structures based on undersampled acquisitions in comparison with the conventional aligned approach at the same acceleration factors. By combining parallel imaging and compressed sensing in the reconstruction, streaking artifacts were mostly removed with improved delineation of fine structures using the proposed strategy. We present a simple method to reduce streaking artifacts and improve image quality in 3D stack-of-stars acquisitions by re-arranging the radial spoke angles in the 3D partition direction, which can be used for rapid volumetric imaging. Magn Reson Med 78:2290-2298, 2017. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Laser-induced photo emission detection: data acquisition based on light intensity counting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yulianto, N.; Yudasari, N.; Putri, K. Y.

2017-04-01

Laser Induced Breakdown Detection (LIBD) is one of the quantification techniques for colloids. There are two ways of detection in LIBD: optical detection and acoustic detection. LIBD is based on the detection of plasma emission due to the interaction between particle and laser beam. In this research, the changing of light intensity during plasma formations was detected by a photodiode sensor. A photo emission data acquisition system was built to collect and transform them into digital counts. The real-time system used data acquisition device National Instrument DAQ 6009 and LABVIEW software. The system has been tested on distilled water and tap water samples. The result showed 99.8% accuracy by using counting technique in comparison to the acoustic detection with sample rate of 10 Hz, thus the acquisition system can be applied as an alternative method to the existing LIBD acquisition system.

17. Perimeter acquisition radar building room #105, mechanical equipment room ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

17. Perimeter acquisition radar building room #105, mechanical equipment room no. 1; sign reads: Heat exchangers (shell and tube type). Provide precise temperature control of water for cooling critical electronic equipment - Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex, Perimeter Acquisition Radar Building, Limited Access Area, between Limited Access Patrol Road & Service Road A, Nekoma, Cavalier County, ND

Effect of different water management strategies on water and contaminant fluxes in Doncaster, United Kingdom.

PubMed

Rueedi, J; Cronin, A A; Moon, B; Wolf, L; Hoetzl, H

2005-01-01

In Europe, large volumes of public water supply come from urban aquifers and so efficient urban water management and decision tools are essential to maintain quality of life both in terms of health, personal freedom and environment. In the United Kingdom, this issue gained increased importance with the last year's low volumes of groundwater replenishment that resulted in increased water shortages all over the country. An urban water volume and quality model (UVQ) was applied to a suburb of Doncaster (United Kingdom) to assess the current water supply system and to compare it with new potential scenarios of water management. The initial results show considerable changes in both water and solute fluxes for some scenarios and rather limited changes for others. Changing impermeable roads and paved areas to permeable areas, for example, would lead to higher infiltration rates that may be welcome from a water resources viewpoint but less so from a water quality point of view due to high concentrations of heavy metals. The biggest impact on water quality and quantity leaving the system through sewer, storm water and infiltration system was clearly obtained by re-using grey water from kitchen, bathroom and laundry for irrigation and toilet flush. The testing of this strategy led to lower volumes and higher concentrations of sewerage, a considerable decrease in water consumption and an increase in groundwater recharge. The scenarios were tested neither in terms of costs nor social acceptance for either water supplier or user.

Observations of stem water storage in trees of opposing hydraulic strategies

DOE PAGES

Matheny, Ashley M.; Bohrer, Gil; Garrity, Steven R.; ...

2015-09-29

Hydraulic capacitance and water storage form a critical buffer against cavitation and loss of conductivity within the xylem system. Withdrawal from water storage in leaves, branches, stems, and roots significantly impacts sap flow, stomatal conductance, and transpiration. Storage quantities differ based on soil water availability, tree size, wood anatomy and density, drought tolerance, and hydraulic strategy (anisohydric or isohydric). However, the majority of studies focus on the measurement of storage in conifers or tropical tree species. We demonstrate a novel methodology using frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) to make continuous, direct measurements of wood water content in two hardwood species inmore » a forest in Michigan. We present results of a two month study comparing the water storage dynamics between a mature red oak and red maple, two species with differing wood densities, hydraulic architecture, and hydraulic strategy. We also include results pertaining to the use of different probe lengths to sample water content only within the active sapwood and over the entire conductive sapwood and the outer portion of heartwood in red oak. Both species studied exhibited diurnal cycles of storage that aligned well with the dynamics of sap flux. Red maple, a diffuse porous, relatively isohydric species showed a strong dependence on stored water during both wet and dry periods. Red oak, a ring porous relatively anisohydric species, was less reliant on storage, and did not demonstrate a dependence on soil water potential. Comparison between long and short FDR probes in the oak revealed that oaks may utilize water stored in the innermost layers of the xylem when soil moisture conditions are limiting. We found the FDR probes to be a reliable, functional means for continuous automated measurement of wood water content in hardwoods at a fast time scale. Application of FDR technology for the measurement of tree water storage will benefit forest ecologists as well as

Contrasting water strategies of two Mediterranean shrubs of limited distribution: uncertain future under a drier climate.

PubMed

Lázaro-Nogal, Ana; Forner, Alicia; Traveset, Anna; Valladares, Fernando

2013-12-01

Plants have evolved different strategies to cope with drought, involving alternative ecophysiologies and different levels of plasticity. These strategies are critical for species of limited distribution, which are especially vulnerable to the current rates of rapid environmental change. The aim of this study was to assess the water strategy of two species with limited distribution, Cneorum tricoccon L. and Rhamnus ludovici-salvatoris Chodat., and evaluate their interpopulation variability along an aridity gradient to estimate their vulnerability to a drier climate. We measured different ecophysiological traits influenced by drought--stomatal conductance, maximum photochemical efficiency of photosynthesis II, carbon isotope ratio and chlorophyll concentration--in two climatically contrasting years, before and during summer drought. Both species were vulnerable to drought at the aridity limit of the gradient, but showed contrasting water strategies: while C. tricoccon was consistent in its water conservation strategy across the aridity gradient, R. ludovici-salvatoris was not, displaying higher and more variable stomatal conductances and being able to increase water-use efficiency at the most xeric sites. Changes in length and intensity of drought events may favor one species' strategy to the detriment of the other: C. tricoccon is more vulnerable to chronic and prolonged droughts, whereas short but acute droughts might have a stronger effect on R. ludovici-salvatoris. In those communities where these two species coexist, such different strategies might lead to changes in community structure under climate change scenarios, with unknown cascade effects on ecosystem functioning.

Strategies to strengthen public health inputs to water policy in response to climate change: an Australian perspective.

PubMed

Goater, Sarah; Cook, Angus; Hogan, Anthony; Mengersen, Kerrie; Hieatt, Arron; Weinstein, Philip

2011-03-01

Under current climate change projections, the capacity to provide safe drinking water to Australian communities will be challenged. Part of this challenge is the lack of an adaptive governance strategy that transcends jurisdictional boundaries to support integrated policy making, regulation, or infrastructural adaptation. Consequently, some water-related health hazards may not be adequately captured or forecast under existing water resource management policies to ensure safe water supplies. Given the high degree of spatial and temporal variability in climate conditions experienced by Australian communities, new strategies for national health planning and prioritization for safe water supplies are warranted. The challenges facing public health in Australia will be to develop flexible and robust governance strategies that strengthen public health input to existing water policy, regulation, and surveillance infrastructure through proactive risk planning, adopting new technologies, and intersectoral collaborations. The proposed approach could assist policy makers avert or minimize risk to communities arising from changes in climate and water provisions both in Australia and in the wider Asia Pacific region.

Manager’s Guide to Technology Transition in an Evolutionary Acquisition Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-06-01

program managers, product managers, staffs, and organizations that manage the development , procurement, production, and fielding of systems...rapidly advancing technologies. Technology transitions can occur during the development of systems, or even after a system has been in the field ...Documentation Evolutionary acquisition is an acquisition strategy that defines, develops , produces or acquires, and fields an initial hardware or software

Influence of the management strategy model on estimating water system performance under climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Francois, Baptiste; Hingray, Benoit; Creutin, Jean-Dominique; Hendrickx, Frederic

2015-04-01

The performance of water systems used worldwide for the management of water resources is expected to be influenced by future changes in regional climates and water uses. Anticipating possible performance changes of a given system requires a modeling chain simulating its management. Operational management is usually not trivial especially when several conflicting objectives have to be accounted for. Management models are therefore often a crude representation of the real system and they only approximate its performance. Estimated performance changes are expected to depend on the management model used, but this is often not assessed. This communication analyzes the influence of the management strategy representation on the performance of an Alpine reservoir (Serre-Ponçon, South-East of France) for which irrigation supply, hydropower generation and recreational activities are the main objectives. We consider three ways to construct the strategy named as clear-, short- and far-sighted management. They are based on different forecastability degrees of seasonal inflows into the reservoir. The strategies are optimized using a Dynamic Programming algorithm (deterministic for clear-sighted and implicit stochastic for short- and far-sighted). System performance is estimated for an ensemble of future hydro-meteorological projections obtained in the RIWER2030 research project (http://www.lthe.fr/RIWER2030/) from a suite of climate experiments from the EU - ENSEMBLES research project. Our results show that changes in system performance is much more influenced by changes in hydro-meteorological variables than by the choice of strategy modeling. They also show that a simple strategy representation (i.e. clear-sighted management) leads to similar estimates of performance modifications than those obtained with a representation supposedly closer to real world (i.e. the far-sighted management). The Short-Sighted management approach lead to significantly different results, especially

The impact of constructivist teaching strategies on the acquisition of higher order cognition and learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merrill, Alison Saricks

The purpose of this quasi-experimental quantitative mixed design study was to compare the effectiveness of brain-based teaching strategies versus a traditional lecture format in the acquisition of higher order cognition as determined by test scores. A second purpose was to elicit student feedback about the two teaching approaches. The design was a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design study with repeated measures on the last factor. The independent variables were type of student, teaching method, and a within group change over time. Dependent variables were a between group comparison of pre-test, post-test gain scores and a within and between group comparison of course examination scores. A convenience sample of students enrolled in medical-surgical nursing was used. One group (n=36) was made up of traditional students and the other group (n=36) consisted of second-degree students. Four learning units were included in this study. Pre- and post-tests were given on the first two units. Course examinations scores from all four units were compared. In one cohort two of the units were taught via lecture format and two using constructivist activities. These methods were reversed for the other cohort. The conceptual basis for this study derives from neuroscience and cognitive psychology. Learning is defined as the growth of new dendrites. Cognitive psychologists view learning as a constructive activity in which new knowledge is built on an internal foundation of existing knowledge. Constructivist teaching strategies are designed to stimulate the brain's natural learning ability. There was a statistically significant difference based on type of teaching strategy (t = -2.078, df = 270, p = .039, d = .25)) with higher mean scores on the examinations covering brain-based learning units. There was no statistical significance based on type of student. Qualitative data collection was conducted in an on-line forum at the end of the semester. Students had overall positive responses about the

Defense Acquisition Structures and Capabilities Review

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

systems to joint portfolio management Refinement of a human capital strategy Improvement of governance of the business transformation effort...Management, Senior- Level Tri-Chaired investment panel for the new Concept Decision process for major programs, and Defense Acquisition Executive Summary...establishment of centers of excellence. DLA reorganized to implement the Business Systems Modernization (BSM) initiative designed to improve end-to-end

Increasing water availability during afterschool snack: evidence, strategies, and partnerships from a group randomized trial.

PubMed

Giles, Catherine M; Kenney, Erica L; Gortmaker, Steven L; Lee, Rebekka M; Thayer, Julie C; Mont-Ferguson, Helen; Cradock, Angie L

2012-09-01

Providing drinking water to U.S. children during school meals is a recommended health promotion strategy and part of national nutrition policy. Urban school systems have struggled with providing drinking water to children, and little is known about how to ensure that water is served, particularly in afterschool settings. To assess the effectiveness of an intervention designed to promote water as the beverage of choice in afterschool programs. The Out of School Nutrition and Physical Activity Initiative (OSNAP) used a community-based collaboration and low-cost strategies to provide water after school. A group RCT was used to evaluate the intervention. Data were collected in 2010-2011 and analyzed in 2011. Twenty afterschool programs in Boston were randomized to intervention or control (delayed intervention). Intervention sites participated in learning collaboratives focused on policy and environmental changes to increase healthy eating, drinking, and physical activity opportunities during afterschool time (materials available at www.osnap.org). Collaboration between Boston Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services, afterschool staff, and researchers established water-delivery systems to ensure children were served water during snack time. Average ounces of water served to children per day was recorded by direct observation at each program at baseline and 6-month follow-up over 5 consecutive school days. Secondary measures directly observed included ounces of other beverages served, other snack components, and water-delivery system. Participation in the intervention was associated with an increased average volume of water served (+3.6 ounces/day; p=0.01) during snack. On average, the intervention led to a daily decrease of 60.9 kcals from beverages served during snack (p=0.03). This study indicates the OSNAP intervention, including strategies to overcome structural barriers and collaboration with key actors, can increase offerings of water during afterschool snack

Variable strategy model of the human operator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, John Michael

Human operators often employ discontinuous or "bang-bang" control strategies when performing large-amplitude acquisition tasks. The current study applies Variable Structure Control (VSC) techniques to model human operator behavior during acquisition tasks. The result is a coupled, multi-input model replicating the discontinuous control strategy. In the VSC formulation, a switching surface is the mathematical representation of the operator's control strategy. The performance of the Variable Strategy Model (VSM) is evaluated by considering several examples, including the longitudinal control of an aircraft during the visual landing task. The aircraft landing task becomes an acquisition maneuver whenever large initial offsets occur. Several different strategies are explored in the VSM formulation for the aircraft landing task. First, a switching surface is constructed from literal interpretations of pilot training literature. This approach yields a mathematical representation of how a pilot is trained to fly a generic aircraft. This switching surface is shown to bound the trajectory response of a group of pilots performing an offset landing task in an aircraft simulator study. Next, front-side and back-side landing strategies are compared. A back-side landing strategy is found to be capable of landing an aircraft flying on either the front side or back side of the power curve. However, the front-side landing strategy is found to be insufficient for landing an aircraft flying on the back side. Finally, a more refined landing strategy is developed that takes into the account the specific aircraft's dynamic characteristics. The refined strategy is translated back into terminology similar to the existing pilot training literature.

Data-driven behavioural modelling of residential water consumption to inform water demand management strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giuliani, Matteo; Cominola, Andrea; Alshaf, Ahmad; Castelletti, Andrea; Anda, Martin

2016-04-01

The continuous expansion of urban areas worldwide is expected to highly increase residential water demand over the next few years, ultimately challenging the distribution and supply of drinking water. Several studies have recently demonstrated that actions focused only on the water supply side of the problem (e.g., augmenting existing water supply infrastructure) will likely fail to meet future demands, thus calling for the concurrent deployment of effective water demand management strategies (WDMS) to pursue water savings and conservation. However, to be effective WDMS do require a substantial understanding of water consumers' behaviors and consumption patterns at different spatial and temporal resolutions. Retrieving information on users' behaviors, as well as their explanatory and/or causal factors, is key to spot potential areas for targeting water saving efforts and to design user-tailored WDMS, such as education campaigns and personalized recommendations. In this work, we contribute a data-driven approach to identify household water users' consumption behavioural profiles and model their water use habits. State-of-the-art clustering methods are coupled with big data machine learning techniques with the aim of extracting dominant behaviors from a set of water consumption data collected at the household scale. This allows identifying heterogeneous groups of consumers from the studied sample and characterizing them with respect to several consumption features. Our approach is validated onto a real-world household water consumption dataset associated with a variety of demographic and psychographic user data and household attributes, collected in nine towns of the Pilbara and Kimberley Regions of Western Australia. Results show the effectiveness of the proposed method in capturing the influence of candidate determinants on residential water consumption profiles and in attaining sufficiently accurate predictions of users' consumption behaviors, ultimately providing

A novel 3D Cartesian random sampling strategy for Compressive Sensing Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

PubMed

Valvano, Giuseppe; Martini, Nicola; Santarelli, Maria Filomena; Chiappino, Dante; Landini, Luigi

2015-01-01

In this work we propose a novel acquisition strategy for accelerated 3D Compressive Sensing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (CS-MRI). This strategy is based on a 3D cartesian sampling with random switching of the frequency encoding direction with other K-space directions. Two 3D sampling strategies are presented. In the first strategy, the frequency encoding direction is randomly switched with one of the two phase encoding directions. In the second strategy, the frequency encoding direction is randomly chosen between all the directions of the K-Space. These strategies can lower the coherence of the acquisition, in order to produce reduced aliasing artifacts and to achieve a better image quality after Compressive Sensing (CS) reconstruction. Furthermore, the proposed strategies can reduce the typical smoothing of CS due to the limited sampling of high frequency locations. We demonstrated by means of simulations that the proposed acquisition strategies outperformed the standard Compressive Sensing acquisition. This results in a better quality of the reconstructed images and in a greater achievable acceleration.

Deficit irrigation and sustainable water-resource strategies in agriculture for China's food security.

PubMed

Du, Taisheng; Kang, Shaozhong; Zhang, Jianhua; Davies, William J

2015-04-01

More than 70% of fresh water is used in agriculture in many parts of the world, but competition for domestic and industrial water use is intense. For future global food security, water use in agriculture must become sustainable. Agricultural water-use efficiency and water productivity can be improved at different points from the stomatal to the regional scale. A promising approach is the use of deficit irrigation, which can both save water and induce plant physiological regulations such as stomatal opening and reproductive and vegetative growth. At the scales of the irrigation district, the catchment, and the region, there can be many other components to a sustainable water-resources strategy. There is much interest in whether crop water use can be regulated as a function of understanding of physiological responses. If this is the case, then agricultural water resources can be reallocated to the benefit of the broader community. We summarize the extent of use and impact of deficit irrigation within China. A sustainable strategy for allocation of agricultural water resources for food security is proposed. Our intention is to build an integrative system to control crop water use during different cropping stages and actively regulate the plant's growth, productivity, and development based on physiological responses. This is done with a view to improving the allocation of limited agricultural water resources. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Methodology to explore interactions between the water system and society in order to identify adaptation strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Offermans, A. G. E.; Haasnoot, M.

2009-04-01

Development of sustainable water management strategies involves analysing current and future vulnerability, identification of adaptation possibilities, effect analysis and evaluation of the strategies under different possible futures. Recent studies on water management often followed the pressure-effect chain and compared the state of social, economic and ecological functions of the water systems in one or two future situations with the current situation. The future is, however, more complex and dynamic. Water management faces major challenges to cope with future uncertainties in both the water system as well as the social system. Uncertainties in our water system relate to (changes in) drivers and pressures and their effects on the state, like the effects of climate change on discharges. Uncertainties in the social world relate to changing of perceptions, objectives and demands concerning water (management), which are often related with the aforementioned changes in the physical environment. The methodology presented here comprises the 'Perspectives method', derived from the Cultural Theory, a method on analyzing and classifying social response to social and natural states and pressures. The method will be used for scenario analysis and to identify social responses including changes in perspectives and management strategies. The scenarios and responses will be integrated within a rapid assessment tool. The purpose of the tool is to provide users with insight about the interaction of the social and physical system and to identify robust water management strategies by analysing the effectiveness under different possible futures on the physical, social and socio-economic system. This method allows for a mutual interaction between the physical and social system. We will present the theoretical background of the perspectives method as well as a historical overview of perspective changes in the Dutch Meuse area to show how social and physical systems interrelate. We

Deficit irrigation and sustainable water-resource strategies in agriculture for China’s food security

PubMed Central

Du, Taisheng; Kang, Shaozhong; Zhang, Jianhua; Davies, William J.

2015-01-01

More than 70% of fresh water is used in agriculture in many parts of the world, but competition for domestic and industrial water use is intense. For future global food security, water use in agriculture must become sustainable. Agricultural water-use efficiency and water productivity can be improved at different points from the stomatal to the regional scale. A promising approach is the use of deficit irrigation, which can both save water and induce plant physiological regulations such as stomatal opening and reproductive and vegetative growth. At the scales of the irrigation district, the catchment, and the region, there can be many other components to a sustainable water-resources strategy. There is much interest in whether crop water use can be regulated as a function of understanding of physiological responses. If this is the case, then agricultural water resources can be reallocated to the benefit of the broader community. We summarize the extent of use and impact of deficit irrigation within China. A sustainable strategy for allocation of agricultural water resources for food security is proposed. Our intention is to build an integrative system to control crop water use during different cropping stages and actively regulate the plant’s growth, productivity, and development based on physiological responses. This is done with a view to improving the allocation of limited agricultural water resources. PMID:25873664

Phytochemical analysis of mature tree root exudates in situ and their role in shaping soil microbial communities in relation to tree N-acquisition strategy.

PubMed

Michalet, Serge; Rohr, Julien; Warshan, Denis; Bardon, Clément; Roggy, Jean-Christophe; Domenach, Anne-Marie; Czarnes, Sonia; Pommier, Thomas; Combourieu, Bruno; Guillaumaud, Nadine; Bellvert, Floriant; Comte, Gilles; Poly, Franck

2013-11-01

Eperua falcata (Aublet), a late-successional species in tropical rainforest and one of the most abundant tree in French Guiana, has developed an original strategy concerning N-acquisition by largely preferring nitrate, rather than ammonium (H. Schimann, S. Ponton, S. Hättenschwiler, B. Ferry, R. Lensi, A.M. Domenach, J.C. Roggy, Differing nitrogen use strategies of two tropical rainforest tree species in French Guiana: evidence from (15)N natural abundance and microbial activities, Soil Biol. Biochem. 40 (2008) 487-494). Given the preference of this species for nitrate, we hypothesized that root exudates would promote nitrate availability by (a) enhancing nitrate production by stimulating ammonium oxidation or (b) minimizing nitrate losses by inhibiting denitrification. Root exudates were collected in situ in monospecific planted plots. The phytochemical analysis of these exudates and of several of their corresponding root extracts was achieved using UHPLC/DAD/ESI-QTOF and allowed the identification of diverse secondary metabolites belonging to the flavonoid family. Our results show that (i) the distinct exudation patterns observed are related to distinct root morphologies, and this was associated with a shift in the root flavonoid content, (ii) a root extract representative of the diverse compounds detected in roots showed a significant and selective metabolic inhibition of isolated denitrifiers in vitro, and (iii) in soil plots the abundance of nirK-type denitrifiers was negatively affected in rhizosphere soil compared to bulk. Altogether this led us to formulate hypothesis concerning the ecological role of the identified compounds in relation to N-acquisition strategy of this species. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Seasonal Dynamics of Water Use Strategy of Two Salix Shrubs in Alpine Sandy Land, Tibetan Plateau.

PubMed

Zhu, Yajuan; Wang, Guojie; Li, Renqiang

2016-01-01

Water is a limiting factor for plant growth and vegetation dynamics in alpine sandy land of the Tibetan Plateau, especially with the increasing frequency of extreme precipitation events and drought caused by climate change. Therefore, a relatively stable water source from either deeper soil profiles or ground water is necessary for plant growth. Understanding the water use strategy of dominant species in the alpine sandy land ecosystem is important for vegetative rehabilitation and ecological restoration. The stable isotope methodology of δD, δ18O, and δ13C was used to determine main water source and long-term water use efficiency of Salix psammophila and S. cheilophila, two dominant shrubs on interdune of alpine sandy land in northeastern Tibetan Plateau. The root systems of two Salix shrubs were investigated to determine their distribution pattern. The results showed that S. psammophila and S. cheilophila absorbed soil water at different soil depths or ground water in different seasons, depending on water availability and water use strategy. Salix psammophila used ground water during the growing season and relied on shallow soil water recharged by rain in summer. Salix cheilophila used ground water in spring and summer, but relied on shallow soil water recharged by rain in spring and deep soil water recharged by ground water in fall. The two shrubs had dimorphic root systems, which is coincident with their water use strategy. Higher biomass of fine roots in S. psammophila and longer fine roots in S. cheilophila facilitated to absorb water in deeper soil layers. The long-term water use efficiency of two Salix shrubs increased during the dry season in spring. The long-term water use efficiency was higher in S. psammophila than in S. cheilophila, as the former species is better adapted to semiarid climate of alpine sandy land.

Seasonal Dynamics of Water Use Strategy of Two Salix Shrubs in Alpine Sandy Land, Tibetan Plateau

PubMed Central

Zhu, Yajuan; Wang, Guojie; Li, Renqiang

2016-01-01

Water is a limiting factor for plant growth and vegetation dynamics in alpine sandy land of the Tibetan Plateau, especially with the increasing frequency of extreme precipitation events and drought caused by climate change. Therefore, a relatively stable water source from either deeper soil profiles or ground water is necessary for plant growth. Understanding the water use strategy of dominant species in the alpine sandy land ecosystem is important for vegetative rehabilitation and ecological restoration. The stable isotope methodology of δD, δ18O, and δ13C was used to determine main water source and long-term water use efficiency of Salix psammophila and S. cheilophila, two dominant shrubs on interdune of alpine sandy land in northeastern Tibetan Plateau. The root systems of two Salix shrubs were investigated to determine their distribution pattern. The results showed that S. psammophila and S. cheilophila absorbed soil water at different soil depths or ground water in different seasons, depending on water availability and water use strategy. Salix psammophila used ground water during the growing season and relied on shallow soil water recharged by rain in summer. Salix cheilophila used ground water in spring and summer, but relied on shallow soil water recharged by rain in spring and deep soil water recharged by ground water in fall. The two shrubs had dimorphic root systems, which is coincident with their water use strategy. Higher biomass of fine roots in S. psammophila and longer fine roots in S. cheilophila facilitated to absorb water in deeper soil layers. The long-term water use efficiency of two Salix shrubs increased during the dry season in spring. The long-term water use efficiency was higher in S. psammophila than in S. cheilophila, as the former species is better adapted to semiarid climate of alpine sandy land. PMID:27243772

Different Water Use Strategies of Juvenile and Adult Caragana intermedia Plantations in the Gonghe Basin, Tibet Plateau

PubMed Central

Jia, Zhiqing; Zhu, Yajuan; Liu, Liying

2012-01-01

Background In a semi-arid ecosystem, water is one of the most important factors that affect vegetation dynamics, such as shrub plantation. A water use strategy, including the main water source that a plant species utilizes and water use efficiency (WUE), plays an important role in plant survival and growth. The water use strategy of a shrub is one of the key factors in the evaluation of stability and sustainability of a plantation. Methodology/Principal Findings Caragana intermedia is a dominant shrub of sand-binding plantations on sand dunes in the Gonghe Basin in northeastern Tibet Plateau. Understanding the water use strategy of a shrub plantation can be used to evaluate its sustainability and long-term stability. We hypothesized that C. intermedia uses mainly deep soil water and its WUE increases with plantation age. Stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen were used to determine the main water source and leaf carbon isotope discrimination was used to estimate long-term WUE. The root system was investigated to determine the depth of the main distribution. The results showed that a 5-year-old C. intermedia plantation used soil water mainly at a depth of 0–30 cm, which was coincident with the distribution of its fine roots. However, 9- or 25-year-old C. intermedia plantations used mainly 0–50 cm soil depth water and the fine root system was distributed primarily at soil depths of 0–50 cm and 0–60 cm, respectively. These sources of soil water are recharged directly by rainfall. Moreover, the long-term WUE of adult plantations was greater than that of juvenile plantations. Conclusions The C. intermedia plantation can change its water use strategy over time as an adaptation to a semi-arid environment, including increasing the depth of soil water used for root growth, and increasing long-term WUE. PMID:23029303

Maps showing locations of surface water stations: catalog of information on water data

USGS Publications Warehouse

1968-01-01

United States Bureau of the Budget Circular A-67, issued in 1964, calls upon the Department of the Interior to coordinate certain water-data-acquisition activities by Federal agencies. The Circular contains guidelines for coordinating Federal water-data collection from streams, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, and ground water; it also contains guidelines for developing a national network to acquire the data. Specific responsibilities are: (1) design and operation of a national network for acquiring water data, including organizing the network data; (2) coordination of national network and specialized water-data acquisition activities, and preparation of an annual Federal plan for water-data acquisition; and (3) maintenance of a central catalog of information on water data and on Federal activities being planned or conducted to acquire such data.The Office of Water Data Coordination (OWOC) was established within the Interior Department's Geological Survey to serve as a focal point for activities in conjunction with implementation of the Circular. The "Catalog of Information on Water Data" was developed in response to item 3.

Modeling resource basis for social and economic development strategies: Water resource case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosolapova, Natalia A.; Matveeva, Ludmila G.; Nikitaeva, Anastasia Y.; Molapisi, Lesego

2017-10-01

The article substantiates that the effectiveness of implementing socio-economic development strategies is to a large extent determined by the adequate provision of basic resources. The key role of water resources in economic strategic development is empirically illustrated. The article demonstrates the practicability of strategic management of water resources based on the principle of a combination of river basin management approaches and the consideration of regional development strategies. The Game Theory technique was used to develop economic and mathematical tools for supporting decision-making in meeting the needs of regional consumers under water balance deficit conditions. The choice of methods was determined from two positions: the methods should allow for the possibility of multi-variant solutions for the selection of optimal options for the distribution of limited water resources between different consumers; the methods should be orientated on the maximum possible harmonization of multidirectional and multi-scale interests of the subjects in the water management system of the different regions (including the state) in order to achieve a balance. The approbation of developing a toolkit for the example of the regions located in the Don and Kuban river basins resulted in the appropriate selection of priority regions for the allocation of water resources in terms of strategic management as well as the determination of measures of ensuring the sustainable use of the river basins under consideration. The proposed tools can be used for coordinating decisions on the water supply of regional economic systems with actual and projected indicators of socio-economic development of the respective regions for a strategic perspective.

Using Content Acquisition Podcasts to Deliver Core Content to Preservice Teacher Candidates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Michael J.; Kellems, Ryan O.; Thomas, Cathy Newman; Newton, Jennifer R.

2015-01-01

Teacher educators are always looking for instructional strategies that are easy to create and use but are powerful for promoting learning among preservice teacher candidates. Content acquisition podcasts (CAPs) is an example of an instructional strategy that embeds evidence-based instructional design principles to package and deliver critical…

Ambient Conditions and Feeding Strategy Influence δ18O of Milk Water in Cows (Bos taurus).

PubMed

Chen, Guo; Schäufele, Rudi; Auerswald, Karl

2017-08-30

There are increasing concerns by consumers regarding agricultural product traceability and authenticity. Oxygen isotope composition (δ 18 O) has been used in this context based on the relationship between δ 18 O of animal products and annual precipitation. However, in dairy products this relationship is affected by the seasonality of δ 18 O in milk water which in turn depends on the feeding system used. We measured 608 milk samples from 28 farms with various feeding strategies in southern Germany throughout the year, investigating the influences of ambient conditions, drinking water source, and feeding strategies on seasonal variation of δ 18 O in milk water (δ milk ). The mechanistic Munich-Kohn model reflecting these influences predicted the seasonal and farm-specific variation of δ milk well. The relationship between δ 18 O of precipitation and δ milk varied in different feeding strategies. The interplay of ambient conditions and feeding strategy on δ milk should thus be carefully considered when identifying the origin of milk.

Rooting depth distribution and nitrogen acquisition using 15N tracer, Barrow, Alaska, 2013

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

Colleen Iversen

Permafrost thaw and degradation may lead to altered thickness of the active soil layer and a changing distribution of plant-available nutrients throughout the soil, but little is known about the nutrient acquisition strategies of dominant tundra plant species. We conducted an 15N isotope tracer experiment to assess the vertical distribution of nutrient acquisition among three dominant species representing important plant functional types (PFTs) on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) in Barrow, Alaska. We found that vertical patterns of root distribution and nutrient acquisition varied among plant species, and that root density may not entirely explain patterns of nutrient acquisition formore » all species.« less

Evolutionary Agent-based Models to design distributed water management strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giuliani, M.; Castelletti, A.; Reed, P. M.

2012-12-01

There is growing awareness in the scientific community that the traditional centralized approach to water resources management, as described in much of the water resources literature, provides an ideal optimal solution, which is certainly useful to quantify the best physically achievable performance, but is generally inapplicable. Most real world water resources management problems are indeed characterized by the presence of multiple, distributed and institutionally-independent decision-makers. Multi-Agent Systems provide a potentially more realistic alternative framework to model multiple and self-interested decision-makers in a credible context. Each decision-maker can be represented by an agent who, being self-interested, acts according to local objective functions and produces negative externalities on system level objectives. Different levels of coordination can potentially be included in the framework by designing coordination mechanisms to drive the current decision-making structure toward the global system efficiency. Yet, the identification of effective coordination strategies can be particularly complex in modern institutional contexts and current practice is dependent on largely ad-hoc coordination strategies. In this work we propose a novel Evolutionary Agent-based Modeling (EAM) framework that enables a mapping of fully uncoordinated and centrally coordinated solutions into their relative "many-objective" tradeoffs using multiobjective evolutionary algorithms. Then, by analysing the conflicts between local individual agent and global system level objectives it is possible to more fully understand the causes, consequences, and potential solution strategies for coordination failures. Game-theoretic criteria have value for identifying the most interesting alternatives from a policy making point of view as well as the coordination mechanisms that can be applied to obtain these interesting solutions. The proposed approach is numerically tested on a

Communicative and Analytic Strategies in Naturalistic Second Language Acquisition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strage, Amy A.

The interaction of two elementary-age American children with their bilingual mother and French-speaking peers was monitored to determine learning strategies in a natural French immersion situation. Seven strategies were discovered, each of which provided the necessary ingredients of processible input, practice, and feedback to the language…

Exploring critical pathways for urban water management to identify robust strategies under deep uncertainties.

PubMed

Urich, Christian; Rauch, Wolfgang

2014-12-01

Long-term projections for key drivers needed in urban water infrastructure planning such as climate change, population growth, and socio-economic changes are deeply uncertain. Traditional planning approaches heavily rely on these projections, which, if a projection stays unfulfilled, can lead to problematic infrastructure decisions causing high operational costs and/or lock-in effects. New approaches based on exploratory modelling take a fundamentally different view. Aim of these is, to identify an adaptation strategy that performs well under many future scenarios, instead of optimising a strategy for a handful. However, a modelling tool to support strategic planning to test the implication of adaptation strategies under deeply uncertain conditions for urban water management does not exist yet. This paper presents a first step towards a new generation of such strategic planning tools, by combing innovative modelling tools, which coevolve the urban environment and urban water infrastructure under many different future scenarios, with robust decision making. The developed approach is applied to the city of Innsbruck, Austria, which is spatially explicitly evolved 20 years into the future under 1000 scenarios to test the robustness of different adaptation strategies. Key findings of this paper show that: (1) Such an approach can be used to successfully identify parameter ranges of key drivers in which a desired performance criterion is not fulfilled, which is an important indicator for the robustness of an adaptation strategy; and (2) Analysis of the rich dataset gives new insights into the adaptive responses of agents to key drivers in the urban system by modifying a strategy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Strategies for Climate Change Adaptation of Water Supply and Flood Control Reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ng, T. L.; Yang, P.; Bhushan, R.

2016-12-01

With climate change, streamflows are expected to become more fluctuating, with more frequent and intense floods and droughts. This complicates reservoir operation, which is highly sensitive to inflow variability. We make a comparative evaluation of three strategies for adapting reservoirs to climate-induced shifts in streamflow patterns. Specifically, we examine the effectiveness of (i) expanding the capacities of reservoirs by way of new off-stream reservoirs, (ii) introducing wastewater reclamation to augment supplies, and (iii) improving real-time streamflow forecasts for more optimal decision-making. The first two are hard strategies involving major infrastructure modifications, while the third a soft strategy entailing adjusting the system operation. A comprehensive side-by-side comparison of the three strategies is as yet lacking in the literature despite the many past studies investigating the strategies individually. To this end, we developed an adaptive forward-looking linear program that solves to yield the optimal decisions for the current time as a function of an ensemble forecast of future streamflows. Solving the model repeatedly on a rolling basis with regular updating of the streamflow forecast simulates the system behavior over the entire operating horizon. Results are generated for two hypothetical water supply and flood control reservoirs of differing inflows and demands. Preliminary findings suggest that of the three strategies, improving streamflow forecasts to be most effective in mitigating the effects of climate change. We also found that, in average terms, both additional reservoir capacity and wastewater reclamation have potential to reduce water shortage and downstream flooding. However, in the worst case, the potential of the former to reduce water shortage is limited, and similarly so the potential of the latter to reduce downstream flooding.

Water-resources activities in Ohio, 1986 (water fact sheet)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hindall, S.M.

1986-01-01

The Ohio District of the Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey, provides information on Ohio 's water resources for the overall benefit of the State and the Nation. An integral part of the Survey 's mission is to conduct investigations of the Nation 's land, mineral, and water resources, and to publish and disseminate the information needed to understand, to plan the use of, and to manage these resources. The activities fall into eight broad categories: collection of hydrologic data; water resources investigations and assessments; basic and problem-oriented hydrologic and water related research; acquisition of information useful in predicting and delineating water related natural hazards; coordination of the activities of all Federal agencies in the acquisition of water data, and operation of water information centers; dissemination of data and the results of investigations; provision of scientific and technical assistance in hydrologic studies; and the administration of the State Water Resources Research Institute Program and the National Water Resources Research Grant Program. (Lantz-PTT)

Modeling seasonal water balance based on catchments' hedging strategy on evapotranspiration for climate seasonality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, S.; Zhao, J.; Wang, H.

2017-12-01

This paper develops a seasonal water balance model based on the hypothesis that natural catchments utilize hedging strategy on evapotranspiration for climate seasonality. According to the monthly aridity index, one year is split into wet season and dry season. A seasonal water balance model is developed by analogy to a two-stage reservoir operation model, in which seasonal rainfall infiltration, evapotranspiration and saturation-excess runoff is corresponding to the inflow, release and surplus of the catchment system. Then the optimal hedging between wet season and dry season evapotranspiration is analytically derived with marginal benefit principle. Water budget data sets of 320 catchments in the United States covering the period from 1980 to 2010 are used to evaluate the performance of this model. The Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency coefficient for evapotranspiration is higher than 0.5 in 84% of the study catchments; while the runoff is 87%. This paper validates catchments' hedging strategy on evapotranspiration for climate seasonality and shows its potential application for seasonal water balance, which is valuable for water resources planning and management.

Integrated ground-water monitoring strategy for NRC-licensed facilities and sites: Case study applications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Price, V.; Temples, T.; Hodges, R.; Dai, Z.; Watkins, D.; Imrich, J.

2007-01-01

This document discusses results of applying the Integrated Ground-Water Monitoring Strategy (the Strategy) to actual waste sites using existing field characterization and monitoring data. The Strategy is a systematic approach to dealing with complex sites. Application of such a systematic approach will reduce uncertainty associated with site analysis, and therefore uncertainty associated with management decisions about a site. The Strategy can be used to guide the development of a ground-water monitoring program or to review an existing one. The sites selected for study fall within a wide range of geologic and climatic settings, waste compositions, and site design characteristics and represent realistic cases that might be encountered by the NRC. No one case study illustrates a comprehensive application of the Strategy using all available site data. Rather, within each case study we focus on certain aspects of the Strategy, to illustrate concepts that can be applied generically to all sites. The test sites selected include:Charleston, South Carolina, Naval Weapons Station,Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, New York,The USGS Amargosa Desert Research Site in Nevada,Rocky Flats in Colorado,C-Area at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, andThe Hanford 300 Area.A Data Analysis section provides examples of detailed data analysis of monitoring data.

Plant water stress effects on stylet probing behaviors of Homalodisca vitripennis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) associated with acquisition and inoculation of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa.

PubMed

Krugner, Rodrigo; Backus, Elaine A

2014-02-01

ABSTRACT The glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), is a xylem fluid-ingesting leafhopper that transmits Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al., a plant-infecting bacterium that causes several plant diseases in the Americas. Although the role of plant water stress on the population density and dispersal ofH. vitripennis has been studied, nothing is known about the effects of plant water stress on the transmission of X. fastidiosa by H. vitripennis. A laboratory study was conducted to determine the influence of plant water stress on the sharpshooter stylet probing behaviors associated with the acquisition and inoculation of X. fastidiosa. Electrical penetration graph was used to monitor H. vitripennis feeding behaviors for 20-h periods on citrus [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck] and almond [Prunus dulcis (Miller) D.A. Webb] plants subjected to levels of water stress. Adult H. vitripennis successfully located xylem vessels, then performed behaviors related to the evaluation of the xylem cell and fluid, and finally ingested xylem fluid from citrus and almond plants under the tested fluid tensions ranging from -5.5 to -33.0 bars and -6.0 to -24.5 bars, respectively. In general, long and frequent feeding events associated with the acquisition and inoculation of X. fastidiosa were observed only in fully irrigated plants (i.e., >-10 bars), which suggests that even low levels of plant water stress may reduce the spread of X. fastidiosa. Results provided insights to disease epidemiology and support the hypothesis that application of regulated deficit irrigation has the potential to reduce the incidence of diseases caused by X.fastidiosa by reducing the number of vectors and by decreasing pathogen transmission efficiency.

Monitoring strategies for drill cutting discharge in the vicinity of cold-water coral ecosystems.

PubMed

Purser, Autun; Thomsen, Laurenz

2012-11-01

Cold-water coral reefs represent some of the most biodiverse and biomass rich ecosystems in the marine environment. Despite this, ecosystem functioning is still poorly understood and the susceptibility of key species to anthropogenic activities and pollutants is unknown. In European waters, cold-water corals are often found in greatest abundance on the continental margin, often in regions rich in hydrocarbon reserves. In this viewpoint paper we discuss some of the current strategies employed in predicting and minimizing exposure of cold-water coral reef ecosystems on the Norwegian margin to waste materials produced during offshore drilling operations by the oil and gas industry. In the light of recent in situ and experimental research conducted with the key reef species Lophelia pertusa, we present some possible improvements to these strategies which may be utilized by industry and managers to further reduce the likelihood of exposure. We further highlight important outstanding research questions in this field. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Actor modelling and its contribution to the development of integrative strategies for management of pharmaceuticals in drinking water.

PubMed

Titz, Alexandra; Döll, Petra

2009-02-01

Widespread presence of human pharmaceuticals in water resources across the globe is documented. While some, but certainly not enough, research on the occurrence, fate and effect of pharmaceuticals in water resources has been carried out, a holistic risk management strategy is missing. The transdisciplinary research project "start" aimed to develop an integrative strategy by the participation of experts representing key actors in the problem field "pharmaceuticals in drinking water". In this paper, we describe a novel modelling method, actor modelling with the semi-quantitative software DANA (Dynamic Actor Network Analysis), and its application in support of identifying an integrative risk management strategy. Based on the individual perceptions of different actors, the approach allows the identification of optimal strategies. Actors' perceptions were elicited by participatory model building and interviews, and were then modelled in perception graphs. Actor modelling indicated that an integrative strategy that targets environmentally-responsible prescription, therapy, and disposal of pharmaceuticals on one hand, and the development of environmentally-friendly pharmaceuticals on the other hand, will likely be most effective for reducing the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in drinking water (at least in Germany where the study was performed). However, unlike most other actors, the pharmaceutical industry itself does not perceive that the production of environmentally-friendly pharmaceuticals is an action that helps to achieve its goals, but contends that continued development of highly active pharmaceutical ingredients will help to reduce the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the water cycle. Investment in advanced waste or drinking water treatment is opposed by both the wastewater treatment company and the drinking water supplier, and is not mentioned as appropriate by the other actors. According to our experience, actor modelling is a useful method to suggest effective

75 FR 33752 - Acquisition Regulation: Socioeconomic Programs

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-15

.... Subpart 922.6 is removed and reserved. PART 923--ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY, RENEWABLE... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 48 CFR Parts 919, 922, 923, 924, 925, 926, and 952 RIN 1991-AB87 Acquisition Regulation: Socioeconomic Programs AGENCY: Department of Energy. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking...

Robust sliding-window reconstruction for Accelerating the acquisition of MR fingerprinting.

PubMed

Cao, Xiaozhi; Liao, Congyu; Wang, Zhixing; Chen, Ying; Ye, Huihui; He, Hongjian; Zhong, Jianhui

2017-10-01

To develop a method for accelerated and robust MR fingerprinting (MRF) with improved image reconstruction and parameter matching processes. A sliding-window (SW) strategy was applied to MRF, in which signal and dictionary matching was conducted between fingerprints consisting of mixed-contrast image series reconstructed from consecutive data frames segmented by a sliding window, and a precalculated mixed-contrast dictionary. The effectiveness and performance of this new method, dubbed SW-MRF, was evaluated in both phantom and in vivo. Error quantifications were conducted on results obtained with various settings of SW reconstruction parameters. Compared with the original MRF strategy, the results of both phantom and in vivo experiments demonstrate that the proposed SW-MRF strategy either provided similar accuracy with reduced acquisition time, or improved accuracy with equal acquisition time. Parametric maps of T 1 , T 2 , and proton density of comparable quality could be achieved with a two-fold or more reduction in acquisition time. The effect of sliding-window width on dictionary sensitivity was also estimated. The novel SW-MRF recovers high quality image frames from highly undersampled MRF data, which enables more robust dictionary matching with reduced numbers of data frames. This time efficiency may facilitate MRF applications in time-critical clinical settings. Magn Reson Med 78:1579-1588, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Strategies for monitoring the bacteriological quality of water supply in distribution systems

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

Geldreich, E.E.; Goodrich, J.A.; Clark, R.M.

1989-01-01

Monitoring strategies for characterizing the bacteriological quality of water in the distribution system require a complete understanding of a variety of interrelated aspects that include treated water quality, water-supply retention in storage and infrastructure deterioration in the distribution system. A study of field data from several water-supply utilities was used to highlight some innovative interpretations of compliance monitoring data. Major perceptions include: The use of a 5% coliform frequency of occurrence limit highlights compliance significance in those situations where there are clusters of positive samples containing less than 4 coliforms per 100 mL. Unfortunately, this presence/absence concept does not providemore » any indication of the magnitude of a contamination event.« less

Simultaneous water activation and glucose metabolic rate imaging with PET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verhaeghe, Jeroen; Reader, Andrew J.

2013-02-01

A novel imaging and signal separation strategy is proposed to be able to separate [18F]FDG and multiple [15O]H2O signals from a simultaneously acquired dynamic PET acquisition of the two tracers. The technique is based on the fact that the dynamics of the two tracers are very distinct. By adopting an appropriate bolus injection strategy and by defining tailored sets of basis functions that model either the FDG or water component, it is possible to separate the FDG and water signal. The basis functions are inspired from the spectral analysis description of dynamic PET studies and are defined as the convolution of estimated generating functions (GFs) with a set of decaying exponential functions. The GFs are estimated from the overall measured head curve, while the decaying exponential functions are pre-determined. In this work, the time activity curves (TACs) are modelled post-reconstruction but the model can be incorporated in a global 4D reconstruction strategy. Extensive PET simulation studies are performed considering single [18F]FDG and 6 [15O]H2O bolus injections for a total acquisition time of 75 min. The proposed method is evaluated at multiple noise levels and different parameters were estimated such as [18F]FDG uptake and blood flow estimated from the [15O]H2O component, requiring a full dynamic analysis of the two components, static images of [18F]FDG and the water components as well as [15O]H2O activation. It is shown that the resulting images and parametric values in ROIs are comparable to images obtained from separate imaging, illustrating the feasibility of simultaneous imaging of [18F]FDG and [15O]H2O components. For more information on this article, see medicalphysicsweb.org

Disentangling the Effects of Water Stress on Carbon Acquisition, Vegetative Growth, and Fruit Quality of Peach Trees by Means of the QualiTree Model.

PubMed

Rahmati, Mitra; Mirás-Avalos, José M; Valsesia, Pierre; Lescourret, Françoise; Génard, Michel; Davarynejad, Gholam H; Bannayan, Mohammad; Azizi, Majid; Vercambre, Gilles

2018-01-01

Climate change projections predict warmer and drier conditions. In general, moderate to severe water stress reduce plant vegetative growth and leaf photosynthesis. However, vegetative and reproductive growths show different sensitivities to water deficit. In fruit trees, water restrictions may have serious implications not only on tree growth and yield, but also on fruit quality, which might be improved. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to understand the complex interrelations among the physiological processes involved in within-tree carbon acquisition and allocation, water uptake and transpiration, organ growth, and fruit composition when affected by water stress. This can be studied using process-based models of plant functioning, which allow assessing the sensitivity of various physiological processes to water deficit and their relative impact on vegetative growth and fruit quality. In the current study, an existing fruit-tree model (QualiTree) was adapted for describing the water stress effects on peach ( Prunus persica L. Batsch) vegetative growth, fruit size and composition. First, an energy balance calculation at the fruit-bearing shoot level and a water transfer formalization within the plant were integrated into the model. Next, a reduction function of vegetative growth according to tree water status was added to QualiTree. Then, the model was parameterized and calibrated for a late-maturing peach cultivar ("Elberta") under semi-arid conditions, and for three different irrigation practices. Simulated vegetative and fruit growth variability over time was consistent with observed data. Sugar concentrations in fruit flesh were well simulated. Finally, QualiTree allowed for determining the relative importance of photosynthesis and vegetative growth reduction on carbon acquisition, plant growth and fruit quality under water constrains. According to simulations, water deficit impacted vegetative growth first through a direct effect on its sink strength

Post-acquisition data processing for the screening of transformation products of different organic contaminants. Two-year monitoring of river water using LC-ESI-QTOF-MS and GCxGC-EI-TOF-MS.

PubMed

López, S Herrera; Ulaszewska, M M; Hernando, M D; Martínez Bueno, M J; Gómez, M J; Fernández-Alba, A R

2014-11-01

This study describes a comprehensive strategy for detecting and elucidating the chemical structures of expected and unexpected transformation products (TPs) from chemicals found in river water and effluent wastewater samples, using liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometer (LC-ESI-QTOF-MS), with post-acquisition data processing and an automated search using an in-house database. The efficacy of the mass defect filtering (MDF) approach to screen metabolites from common biotransformation pathways was tested, and it was shown to be sufficiently sensitive and applicable for detecting metabolites in environmental samples. Four omeprazole metabolites and two venlafaxine metabolites were identified in river water samples. This paper reports the analytical results obtained during 2 years of monitoring, carried out at eight sampling points along the Henares River (Spain). Multiresidue monitoring, for targeted analysis, includes a group of 122 chemicals, amongst which are pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides and PAHs. For this purpose, two analytical methods were used based on direct injection with a LC-ESI-QTOF-MS system and stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) with bi-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with a time-of-flight spectrometer (GCxGC-EI-TOF-MS).

Assisting at-risk community college students' acquisition of critical thinking learning strategies in human anatomy and physiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arburn, Theresa Morkovsky

1998-11-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether learning thinking strategies within the context of a community college course in Human Anatomy and Physiology would result in increased academic performance and the incidence of critical thinking skills. Included in the study sample were 68 community college students, many of whom would be categorized as "at-risk," who were enrolled in four sections of a Human Anatomy and Physiology class. Two of the class sections served as the experimental group and two sections served as the control group. During the course of one semester, members of the experimental group participated in the use of a student-generated questioning technique in conjunction with lecture presentations, while members of the control group did not. All students were pretested using the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) and the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST). Posttesting was completed using these same instruments and an end-of-course comprehensive examination. Analysis of data revealed no significant differences between the experimental and control groups with regard to their overall achievement, their ability to process information, or their demonstration of critical thinking. It was interesting to note, however, that members of the experimental group did exhibit a change in their ability to select main ideas, apply deductive reasoning, and use inference. While the use of thinking strategies within the context of the course did not effect a significant change in academic achievement or critical thinking among at-risk community college students, it should be noted that application of a non-lecture method of class participation had no negative impact on student performance. Whether more abstruse changes have occurred with regard to the acquisition of cognitive skills remains to be elucidated.

Primary teachers' knowledge and acquisition of stress relieving strategies.

PubMed

Cockburn, A D

1996-09-01

Over the last 20 years there have been numerous studies of teacher stress but little is known of how teachers acquire coping strategies; their knowledge of those available to them and their opinion of these techniques. A total of 335 Norfolk primary teachers responded to a postal questionnaire providing biographical details; levels of job satisfaction and work related stress; responses to a range of commonly advocated techniques to reduce teacher stress and their opinion on who-if anyone-should take more responsibility for reducing teacher stress. On average the respondents were aware of 35 stress reduction strategies. The most effective strategies were ensuring that one understood what one was about to teach and thorough lesson preparation. A significant proportion of practitioners said that they would not consider seeking expert sources of advice. A total of 89 per cent of practitioners reported that they acquired at least some strategies through their own experience. It was concluded that the issue of teacher stress needs to be considered at governmental, school and individual levels. In the light of some resistance to traditional methods of stress reduction, the implications for initial and in-service training were explored.

25 CFR 151.5 - Trust acquisitions in Oklahoma under section 5 of the I.R.A.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Trust acquisitions in Oklahoma under section 5 of the I.R.A. 151.5 Section 151.5 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LAND ACQUISITIONS § 151.5 Trust acquisitions in Oklahoma under section 5 of the I.R.A. In addition to acquisitions for tribes which did not reject th...

Rapid profiling of polymeric phenolic acids in Salvia miltiorrhiza by hybrid data-dependent/targeted multistage mass spectrometry acquisition based on expected compounds prediction and fragment ion searching.

PubMed

Shen, Yao; Feng, Zijin; Yang, Min; Zhou, Zhe; Han, Sumei; Hou, Jinjun; Li, Zhenwei; Wu, Wanying; Guo, De-An

2018-04-01

Phenolic acids are the major water-soluble components in Salvia miltiorrhiza (>5%). According to previous studies, many of them contribute to the cardiovascular effects and antioxidant effects of S. miltiorrhiza. Polymeric phenolic acids can be considered as the tanshinol derived metabolites, e.g., dimmers, trimers, and tetramers. A strategy combined with tanshinol-based expected compounds prediction, total ion chromatogram filtering, fragment ion searching, and parent list-based multistage mass spectrometry acquisition by linear trap quadropole-orbitrap Velos mass spectrometry was proposed to rapid profile polymeric phenolic acids in S. miltiorrhiza. More than 480 potential polymeric phenolic acids could be screened out by this strategy. Based on the fragment information obtained by parent list-activated data dependent multistage mass spectrometry acquisition, 190 polymeric phenolic acids were characterized by comparing their mass information with literature data, and 18 of them were firstly detected from S. miltiorrhiza. Seven potential compounds were tentatively characterized as new polymeric phenolic acids from S. miltiorrhiza. This strategy facilitates identification of polymeric phenolic acids in complex matrix with both selectivity and sensitivity, which could be expanded for rapid discovery and identification of compounds from complex matrix. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Towards a rational strategy for monitoring of microbiological quality of ambient waters

PubMed Central

Poma, Hugo Ramiro; Cacciabue, Dolores Gutiérrez; Garcé, Beatriz; Gonzo, Elio Emilio; Rajal, Verónica Beatriz

2012-01-01

Water is one of the main sources of human exposure to microbiological hazards. Although legislation establishes regulatory standards in terms of fecal indicator bacteria to assess the microbiological quality of water, these do not necessarily predict the presence of pathogens such as parasites and viruses. Better surveillance and management strategies are needed to assess the risk of pathogens waterborne transmission. We established a baseline dataset to characterize river water quality, identify changes over time, and design a rational monitoring strategy. Data from a year-long monthly monitoring campaign of the polluted Arenales River (Argentina), were analyzed to statistically correlate physicochemical and microbiological variables, the seasonal and longitudinal variation of the water quality and determine the similarity between study sites. The measured variables (sixteen) reflected the deterioration in the river quality through the city. Different viruses and parasites found did not correlate with the concentration of total and thermotolerant coliforms. There was significant seasonal variation for temperature, turbidity, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, enterococci, and norovirus. Strong correlations between some variables were found; we selected eight variables (dissolved oxygen, conductivity, turbidity, total and thermotolerant coliforms, Enterococcus, and adenovirus and Microsporidium as viral and parasitological indicators, respectively) for future monitoring. There was similarity between the monitoring locations, which were grouped into four clusters validated by cophenetic correlation and supported by discriminant analysis. This allowed us to reduce the number of sites, from eleven down to five. Sixty seven percent of the total variance and the correlation structure between variables was explained using five principal components. All these analyses led to a new long-term systematic monitoring scheme A rational monitoring strategy based on the selection of

Reflector automatic acquisition and pointing based on auto-collimation theodolite.

PubMed

Luo, Jun; Wang, Zhiqian; Wen, Zhuoman; Li, Mingzhu; Liu, Shaojin; Shen, Chengwu

2018-01-01

An auto-collimation theodolite (ACT) for reflector automatic acquisition and pointing is designed based on the principle of autocollimators and theodolites. First, the principle of auto-collimation and theodolites is reviewed, and then the coaxial ACT structure is developed. Subsequently, the acquisition and pointing strategies for reflector measurements are presented, which first quickly acquires the target over a wide range and then points the laser spot to the charge coupled device zero position. Finally, experiments are conducted to verify the acquisition and pointing performance, including the calibration of the ACT, the comparison of the acquisition mode and pointing mode, and the accuracy measurement in horizontal and vertical directions. In both directions, a measurement accuracy of ±3″ is achieved. The presented ACT is suitable for automatic pointing and monitoring the reflector over a small scanning area and can be used in a wide range of applications such as bridge structure monitoring and cooperative target aiming.

Reflector automatic acquisition and pointing based on auto-collimation theodolite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Jun; Wang, Zhiqian; Wen, Zhuoman; Li, Mingzhu; Liu, Shaojin; Shen, Chengwu

2018-01-01

An auto-collimation theodolite (ACT) for reflector automatic acquisition and pointing is designed based on the principle of autocollimators and theodolites. First, the principle of auto-collimation and theodolites is reviewed, and then the coaxial ACT structure is developed. Subsequently, the acquisition and pointing strategies for reflector measurements are presented, which first quickly acquires the target over a wide range and then points the laser spot to the charge coupled device zero position. Finally, experiments are conducted to verify the acquisition and pointing performance, including the calibration of the ACT, the comparison of the acquisition mode and pointing mode, and the accuracy measurement in horizontal and vertical directions. In both directions, a measurement accuracy of ±3″ is achieved. The presented ACT is suitable for automatic pointing and monitoring the reflector over a small scanning area and can be used in a wide range of applications such as bridge structure monitoring and cooperative target aiming.

Siderophore-Based Iron Acquisition and Pathogen Control

PubMed Central

Miethke, Marcus; Marahiel, Mohamed A.

2007-01-01

Summary: High-affinity iron acquisition is mediated by siderophore-dependent pathways in the majority of pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria and fungi. Considerable progress has been made in characterizing and understanding mechanisms of siderophore synthesis, secretion, iron scavenging, and siderophore-delivered iron uptake and its release. The regulation of siderophore pathways reveals multilayer networks at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. Due to the key role of many siderophores during virulence, coevolution led to sophisticated strategies of siderophore neutralization by mammals and (re)utilization by bacterial pathogens. Surprisingly, hosts also developed essential siderophore-based iron delivery and cell conversion pathways, which are of interest for diagnostic and therapeutic studies. In the last decades, natural and synthetic compounds have gained attention as potential therapeutics for iron-dependent treatment of infections and further diseases. Promising results for pathogen inhibition were obtained with various siderophore-antibiotic conjugates acting as “Trojan horse” toxins and siderophore pathway inhibitors. In this article, general aspects of siderophore-mediated iron acquisition, recent findings regarding iron-related pathogen-host interactions, and current strategies for iron-dependent pathogen control will be reviewed. Further concepts including the inhibition of novel siderophore pathway targets are discussed. PMID:17804665

Tropical dry forest trees and lianas differ in leaf economic spectrum traits but have overlapping water-use strategies.

PubMed

Werden, Leland K; Waring, Bonnie G; Smith-Martin, Christina M; Powers, Jennifer S

2018-04-01

Tree species in tropical dry forests employ a wide range of strategies to cope with seasonal drought, including regulation of hydraulic function. However, it is uncertain if co-occurring lianas also possess a diversity of strategies. For a taxonomically diverse group of 14 tree and 7 liana species, we measured morphological and hydraulic functional traits during an unusual drought and under non-drought conditions to determine (i) if trees have different water-use strategies than lianas and (ii) if relationships among these traits can be used to better understand how tree and liana species regulate diurnal leaf water potential (Ψdiurnal). In this Costa Rican tropical dry forest, lianas and trees had overlapping water-use strategies, but differed in many leaf economic spectrum traits. Specifically, we found that both lianas and trees employed a diversity of Ψdiurnal regulation strategies, which did not differ statistically. However, lianas and trees did significantly differ in terms of certain traits including leaf area, specific leaf area, petiole length, wood vessel diameter and xylem vessel density. All liana and tree species we measured fell along a continuum of isohydric (partial) to anisohydric (strict or extreme) Ψdiurnal regulation strategies, and leaf area, petiole length, stomatal conductance and wood vessel diameter correlated with these strategies. These findings contribute to a trait-based understanding of how plants regulate Ψdiurnal under both drought stress and sufficient water availability, and underscore that lianas and trees employ a similarly wide range of Ψdiurnal regulation strategies, despite having vastly different growth forms.

A comparison of alternative strategies for cost-effective water quality management in lakes.

PubMed

Kramer, Daniel Boyd; Polasky, Stephen; Starfield, Anthony; Palik, Brian; Westphal, Lynne; Snyder, Stephanie; Jakes, Pamela; Hudson, Rachel; Gustafson, Eric

2006-09-01

Roughly 45% of the assessed lakes in the United States are impaired for one or more reasons. Eutrophication due to excess phosphorus loading is common in many impaired lakes. Various strategies are available to lake residents for addressing declining lake water quality, including septic system upgrades and establishing riparian buffers. This study examines 25 lakes to determine whether septic upgrades or riparian buffers are a more cost-effective strategy to meet a phosphorus reduction target. We find that riparian buffers are the more cost-effective strategy in every case but one. Large transaction costs associated with the negotiation and monitoring of riparian buffers, however, may be prohibiting lake residents from implementing the most cost-effective strategy.

A Comparison of Alternative Strategies for Cost-Effective Water Quality Management in Lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kramer, Daniel Boyd; Polasky, Stephen; Starfield, Anthony; Palik, Brian; Westphal, Lynne; Snyder, Stephanie; Jakes, Pamela; Hudson, Rachel; Gustafson, Eric

2006-09-01

Roughly 45% of the assessed lakes in the United States are impaired for one or more reasons. Eutrophication due to excess phosphorus loading is common in many impaired lakes. Various strategies are available to lake residents for addressing declining lake water quality, including septic system upgrades and establishing riparian buffers. This study examines 25 lakes to determine whether septic upgrades or riparian buffers are a more cost-effective strategy to meet a phosphorus reduction target. We find that riparian buffers are the more cost-effective strategy in every case but one. Large transaction costs associated with the negotiation and monitoring of riparian buffers, however, may be prohibiting lake residents from implementing the most cost-effective strategy.

Knowledge-Acquisition Tool For Expert System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Disbrow, James D.; Duke, Eugene L.; Regenie, Victoria A.

1988-01-01

Digital flight-control systems monitored by computer program that evaluates and recommends. Flight-systems engineers for advanced, high-performance aircraft use knowlege-acquisition tool for expert-system flight-status monitor suppling interpretative data. Interpretative function especially important in time-critical, high-stress situations because it facilitates problem identification and corrective strategy. Conditions evaluated and recommendations made by ground-based engineers having essential knowledge for analysis and monitoring of performances of advanced aircraft systems.

Water safety in the bush: strategies for addressing training needs in remote areas.

PubMed

Beattie, N; Shaw, P; Larson, A

2008-01-01

This article describes a unique, remote, water safety-training program delivered to 11 remote Australian communities during 2006-2007. The program, known as 'Water Safety in the Bush', was developed by Combined Universities Centre for Rural Health in Geraldton Western Australia in consultation with the Commonwealth Government Department of Health and Ageing, and the Royal Life Saving Society of Australia. Drowning and near drowning are major causes of childhood death and injury in rural and remote Australia, making improved water safety awareness and skills a public health priority. Water Safety in the Bush employed a flexible, community development model to meet the special requirements of remote and isolated communities. The model had three elements: coordination by a local organisation; a water safety instruction program based on a Royal Life Saving Society of Australia curriculum adapted to meet local priorities; and strategies for sustainability. In the delivery of the program a total of 873 children and 219 adults received swimming and water safety instruction; 47 adults and older children received first-aid training; and 38 community members became AUSTAWIM (the Australian Council for the Teaching of Swimming and Water Safety) accredited instructors. Project evaluation showed parents and community organisations were very satisfied with the program which met a real need. Parents and instructors gave evidence of children's increased skills in water safety, swimming ability, life-saving and water confidence. Training programs with greater contact hours showed greater skill gains. Sustainability strategies included accreditation of local AUSTSWIM instructors, the erection of water safety signs, sourcing of continuing funding, and the introduction of water safety theory into the school curriculum. Flexibility was the major success factor. Within the parameters of minimum guidelines, communities were encouraged to choose the timing, venue and delivery mode of the

Image acquisition context: procedure description attributes for clinically relevant indexing and selective retrieval of biomedical images.

PubMed

Bidgood, W D; Bray, B; Brown, N; Mori, A R; Spackman, K A; Golichowski, A; Jones, R H; Korman, L; Dove, B; Hildebrand, L; Berg, M

1999-01-01

To support clinically relevant indexing of biomedical images and image-related information based on the attributes of image acquisition procedures and the judgments (observations) expressed by observers in the process of image interpretation. The authors introduce the notion of "image acquisition context," the set of attributes that describe image acquisition procedures, and present a standards-based strategy for utilizing the attributes of image acquisition context as indexing and retrieval keys for digital image libraries. The authors' indexing strategy is based on an interdependent message/terminology architecture that combines the Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) standard, the SNOMED (Systematized Nomenclature of Human and Veterinary Medicine) vocabulary, and the SNOMED DICOM microglossary. The SNOMED DICOM microglossary provides context-dependent mapping of terminology to DICOM data elements. The capability of embedding standard coded descriptors in DICOM image headers and image-interpretation reports improves the potential for selective retrieval of image-related information. This favorably affects information management in digital libraries.

Verbal Strategies in the ML Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Di Pietro, Robert J.

Second language teaching methodologies have been oriented toward their subject matter as the acquisition of form. This orientation does not distinguish sufficiently between language as grammatical competence and language as verbal strategy. There are many matters falling under the heading of "verbal strategy" which should become part of an…

Language Learners in Study Abroad Contexts. Second Language Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DuFon, Margaret A., Ed.; Churchill, Eton, Ed.

2006-01-01

Examining the overseas experience of language learners in diverse contexts through a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches, studies in this volume look at the acquisition of language use, socialization processes, learner motivation, identity and learning strategies. In this way, the volume offers a privileged window into learner…

Wastewater reclamation and recharge: A water management strategy for Albuquerque

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

Gorder, P.J.; Brunswick, R.J.; Bockemeier, S.W.

1995-12-31

Approximately 61,000 acre-feet of the pumped water is annually discharged to the Rio Grande as treated wastewater. Albuquerque`s Southside Water Reclamation Plant (SWRP) is the primary wastewater treatment facility for most of the Albuquerque area. Its current design capacity is 76 million gallons per day (mgd), which is expected to be adequate until about 2004. A master plan currently is being prepared (discussed here in Wastewater Master Planning and the Zero Discharge Concept section) to provide guidelines for future expansions of the plant and wastewater infrastructure. Construction documents presently are being prepared to add ammonia and nitrogen removal capability tomore » the plant, as required by its new discharge permit. The paper discusses water management strategies, indirect potable reuse for Albuquerque, water quality considerations for indirect potable reuse, treatment for potable reuse, geohydrological aspects of a recharge program, layout and estimated costs for a conceptual reclamation and recharge system, and work to be accomplished under phase 2 of the reclamation and recharge program.« less

An empirical model of water quality for use in rapid management strategy evaluation in Southeast Queensland, Australia.

PubMed

de la Mare, William; Ellis, Nick; Pascual, Ricardo; Tickell, Sharon

2012-04-01

Simulation models have been widely adopted in fisheries for management strategy evaluation (MSE). However, in catchment management of water quality, MSE is hampered by the complexity of both decision space and the hydrological process models. Empirical models based on monitoring data provide a feasible alternative to process models; they run much faster and, by conditioning on data, they can simulate realistic responses to management actions. Using 10 years of water quality indicators from Queensland, Australia, we built an empirical model suitable for rapid MSE that reproduces the water quality variables' mean and covariance structure, adjusts the expected indicators through local management effects, and propagates effects downstream by capturing inter-site regression relationships. Empirical models enable managers to search the space of possible strategies using rapid assessment. They provide not only realistic responses in water quality indicators but also variability in those indicators, allowing managers to assess strategies in an uncertain world. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detailed classification of swimming paths in the Morris Water Maze: multiple strategies within one trial

PubMed Central

Gehring, Tiago V.; Luksys, Gediminas; Sandi, Carmen; Vasilaki, Eleni

2015-01-01

The Morris Water Maze is a widely used task in studies of spatial learning with rodents. Classical performance measures of animals in the Morris Water Maze include the escape latency, and the cumulative distance to the platform. Other methods focus on classifying trajectory patterns to stereotypical classes representing different animal strategies. However, these approaches typically consider trajectories as a whole, and as a consequence they assign one full trajectory to one class, whereas animals often switch between these strategies, and their corresponding classes, within a single trial. To this end, we take a different approach: we look for segments of diverse animal behaviour within one trial and employ a semi-automated classification method for identifying the various strategies exhibited by the animals within a trial. Our method allows us to reveal significant and systematic differences in the exploration strategies of two animal groups (stressed, non-stressed), that would be unobserved by earlier methods. PMID:26423140

New Tools and Methods for Assessing Risk-Management Strategies

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-03-01

Theories to evaluate the risks and benefits of various acquisition alternatives and allowed researchers to monitor the process students used to make a...revealed distinct risk-management strategies. 15. SUBJECT TERMS risk managements, acquisition process, expected value theory , multi-attribute utility theory ...Utility Theories to evaluate the risks and benefits of various acquisition alternatives, and allowed us to monitor the process subjects used to arrive at

Characterization of high temporal resolution prr acquisition by fast comtec card: Deadtime, PRR desaturation, temperature calibration and retrieval.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martucci, Giovanni; Simeonov, Valentin; Renaud, Ludovic; Haefele, Alexander

2018-04-01

RAman Lidar for Meteorological Observations (RALMO) is operated at MeteoSwiss and provides continuous measurements of water vapor and temperature since 2010. While the water vapor has been acquired by a Licel acquisition system since 2008, the temperature channels have been migrated to a Fastcom P7888 acquisition system, since August 2015. We present a characterization of this new acquisition system, namely its dead-time, desaturation, temporal stability of the Pure Rotational Raman signals and the retrieval of the PRR-temperature.

Design of Smart-Meter data acquisition device based on Cloud Platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xiangqun; Huang, Rui; Shen, Liman; chen, Hao; Xiong, Dezhi; Xiao, Xiangqi; Liu, Mouhai; Xu, Renheng

2018-05-01

In recent years, the government has attached great importance to ‘Four-Meter Unified’ Project. Under the call of national policy, State Grid is participate in building ‘Four-Meter Unified’ Project actively by making use of electricity information acquisition system. In this paper, a new type Smart-Meter data acquisition device based on Cloud Platform is designed according to the newest series of standards Energy Measure and Management System for Electric, Water, Gas and Heat Meter, and this paper introduces the general scheme, main hardware design and main software design for the Smart-Meter data acquisition device.

Acquisition of Expository Writing Skills. Technical Report No. 421.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raphael, Taffy E.; And Others

Four studies by the Cognitive Strategy Instruction in Writing project at the Institute for Research on Teaching, Michigan State University, examined the acquisition of expository writing skills in fifth and sixth grade students. The first study examined the effects of teaching sixth grade students about comparison/contrast text structure. Results…

Increased performance in the short-term water demand forecasting through the use of a parallel adaptive weighting strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sardinha-Lourenço, A.; Andrade-Campos, A.; Antunes, A.; Oliveira, M. S.

2018-03-01

Recent research on water demand short-term forecasting has shown that models using univariate time series based on historical data are useful and can be combined with other prediction methods to reduce errors. The behavior of water demands in drinking water distribution networks focuses on their repetitive nature and, under meteorological conditions and similar consumers, allows the development of a heuristic forecast model that, in turn, combined with other autoregressive models, can provide reliable forecasts. In this study, a parallel adaptive weighting strategy of water consumption forecast for the next 24-48 h, using univariate time series of potable water consumption, is proposed. Two Portuguese potable water distribution networks are used as case studies where the only input data are the consumption of water and the national calendar. For the development of the strategy, the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) method and a short-term forecast heuristic algorithm are used. Simulations with the model showed that, when using a parallel adaptive weighting strategy, the prediction error can be reduced by 15.96% and the average error by 9.20%. This reduction is important in the control and management of water supply systems. The proposed methodology can be extended to other forecast methods, especially when it comes to the availability of multiple forecast models.

A Decision Support System For The Real-Time Allocation Of The Water Resource Of The Tarim River Basin, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, J.; Wang, G.; Liu, R.

2008-12-01

The Tarim River Basin is the longest inland river in China. Due to water scarcity, ecologically-fragile is becoming a significant constraint to sustainable development in this region. To effectively manage the limited water resources for ecological purposes and for conventional water utilization purposes, a real-time water resources allocation Decision Support System (DSS) has been developed. Based on workflows of the water resources regulations and comprehensive analysis of the efficiency and feasibility of water management strategies, the DSS includes information systems that perform data acquisition, management and visualization, and model systems that perform hydrological forecast, water demand prediction, flow routing simulation and water resources optimization of the hydrological and water utilization process. An optimization and process control strategy is employed to dynamically allocate the water resources among the different stakeholders. The competitive targets and constraints are taken into considered by multi-objective optimization and with different priorities. The DSS of the Tarim River Basin has been developed and been successfully utilized to support the water resources management of the Tarim River Basin since 2005.

Operation of the Defense Acquisition System

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-08

United States Code (l) DoD Directive 8320.02, “Data Sharing in a Net-Centric Department of Defense,” December 2, 2004 (m) DoD Instruction 5200.39...2004 (t) ISO 15418-1999- “EAN/ UCC Application Identifiers and Fact Data Identifiers and Maintenance” (u) ISO 15434-1999 – “Transfer Syntax for High...Acquisition Knowledge Sharing System7 (y) Section 644 of title 15, United States Code, “Procurement strategies; contract bundling” (z) Public Law 101-576

An agile acquisition decision-support workbench for evaluating ISR effectiveness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stouch, Daniel W.; Champagne, Valerie; Mow, Christopher; Rosenberg, Brad; Serrin, Joshua

2011-06-01

The U.S. Air Force is consistently evolving to support current and future operations through the planning and execution of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. However, it is a challenge to maintain a precise awareness of current and emerging ISR capabilities to properly prepare for future conflicts. We present a decisionsupport tool for acquisition managers to empirically compare ISR capabilities and approaches to employing them, thereby enabling the DoD to acquire ISR platforms and sensors that provide the greatest return on investment. We have developed an analysis environment to perform modeling and simulation-based experiments to objectively compare alternatives. First, the analyst specifies an operational scenario for an area of operations by providing terrain and threat information; a set of nominated collections; sensor and platform capabilities; and processing, exploitation, and dissemination (PED) capacities. Next, the analyst selects and configures ISR collection strategies to generate collection plans. The analyst then defines customizable measures of effectiveness or performance to compute during the experiment. Finally, the analyst empirically compares the efficacy of each solution and generates concise reports to document their conclusions, providing traceable evidence for acquisition decisions. Our capability demonstrates the utility of using a workbench environment for analysts to design and run experiments. Crafting impartial metrics enables the acquisition manager to focus on evaluating solutions based on specific military needs. Finally, the metric and collection plan visualizations provide an intuitive understanding of the suitability of particular solutions. This facilitates a more agile acquisition strategy that handles rapidly changing technology in response to current military needs.

When climate change is a fact! Adaptive strategies for drinking water production in a changing natural environment.

PubMed

Meuleman, A F M; Cirkel, G; Zwolsman, G J J

2007-01-01

Climate change increases water system dynamics through temperature changes, changes in precipitation patterns, evaporation, and water quality and water storage in ice packs. Water system dependent economical stakeholders, such as drinking water companies in the Netherlands, have to cope with consequences of climate change, e.g. floods and water shortages in river systems, upcoming of brackish ground water, salt water intrusion, increasing peak demands and microbiological activity due to temperature rise. In the past decades, however, both water systems and drinking water production have become more and more inflexible; water systems have been heavily regulated aiming at maximum security and economic functions and the drinking water supply in the Netherlands has grown into an inflexible, but cheap and reliable, system. At a water catchment scale, flexibility and adaptation are solutions to overcome climate change related consequences. Flexible adaptive strategies for drinking water production comprise new sources for drinking water production, application of storage concepts in the short term, and a redesign of large centralized systems, including flexible treatment plants, in the long term. Transition to flexible concepts will take decades because investment depreciation periods of assets are long. These strategies must be based on thorough knowledge of current assets to seize opportunities for change.

25 CFR 151.4 - Acquisitions in trust of lands owned in fee by an Indian.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Acquisitions in trust of lands owned in fee by an Indian. 151.4 Section 151.4 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LAND ACQUISITIONS § 151.4 Acquisitions in trust of lands owned in fee by an Indian. Unrestricted land owned by an individual Indian or a tribe may be...

Decommissioning strategy for liquid low-level radioactive waste surface storage water reservoir.

PubMed

Utkin, S S; Linge, I I

2016-11-22

The Techa Cascade of water reservoirs (TCR) is one of the most environmentally challenging facilities resulted from FSUE "PA "Mayak" operations. Its reservoirs hold over 360 mln m 3 of liquid radioactive waste with a total activity of some 5 × 10 15 Bq. A set of actions implemented under a special State program involving the development of a strategic plan aimed at complete elimination of TCR challenges (Strategic Master-Plan for the Techa Cascade of water reservoirs) resulted in considerable reduction of potential hazards associated with this facility. The paper summarizes the key elements of this master-plan: defining TCR final state, feasibility study of the main strategies aimed at its attainment, evaluation of relevant long-term decommissioning strategy, development of computational tools enabling the long-term forecast of TCR behavior depending on various engineering solutions and different weather conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functional trait strategies of trees in dry and wet tropical forests are similar but differ in their consequences for succession.

PubMed

Lohbeck, Madelon; Lebrija-Trejos, Edwin; Martínez-Ramos, Miguel; Meave, Jorge A; Poorter, Lourens; Bongers, Frans

2014-01-01

Global plant trait studies have revealed fundamental trade-offs in plant resource economics. We evaluated such trait trade-offs during secondary succession in two species-rich tropical ecosystems that contrast in precipitation: dry deciduous and wet evergreen forests of Mexico. Species turnover with succession in dry forest largely relates to increasing water availability and in wet forest to decreasing light availability. We hypothesized that while functional trait trade-offs are similar in the two forest systems, the successful plant strategies in these communities will be different, as contrasting filters affect species turnover. Research was carried out in 15 dry secondary forest sites (5-63 years after abandonment) and in 17 wet secondary forest sites (<1-25 years after abandonment). We used 11 functional traits measured on 132 species to make species-trait PCA biplots for dry and wet forest and compare trait trade-offs. We evaluated whether multivariate plant strategies changed during succession, by calculating a 'Community-Weighted Mean' plant strategy, based on species scores on the first two PCA-axes. Trait spectra reflected two main trade-off axes that were similar for dry and wet forest species: acquisitive versus conservative species, and drought avoiding species versus evergreen species with large animal-dispersed seeds. These trait associations were consistent when accounting for evolutionary history. Successional changes in the most successful plant strategies reflected different functional trait spectra depending on the forest type. In dry forest the community changed from having drought avoiding strategies early in succession to increased abundance of evergreen strategies with larger seeds late in succession. In wet forest the community changed from species having mainly acquisitive strategies to those with more conservative strategies during succession. These strategy changes were explained by increasing water availability during dry forest

Functional Trait Strategies of Trees in Dry and Wet Tropical Forests Are Similar but Differ in Their Consequences for Succession

PubMed Central

Lohbeck, Madelon; Lebrija-Trejos, Edwin; Martínez-Ramos, Miguel; Meave, Jorge A.; Poorter, Lourens; Bongers, Frans

2015-01-01

Global plant trait studies have revealed fundamental trade-offs in plant resource economics. We evaluated such trait trade-offs during secondary succession in two species-rich tropical ecosystems that contrast in precipitation: dry deciduous and wet evergreen forests of Mexico. Species turnover with succession in dry forest largely relates to increasing water availability and in wet forest to decreasing light availability. We hypothesized that while functional trait trade-offs are similar in the two forest systems, the successful plant strategies in these communities will be different, as contrasting filters affect species turnover. Research was carried out in 15 dry secondary forest sites (5-63 years after abandonment) and in 17 wet secondary forest sites (<1-25 years after abandonment). We used 11 functional traits measured on 132 species to make species-trait PCA biplots for dry and wet forest and compare trait trade-offs. We evaluated whether multivariate plant strategies changed during succession, by calculating a ‘Community-Weighted Mean’ plant strategy, based on species scores on the first two PCA-axes. Trait spectra reflected two main trade-off axes that were similar for dry and wet forest species: acquisitive versus conservative species, and drought avoiding species versus evergreen species with large animal-dispersed seeds. These trait associations were consistent when accounting for evolutionary history. Successional changes in the most successful plant strategies reflected different functional trait spectra depending on the forest type. In dry forest the community changed from having drought avoiding strategies early in succession to increased abundance of evergreen strategies with larger seeds late in succession. In wet forest the community changed from species having mainly acquisitive strategies to those with more conservative strategies during succession. These strategy changes were explained by increasing water availability during dry forest

Yield and Water Productivity Responses to Irrigation Cut-off Strategies after Fruit Set Using Stem Water Potential Thresholds in a Super-High Density Olive Orchard

PubMed Central

Ahumada-Orellana, Luis E.; Ortega-Farías, Samuel; Searles, Peter S.; Retamales, Jorge B.

2017-01-01

An increase in the land area dedicated to super-high density olive orchards has occurred in Chile in recent years. Such modern orchards have high irrigation requirements, and optimizing water use is a priority. Moreover, this region presents low water availability, which makes necessary to establish irrigation strategies to improve water productivity. An experiment was conducted during four consecutive growing seasons (2010–2011 to 2013–2014) to evaluate the responses of yield and water productivity to irrigation cut-off strategies. These strategies were applied after fruit set using midday stem water potential (Ψstem) thresholds in a super-high density olive orchard (cv. Arbequina), located in the Pencahue Valley, Maule Region, Chile. The experimental design was completely randomized with four irrigation cut-off treatments based on the Ψstem thresholds and four replicate plots per treatment (five trees per plot). Similar to commercial growing conditions in our region, the Ψstem in the T1 treatment was maintained between -1.4 and -2.2 MPa (100% of actual evapotranspiration), while T2, T3 and T4 treatments did not receive irrigation from fruit set until they reached a Ψstem threshold of approximately -3.5, -5.0, and -6.0 MPa, respectively. Once the specific thresholds were reached, irrigation was restored and maintained as T1 in all treatments until fruits were harvested. Yield and its components were not significantly different between T1 and T2, but fruit yield and total oil yield, fruit weight, and fruit diameter were decreased by the T3 and T4 treatments. Moreover, yield showed a linear response with water stress integral (SΨ), which was strongly influenced by fruit load. Total oil content (%) and pulp/stone ratio were not affected by the different irrigation strategies. Also, fruit and oil water productivities were significantly greater in T1 and T2 than in the T3 and T4. Moreover, the T2, T3, and T4 treatments averaged 37, 51, and 72 days without

Development of an Interactive Computer-Based Learning Strategy to Assist in Teaching Water Quality Modelling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zigic, Sasha; Lemckert, Charles J.

2007-01-01

The following paper presents a computer-based learning strategy to assist in introducing and teaching water quality modelling to undergraduate civil engineering students. As part of the learning strategy, an interactive computer-based instructional (CBI) aid was specifically developed to assist students to set up, run and analyse the output from a…

Snowpack Estimates Improve Water Resources Climate-Change Adaptation Strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lestak, L.; Molotch, N. P.; Guan, B.; Granger, S. L.; Nemeth, S.; Rizzardo, D.; Gehrke, F.; Franz, K. J.; Karsten, L. R.; Margulis, S. A.; Case, K.; Anderson, M.; Painter, T. H.; Dozier, J.

2010-12-01

Observed climate trends over the past 50 years indicate a reduction in snowpack water storage across the Western U.S. As the primary water source for the region, the loss in snowpack water storage presents significant challenges for managing water deliveries to meet agricultural, municipal, and hydropower demands. Improved snowpack information via remote sensing shows promise for improving seasonal water supply forecasts and for informing decadal scale infrastructure planning. An ongoing project in the California Sierra Nevada and examples from the Rocky Mountains indicate the tractability of estimating snowpack water storage on daily time steps using a distributed snowpack reconstruction model. Fractional snow covered area (FSCA) derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite data were used with modeled snowmelt from the snowpack model to estimate snow water equivalent (SWE) in the Sierra Nevada (64,515 km2). Spatially distributed daily SWE estimates were calculated for 10 years, 2000-2009, with detailed analysis for two anamolous years, 2006, a wet year and 2009, an over-forecasted year. Sierra-wide mean SWE was 0.8 cm for 01 April 2006 versus 0.4 cm for 01 April 2009, comparing favorably with known outflow. Modeled SWE was compared to in-situ (observed) SWE for 01 April 2006 for the Feather (northern Sierra, lower-elevation) and Merced (central Sierra, higher-elevation) basins, with mean modeled SWE 80% of observed SWE. Integration of spatial SWE estimates into forecasting operations will allow for better visualization and analysis of high-altitude late-season snow missed by in-situ snow sensors and inter-annual anomalies associated with extreme precipitation events/atmospheric rivers. Collaborations with state and local entities establish protocols on how to meet current and future information needs and improve climate-change adaptation strategies.

Simulation of water removal process and optimization of aeration strategy in sewage sludge composting.

PubMed

Zhou, Hai-Bin; Chen, Tong-Bin; Gao, Ding; Zheng, Guo-Di; Chen, Jun; Pan, Tian-Hao; Liu, Hong-Tao; Gu, Run-Yao

2014-11-01

Reducing moisture in sewage sludge is one of the main goals of sewage sludge composting and biodrying. A mathematical model was used to simulate the performance of water removal under different aeration strategies. Additionally, the correlations between temperature, moisture content (MC), volatile solids (VS), oxygen content (OC), and ambient air temperature and aeration strategies were predicted. The mathematical model was verified based on coefficients of correlation between the measured and predicted results of over 0.80 for OC, MC, and VS, and 0.72 for temperature. The results of the simulation showed that water reduction was enhanced when the average aeration rate (AR) increased to 15.37 m(3) min(-1) (6/34 min/min, AR: 102.46 m(3) min(-1)), above which no further increase was observed. Furthermore, more water was removed under a higher on/off time of 7/33 (min/min, AR: 87.34 m(3) min(-1)), and when ambient air temperature was higher. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language, Culture and Cognition: A Collection of Studies in First and Second Language Acquisition. Multilingual Matters 69.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malave, Lilliam M., Ed.; Duquette, Georges, Ed.

Papers on language processing, culture, and language learning and teaching include: "A Theory of Intelligence as Semiosis: With a Couple of Comments on Interlanguage Development" (John W. Oller, Jr.); "Along the Way: Interlanguage Systems in Second Language Acquisition" (Larry Selinker); "Strategy and Tactics in Second Language Acquisition"…

Detection of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts in water: proposition of a strategy and evaluation in Champagne-Ardenne Region, France.

PubMed

Aubert, D; Villena, I

2009-03-01

Water is a vehicle for disseminating human and veterinary toxoplasmosis due to oocyst contamination. Several outbreaks of toxoplasmosis throughout the world have been related to contaminated drinking water. We have developed a method for the detection of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts in water and we propose a strategy for the detection of multiple waterborne parasites, including Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia. Water samples were filtered to recover Toxoplasma oocysts and, after the detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts by immunofluorescence, as recommended by French norm procedure NF T 90-455, the samples were purified on a sucrose density gradient. Detection of Toxoplasma was based on PCR amplification and mouse inoculation to determine the presence and infectivity of recovered oocysts. After experimental seeding assays, we determined that the PCR assay was more sensitive than the bioassay. This strategy was then applied to 482 environmental water samples collected since 2001. We detected Toxoplasma DNA in 37 environmental samples (7.7%), including public drinking water; however, none of them were positive by bioassay. This strategy efficiently detects Toxoplasma oocysts in water and may be suitable as a public health sentinel method. Alternative methods can be used in conjunction with this one to determine the infectivity of parasites that were detected by molecular methods.

Icy Soil Acquisition Device for the 2007 Phoenix Mars Lander

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chu, Philip; Wilson, Jack; Davis, Kiel; Shiraishi, Lori; Burke, Kevin

2008-01-01

The Icy Soil Acquisition Device is a first of its kind mechanism that is designed to acquire ice-bearing soil from the surface of the Martian polar region and transfer the samples to analytical instruments, playing a critical role in the potential discovery of existing water on Mars. The device incorporates a number of novel features that further the state of the art in spacecraft design for harsh environments, sample acquisition and handling, and high-speed low torque mechanism design.

Temperature influences on water permeability and chlorpyrifos uptake in aquatic insects with differing respiratory strategies.

PubMed

Buchwalter, David B; Jenkins, Jeffrey J; Curtis, Lawrence R

2003-11-01

Aquatic insects have evolved diverse respiratory strategies that range from breathing atmospheric air to breathing dissolved oxygen. These strategies result in vast morphological differences among taxa in terms of exchange epithelial surface areas that are in direct contact with the surrounding water that, in turn, affect physiological processes. This paper examines the effects of acute temperature shifts on water permeability and chlorpyrifos uptake in aquatic insects with different respiratory strategies. While considerable differences existed in water permeability among the species tested, acute temperature shifts raised water influx rates similarly in air-breathing and gill-bearing taxa. This contrasts significantly with temperature-shift effects on chlorpyrifos uptake. Temperature shifts of 4.5 degrees C increased 14C-chlorpyrifos accumulation rates in the gill-bearing mayfly Cinygma sp. and in the air-breathing hemipteran Sigara washingtonensis. However, the temperature-induced increase in 14C-chlorpyrifos uptake after 8 h of exposure was 2.75-fold higher in Cinygma than in Sigara. Uptake of 14C-chlorpyrifos was uniformly higher in Cinygma than in Sigara in all experiments. These findings suggest that organisms with relatively large exchange epithelial surface areas are potentially more vulnerable to both osmoregulatory distress as well as contaminant accumulation. Temperature increases appear more likely to impact organisms that have relatively large exchange epithelial surface areas, both as an individual stressor and in combination with additional stressors such as contaminants.

Can Newts Cope with the Heat? Disparate Thermoregulatory Strategies of Two Sympatric Species in Water

PubMed Central

Balogová, Monika; Gvoždík, Lumír

2015-01-01

Many ectotherms effectively reduce their exposure to low or high environmental temperatures using behavioral thermoregulation. In terrestrial ectotherms, thermoregulatory strategies range from accurate thermoregulation to thermoconformity according to the costs and limits of thermoregulation, while in aquatic taxa the quantification of behavioral thermoregulation have received limited attention. We examined thermoregulation in two sympatric newt species, Ichthyosaura alpestris and Lissotriton vulgaris, exposed to elevated water temperatures under semi-natural conditions. According to a recent theory, we predicted that species for which elevated water temperatures pose a lower thermal quality habitat, would thermoregulate more effectively than species in thermally benign conditions. In the laboratory thermal gradient, L. vulgaris maintained higher body temperatures than I. alpestris. Semi-natural thermal conditions provided better thermal quality of habitat for L. vulgaris than for I. alpestris. Thermoregulatory indices indicated that I. alpestris actively thermoregulated its body temperature, whereas L. vulgaris remained passive to the thermal heterogeneity of aquatic environment. In the face of elevated water temperatures, sympatric newt species employed disparate thermoregulatory strategies according to the species-specific quality of the thermal habitat. Both strategies reduced newt exposure to suboptimal water temperatures with the same accuracy but with or without the costs of thermoregulation. The quantification of behavioral thermoregulation proves to be an important conceptual and methodological tool for thermal ecology studies not only in terrestrial but also in aquatic ectotherms. PMID:25993482

Temperature influences on water permeability and chlorpyrifos uptake in aquatic insects with differing respiratory strategies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buchwalter, D.B.; Jenkins, J.J.; Curtis, L.R.

2003-01-01

Aquatic insects have evolved diverse respiratory strategies that range from breathing atmospheric air to breathing dissolved oxygen. These strategies result in vast morphological differences among taxa in terms of exchange epithelial surface areas that are in direct contact with the surrounding water that, in turn, affect physiological processes. This paper examines the effects of acute temperature shifts on water permeability and chlorpyrifos uptake in aquatic insects with different respiratory strategies. While considerable differences existed in water permeability among the species tested, acute temperature shifts raised water influx rates similarly in air-breathing and gill-bearing taxa. This contrasts significantly with temperature-shift effects on chlorpyrifos uptake. Temperature shifts of 4.5??C increased 14C-chlorpyrifos accumulation rates in the gill-bearing mayfly Cinygma sp. and in the air-breathing hemipteran Sigara washingtonensis. However, the temperature-induced increase in 14C-chlorpyrifos uptake after 8 h of exposure was 2.75-fold higher in Cinygma than in Sigara. Uptake of 14C-chlorpyrifos was uniformly higher in Cinygma than in Sigara in all experiments. These findings suggest that organisms with relatively large exchange epithelial surface areas are potentially more vulnerable to both osmoregulatory distress as well as contaminant accumulation. Temperature increases appear more likely to impact organisms that have relatively large exchange epithelial surface areas, both as an individual stressor and in combination with additional stressors such as contaminants.

Water Awareness Strategy for Sinaloa State, Mexico, as a Tool to Mitigate the Imbalance of Nature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torrecillas Nunez, C.; Miguel-Rodriguez, A.

2013-05-01

Agriculture is extremely important to Sinaloa contributing 32.31% of the value of all national agricultural production, while the state occupies only 2.9% of the Mexico's area. However it has caused an imbalance in nature due to the low efficiency of irrigation being 49% and using 93% of the surface waters of the region, hence the importance of promoting water awareness. The Water Awareness Strategy for Sinaloa (PLECASIN) 2013- 2015 is a product of the workshop held with water advisers representing 14 utilities, and sponsored by CEAPAS and CONAGUA to address water resources issues in the state, low dam levels and the high level of non-payment, through involving society in the management of water resources. The workshop established strategies to achieve the objective of the National Water Awareness Program (PCA): "Contribute to strengthening the participation of users, organized society and citizens in water management and promote the culture of its good use, through consultation and promotion of cultural and educational activities in coordination with the states, to promote the importance of water resources in social welfare, economic development and the preservation of the ecological wealth, to achieve development sustainable of the nation". PLECASIN was developed using the methodology of strategic planning, beginning with a diagnosis of PCA and the development of strategies pertinent to the current environment in Sinaloa. Activities in the workshop included: defining the vision, mission and objectives, stakeholder analysis, SWOT Matrix, and finally the development of the Logical Framework Analysis Matrix. In addition, the workshop applied the PEEAES tools, using primarily the book of the 5 Waters and application of innovative technologies. The Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa designed and implemented an Environmental Education Strategy (PEEAES) to foster an environmental awareness through non-formal educational process and includes: a mobile environmental

Cognitive learning strategies: their effectiveness in acquiring racquetball skill.

PubMed

Tennant, L M

2000-06-01

Racquetball players were compared to assess whether a Self-directed strategy (self-monitoring), a Task-oriented strategy (attentional focusing), or a Combined use of both strategies would be beneficial in acquisition of racquetball skills. According to skill (Beginning, Advanced), players (N=80) were assigned into treatment groups. After treatment, participants executed diagonal lob serves and rallies for Acquisition and Retention phases (Session 1). During Session 2, subjects competed in a modified play setting (Transfer phase). Analysis of variance with repeated measures showed differences by skill during the basic tests favored Advanced players. During modified play, the Task-oriented group won significantly more points and games compared to the Self-directed and Control groups, regardless of skill. Results are discussed relative to skill and the literature on learning strategies.

Information acquisition and behavioral change: a social marketing application.

PubMed

Golden, L L; Johnson, K

1991-01-01

Previous literature provides insight into the importance of beliefs and other intrapersonal variables for health-related information acquisition and behavioral change. The results of an empirical investigation evidence the unique strength of the role of core health beliefs for each of the multi-level measures. Directions for the development of effective marketing strategy are discussed.

76 FR 44280 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Simplified Acquisition Threshold for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-25

...-AH29 Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Simplified Acquisition Threshold for.... 2302(7) to invoke a simplified acquisition threshold that is two times the amount specified at 41 U.S.C... acquisition threshold is $150,000 as specified in Federal Acquisition Regulation 2.101. DATES: Effective Date...

Evaluating Monitoring Strategies to Detect Precipitation-Induced Microbial Contamination Events in Karstic Springs Used for Drinking Water

PubMed Central

Besmer, Michael D.; Hammes, Frederik; Sigrist, Jürg A.; Ort, Christoph

2017-01-01

Monitoring of microbial drinking water quality is a key component for ensuring safety and understanding risk, but conventional monitoring strategies are typically based on low sampling frequencies (e.g., quarterly or monthly). This is of concern because many drinking water sources, such as karstic springs are often subject to changes in bacterial concentrations on much shorter time scales (e.g., hours to days), for example after precipitation events. Microbial contamination events are crucial from a risk assessment perspective and should therefore be targeted by monitoring strategies to establish both the frequency of their occurrence and the magnitude of bacterial peak concentrations. In this study we used monitoring data from two specific karstic springs. We assessed the performance of conventional monitoring based on historical records and tested a number of alternative strategies based on a high-resolution data set of bacterial concentrations in spring water collected with online flow cytometry (FCM). We quantified the effect of increasing sampling frequency and found that for the specific case studied, at least bi-weekly sampling would be needed to detect precipitation events with a probability of >90%. We then proposed an optimized monitoring strategy with three targeted samples per event, triggered by precipitation measurements. This approach is more effective and efficient than simply increasing overall sampling frequency. It would enable the water utility to (1) analyze any relevant event and (2) limit median underestimation of peak concentrations to approximately 10%. We conclude with a generalized perspective on sampling optimization and argue that the assessment of short-term dynamics causing microbial peak loads initially requires increased sampling/analysis efforts, but can be optimized subsequently to account for limited resources. This offers water utilities and public health authorities systematic ways to evaluate and optimize their current

Evaluating Monitoring Strategies to Detect Precipitation-Induced Microbial Contamination Events in Karstic Springs Used for Drinking Water.

PubMed

Besmer, Michael D; Hammes, Frederik; Sigrist, Jürg A; Ort, Christoph

2017-01-01

Monitoring of microbial drinking water quality is a key component for ensuring safety and understanding risk, but conventional monitoring strategies are typically based on low sampling frequencies (e.g., quarterly or monthly). This is of concern because many drinking water sources, such as karstic springs are often subject to changes in bacterial concentrations on much shorter time scales (e.g., hours to days), for example after precipitation events. Microbial contamination events are crucial from a risk assessment perspective and should therefore be targeted by monitoring strategies to establish both the frequency of their occurrence and the magnitude of bacterial peak concentrations. In this study we used monitoring data from two specific karstic springs. We assessed the performance of conventional monitoring based on historical records and tested a number of alternative strategies based on a high-resolution data set of bacterial concentrations in spring water collected with online flow cytometry (FCM). We quantified the effect of increasing sampling frequency and found that for the specific case studied, at least bi-weekly sampling would be needed to detect precipitation events with a probability of >90%. We then proposed an optimized monitoring strategy with three targeted samples per event, triggered by precipitation measurements. This approach is more effective and efficient than simply increasing overall sampling frequency. It would enable the water utility to (1) analyze any relevant event and (2) limit median underestimation of peak concentrations to approximately 10%. We conclude with a generalized perspective on sampling optimization and argue that the assessment of short-term dynamics causing microbial peak loads initially requires increased sampling/analysis efforts, but can be optimized subsequently to account for limited resources. This offers water utilities and public health authorities systematic ways to evaluate and optimize their current

Western and Clark's grebes use novel strategies for running on water.

PubMed

Clifton, Glenna T; Hedrick, Tyson L; Biewener, Andrew A

2015-04-15

Few vertebrates run on water. The largest animals to accomplish this feat are western and Clark's grebes (Aechmophorus occidentalis and Aechmophorus clarkii). These birds use water running to secure a mate during a display called rushing. Grebes weigh an order of magnitude more than the next largest water runners, basilisk lizards (Basilicus basiliscus), and therefore face a greater challenge to support their body weight. How do these birds produce the hydrodynamic forces necessary to overcome gravity and sustain rushing? We present the first quantitative study of water running by grebes. High-speed video recordings elucidate the hindlimb movements of grebes rushing in the wild. We complement these findings with laboratory experiments using physical models and a preserved grebe foot to estimate how slapping the water surface contributes to weight support. Our results indicate that grebes use three novel tactics to successfully run on water. First, rushing grebes use exceptionally high stride rates, reaching 10 Hz. Second, grebe foot size and high water impact speed allow grebes to generate up to 30-55% of the required weight support through water slap alone. Finally, flattened foot bones reduce downward drag, permitting grebes to retract each foot from the water laterally. Together, these mechanisms outline a water-running strategy qualitatively different from that of the only previously studied water runner, the basilisk lizard. The hydrodynamic specializations of rushing grebes could inform the design of biomimetic appendages. Furthermore, the mechanisms underlying this impressive display demonstrate that evolution can dramatically alter performance under sexual selection. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

A holistic view of nitrogen acquisition in plants.

PubMed

Kraiser, Tatiana; Gras, Diana E; Gutiérrez, Alvaro G; González, Bernardo; Gutiérrez, Rodrigo A

2011-02-01

Nitrogen (N) is the mineral nutrient required in the greatest amount and its availability is a major factor limiting growth and development of plants. As sessile organisms, plants have evolved different strategies to adapt to changes in the availability and distribution of N in soils. These strategies include mechanisms that act at different levels of biological organization from the molecular to the ecosystem level. At the molecular level, plants can adjust their capacity to acquire different forms of N in a range of concentrations by modulating the expression and function of genes in different N uptake systems. Modulation of plant growth and development, most notably changes in the root system architecture, can also greatly impact plant N acquisition in the soil. At the organism and ecosystem levels, plants establish associations with diverse microorganisms to ensure adequate nutrition and N supply. These different adaptive mechanisms have been traditionally discussed separately in the literature. To understand plant N nutrition in the environment, an integrated view of all pathways contributing to plant N acquisition is required. Towards this goal, in this review the different mechanisms that plants utilize to maintain an adequate N supply are summarized and integrated.

A holistic view of nitrogen acquisition in plants

PubMed Central

Kraiser, Tatiana; Gras, Diana E.; Gutiérrez, Alvaro G.; González, Bernardo; Gutiérrez, Rodrigo A.

2011-01-01

Nitrogen (N) is the mineral nutrient required in the greatest amount and its availability is a major factor limiting growth and development of plants. As sessile organisms, plants have evolved different strategies to adapt to changes in the availability and distribution of N in soils. These strategies include mechanisms that act at different levels of biological organization from the molecular to the ecosystem level. At the molecular level, plants can adjust their capacity to acquire different forms of N in a range of concentrations by modulating the expression and function of genes in different N uptake systems. Modulation of plant growth and development, most notably changes in the root system architecture, can also greatly impact plant N acquisition in the soil. At the organism and ecosystem levels, plants establish associations with diverse microorganisms to ensure adequate nutrition and N supply. These different adaptive mechanisms have been traditionally discussed separately in the literature. To understand plant N nutrition in the environment, an integrated view of all pathways contributing to plant N acquisition is required. Towards this goal, in this review the different mechanisms that plants utilize to maintain an adequate N supply are summarized and integrated. PMID:21239377

77 FR 19661 - Draft National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-02

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA-HQ-OW-2011-0943; FRL-9655-1] Draft National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments. SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is publishing...

Commonality in Military Equipment. A Framework to Improve Acquisition Decisions

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

Improving Acquisition Decisions Chopra, Sunil , and Peter Meindl, Supply Chain Management : Strategy, Planning, Operation, Upper Saddle River, N.J...Personnel Costs in Managing Suppliers and Ordering Parts. The effort to perform these activities may be reduced and simplified through a smaller supply ...a Combined MOS on Mechanic Supply Variability

Multi-criteria decision assessments using Subjective Logic: Methodology and the case of urban water strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moglia, Magnus; Sharma, Ashok K.; Maheepala, Shiroma

2012-07-01

SummaryPlanning of regional and urban water resources, and in particular with Integrated Urban Water Management approaches, often considers inter-relationships between human uses of water, the health of the natural environment as well as the cost of various management strategies. Decision makers hence typically need to consider a combination of social, environmental and economic goals. The types of strategies employed can include water efficiency measures, water sensitive urban design, stormwater management, or catchment management. Therefore, decision makers need to choose between different scenarios and to evaluate them against a number of criteria. This type of problem has a discipline devoted to it, i.e. Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis, which has often been applied in water management contexts. This paper describes the application of Subjective Logic in a basic Bayesian Network to a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis problem. By doing this, it outlines a novel methodology that explicitly incorporates uncertainty and information reliability. The application of the methodology to a known case study context allows for exploration. By making uncertainty and reliability of assessments explicit, it allows for assessing risks of various options, and this may help in alleviating cognitive biases and move towards a well formulated risk management policy.

Implications of land disturbance on drinking water treatability in a changing climate: demonstrating the need for "source water supply and protection" strategies.

PubMed

Emelko, Monica B; Silins, Uldis; Bladon, Kevin D; Stone, Micheal

2011-01-01

Forests form the critical source water areas for downstream drinking water supplies in many parts of the world, including the Rocky Mountain regions of North America. Large scale natural disturbances from wildfire and severe insect infestation are more likely because of warming climate and can significantly impact water quality downstream of forested headwaters regions. To investigate potential implications of changing climate and wildfire on drinking water treatment, the 2003 Lost Creek Wildfire in Alberta, Canada was studied. Four years of comprehensive hydrology and water quality data from seven watersheds were evaluated and synthesized to assess the implications of wildfire and post-fire intervention (salvage-logging) on downstream drinking water treatment. The 95th percentile turbidity and DOC remained low in streams draining unburned watersheds (5.1 NTU, 3.8 mg/L), even during periods of potential treatment challenge (e.g., stormflows, spring freshet); in contrast, they were elevated in streams draining burned (15.3 NTU, 4.6 mg/L) and salvage-logged (18.8 NTU, 9.9 mg/L) watersheds. Persistent increases in these parameters and observed increases in other contaminants such as nutrients, heavy metals, and chlorophyll-a in discharge from burned and salvage-logged watersheds present important economic and operational challenges for water treatment; most notably, a potential increased dependence on solids and DOC removal processes. Many traditional source water protection strategies would fail to adequately identify and evaluate many of the significant wildfire- and post-fire management-associated implications to drinking water "treatability"; accordingly, it is proposed that "source water supply and protection strategies" should be developed to consider a suppliers' ability to provide adequate quantities of potable water to meet demand by addressing all aspects of drinking water "supply" (i.e., quantity, timing of availability, and quality) and their relationship

Click strategy using disodium salts of amino acids improves the water solubility of plinabulin and KPU-300.

PubMed

Yakushiji, Fumika; Muguruma, Kyohei; Hayashi, Yoshiki; Shirasaka, Takuya; Kawamata, Ryosuke; Tanaka, Hironari; Yoshiwaka, Yushi; Taguchi, Akihiro; Takayama, Kentaro; Hayashi, Yoshio

2017-07-15

Plinabulin and KPU-300 are promising anti-microtubule agents; however, the low water solubility of these compounds (<0.1µg/mL) has limited their pharmaceutical advantages. Here, we developed five water-soluble derivatives of plinabulin and KPU-300 with a click strategy using disodium salts of amino acids. The mother skeleton, diketopiperazine (DKP), was transformed into a monolactim-type alkyne and a copper-catalyzed alkyne azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) combined azides that was derived from amino acids as a water-solubilizing moiety. The conversion of carboxyl groups into disodium salts greatly improved the water solubility by 0.8 million times compared to the solubility of the parent molecules. In addition, the α-amino acid side chains of the water-solubilizing moieties affected both the water solubility and the half-lives of the compounds during enzymatic hydrolysis. Our effort to develop a variety of water-soluble derivatives using the click strategy has revealed that the replaceable water-solubilizing moieties can alter molecular solubility and stability under enzymatic hydrolysis. With this flexibility, we are approaching to the in vivo study using water-soluble derivative. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Generalized serial search code acquisition - The equivalent circular state diagram approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Polydoros, A.; Simon, M. K.

1984-01-01

A transform-domain method for deriving the generating function of the acquisition process resulting from an arbitrary serial search strategy is presented. The method relies on equivalent circular state diagrams, uses Mason's formula from flow-graph theory, and employs a minimum number of required parameters. The transform-domain approach is briefly described and the concept of equivalent circular state diagrams is introduced and exploited to derive the generating function and resulting mean acquisition time for three particular cases of interest, the continuous/center Z search, the broken/center Z search, and the expanding window search. An optimization of the latter technique is performed whereby the number of partial windows which minimizes the mean acquisition time is determined. The numerical results satisfy certain intuitive predictions and provide useful design guidelines for such systems.

Vocabulary Acquisition through Direct and Indirect Learning Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naeimi, Maki; Foo, Thomas Chow Voon

2015-01-01

Vocabulary learning has long been considered as one of the essential components for developing language learning. However, language learners are required to not just concern about memorizing definitions but also integrating vocabulary meaning into their present knowledge. Many strategies such as direct or indirect ones may be integrated to enhance…

Oral formulation strategies to improve solubility of poorly water-soluble drugs.

PubMed

Singh, Abhishek; Worku, Zelalem Ayenew; Van den Mooter, Guy

2011-10-01

In the past two decades, there has been a spiraling increase in the complexity and specificity of drug-receptor targets. It is possible to design drugs for these diverse targets with advances in combinatorial chemistry and high throughput screening. Unfortunately, but not entirely unexpectedly, these advances have been accompanied by an increase in the structural complexity and a decrease in the solubility of the active pharmaceutical ingredient. Therefore, the importance of formulation strategies to improve the solubility of poorly water-soluble drugs is inevitable, thus making it crucial to understand and explore the recent trends. Drug delivery systems (DDS), such as solid dispersions, soluble complexes, self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS), nanocrystals and mesoporous inorganic carriers, are discussed briefly in this review, along with examples of marketed products. This article provides the reader with a concise overview of currently relevant formulation strategies and proposes anticipated future trends. Today, the pharmaceutical industry has at its disposal a series of reliable and scalable formulation strategies for poorly soluble drugs. However, due to a lack of understanding of the basic physical chemistry behind these strategies, formulation development is still driven by trial and error.

Deepwater seismic acquisition technology

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

Caldwell, J.

1996-09-01

Although truly new technology is not required for successful acquisition of seismic data in deep Gulf of Mexico waters, it is helpful to review some basic aspects of these seismic surveys. Additionally, such surveys are likely to see early use of some emerging new technology which can improve data quality. Because such items as depth imaging, borehole seismic, 4-D and marine 3-component recording were mentioned in the May 1996 issue of World Oil, they are not discussed again here. However, these technologies will also play some role in the deepwater seismic activities. What is covered in this paper are somemore » new considerations for: (1) longer data records needed in deeper water, (2) some pros and cons of very long steamer use, and (3) two new commercial systems for quantifying data quality.« less

Children's Interaction and Lexical Acquisition in Text-Based Online Chat

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coyle, Yvette; Reverte Prieto, Maria José

2017-01-01

This is an empirical study in which we explore child foreign language learners' interactional strategy use, uptake, and lexical acquisition in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC). The study was carried out with 16 10-year-old Spanish English as a foreign language learners paired with age- and proficiency-matched English native…

Analysis of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Host Computer Acquisition Process and Potential Application in Department of Defense Acquisitions

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-09-01

defense programs lost far more to inefficient procedures than to fraud and dishonesty * (President’s Commission, l986c:15). Based on the Commission...recommendations from current studies, lessons learned from a successful program, and DOD expert opinions to develop an acquisition management strategy that...established for the alternative(s) selected in the preceding phase. 5. In the concept demonstration/validation phase the technical risk and economic

Improving Recall Using Database Management Systems: A Learning Strategy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jonassen, David H.

1986-01-01

Describes the use of microcomputer database management systems to facilitate the instructional uses of learning strategies relating to information processing skills, especially recall. Two learning strategies, cross-classification matrixing and node acquisition and integration, are highlighted. (Author/LRW)

Using high frequency water quality data to assess sampling strategies for the EU Water Framework Directive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skeffington, R. A.; Halliday, S. J.; Wade, A. J.; Bowes, M. J.; Loewenthal, M.

2015-01-01

The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires that the ecological and chemical status of water bodies in Europe should be assessed, and action taken where possible to ensure that at least "good" quality is attained in each case by 2015. This paper is concerned with the accuracy and precision with which chemical status in rivers can be measured given certain sampling strategies, and how this can be improved. High frequency (hourly) chemical data from four rivers in southern England were subsampled to simulate different sampling strategies for four parameters used for WFD classification: dissolved phosphorus, dissolved oxygen, pH and water temperature. These data sub-sets were then used to calculate the WFD classification for each site. Monthly sampling was less precise than weekly sampling, but the effect on WFD classification depended on the closeness of the range of concentrations to the class boundaries. In some cases, monthly sampling for a year could result in the same water body being assigned to one of 3 or 4 WFD classes with 95% confidence, whereas with weekly sampling this was 1 or 2 classes for the same cases. In the most extreme case, random sampling effects could result in the same water body being assigned to any of the 5 WFD quality classes. The width of the weekly sampled confidence intervals was about 33% that of the monthly for P species and pH, about 50% for dissolved oxygen, and about 67% for water temperature. For water temperature, which is assessed as the 98th percentile in the UK, monthly sampling biases the mean downwards by about 1 °C compared to the true value, due to problems of assessing high percentiles with limited data. Confining sampling to the working week compared to all seven days made little difference, but a modest improvement in precision could be obtained by sampling at the same time of day within a 3 h time window, and this is recommended. For parameters with a strong diel variation, such as dissolved oxygen, the value

ICT Solutions for Highly-Customized Water Demand Management Strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giuliani, M.; Cominola, A.; Castelletti, A.; Fraternali, P.; Guardiola, J.; Barba, J.; Pulido-Velazquez, M.; Rizzoli, A. E.

2016-12-01

The recent deployment of smart metering networks is opening new opportunities for advancing the design of residential water demand management strategies (WDMS) relying on improved understanding of water consumers' behaviors. Recent applications showed that retrieving information on users' consumption behaviors, along with their explanatory and/or causal factors, is key to spot potential areas where targeting water saving efforts, and to design user-tailored WDMS. In this study, we explore the potential of ICT-based solutions in supporting the design and implementation of highly customized WDMS. On one side, the collection of consumption data at high spatial and temporal resolutions requires big data analytics and machine learning techniques to extract typical consumption features from the metered population of water users. On the other side, ICT solutions and gamifications can be used as effective means for facilitating both users' engagement and the collection of socio-psychographic users' information. This latter allows interpreting and improving the extracted profiles, ultimately supporting the customization of WDMS, such as awareness campaigns or personalized recommendations. Our approach is implemented in the SmartH2O platform and demonstrated in a pilot application in Valencia, Spain. Results show how the analysis of the smart metered consumption data, combined with the information retrieved from an ICT gamified web user portal, successfully identify the typical consumption profiles of the metered users and supports the design of alternative WDMS targeting the different users' profiles.

Mergers and acquisitions: some implications of cultural change.

PubMed

Cavanaugh, S J

1996-01-01

A result of recent National Health Service reforms is the need to investigate, and possibly change, the culture of the professional working relationship between members of staff and their employer. This is particularly the case in situations of mergers and acquisitions where staff working from different cultural environments must work together. Mergers are becoming a feature of health service provision, perhaps this becomes most obvious with the recent moves by colleges of nursing and midwifery into the higher education sector and amalgamations of some purchasing authorities. Mergers highlight the practical issues of bringing together different organizational and work cultures to deliver a high quality service. This article discusses some aspects of the nature of organizational culture, the human impact of mergers and acquisitions and offers strategies for managing these events.

Strategies to diagnose and control microbial souring in natural gas storage reservoirs and produced water systems

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

Morris, E.A.; Derr, R.M.; Pope, D.H.

1995-12-31

Hydrogen sulfide production (souring) in natural gas storage reservoirs and produced water systems is a safety and environmental problem that can lead to operational shutdown when local hydrogen sulfide standards are exceeded. Systems affected by microbial souring have historically been treated using biocides that target the general microbial community. However, requirements for more environmentally friendly solutions have led to treatment strategies in which sulfide production can be controlled with minimal impact to the system and environment. Some of these strategies are based on microbial and/or nutritional augmentation of the sour environment. Through research sponsored by the Gas Research Institute (GRI)more » in Chicago, Illinois, methods have been developed for early detection of microbial souring in natural gas storage reservoirs, and a variety of mitigation strategies have been evaluated. The effectiveness of traditional biocide treatment in gas storage reservoirs was shown to depend heavily on the methods by which the chemical is applied. An innovative strategy using nitrate was tested and proved ideal for produced water and wastewater systems. Another strategy using elemental iodine was effective for sulfide control in evaporation ponds and is currently being tested in microbially sour natural gas storage wells.« less

Formulas in First and Second Language Acquisition. Papers and Reports on Child Language Development, No. 18.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vihman, Marilyn May

The use of formulaic speech is seen as a learning strategy in children's first language (L1) acquisition to a limited extent, and to an even greater extent in their second language (L2) acquisition. While the first utterances of the child learning L1 are mostly one-word constructions, many of them are routine words or phrases that the child learns…

Supramolecular control of transition metal complexes in water by a hydrophobic cavity: a bio-inspired strategy.

PubMed

Bistri, Olivia; Reinaud, Olivia

2015-03-14

Supramolecular chemistry in water is a very challenging research area. In biology, water is the universal solvent where transition metal ions play major roles in molecular recognition and catalysis. In enzymes, it participates in substrate binding and/or activation in the heart of a pocket defined by the folded protein. The association of a hydrophobic cavity with a transition metal ion is thus a very appealing strategy for controlling the metal ion properties in the very competitive water solvent. Various systems based on intrinsically water-soluble macrocyclic structures such as cyclodextrins, cucurbituryls, and metallo-cages have been reported. Others use calixarenes and resorcinarenes functionalized with hydrophilic substituents. One approach for connecting a metal complex to these cavities is to graft a ligand for metal ion binding at their edge. Early work with cyclodextrins has shown Michaelis-Menten like catalysis displaying enhanced kinetics and substrate-selectivity. Remarkable examples of regio- and stereo-selective transformation of substrates have been reported as well. Dynamic two-phase systems for transition metal catalysis have also been developed. They rely on either water-transfer of the metal complex through ligand embedment or synergistic coordination of a metal ion and substrate hosting. Another strategy consists in using metallo-cages, which provide a well-defined hydrophobic space, to stabilize metal complexes in water. When the cages can host simultaneously a substrate and a reactive metal complex, size- and regio-selective catalysis was obtained. Finally, construction of a polydentate coordination site closely interlocked with a calixarene or resorcinarene macrocycle has been shown to be a very fruitful strategy for obtaining metal complexes with remarkable hosting properties. For each of these systems, the synergism resulting from the biomimetic association of a hydrophobic cavity and a metal ion is discussed within the objective of

Automatic acquisition of domain and procedural knowledge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferber, H. J.; Ali, M.

1988-01-01

The design concept and performance of AKAS, an automated knowledge-acquisition system for the development of expert systems, are discussed. AKAS was developed using the FLES knowledge base for the electrical system of the B-737 aircraft and employs a 'learn by being told' strategy. The system comprises four basic modules, a system administration module, a natural-language concept-comprehension module, a knowledge-classification/extraction module, and a knowledge-incorporation module; details of the module architectures are explored.

Development of a resource protection and waste strategy for water use by the agricultural sector.

PubMed

Ligthelm, M E; Ranwedzi, R; Morokane, M; Senne, M

2007-01-01

The South African Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) has started developing a strategy to regulate activities and water uses by the agricultural sector that could impact on the water resource quality. The aim would not be to over-regulate the sector, but to protect the water resource where necessary. Most of these activities constitute diffuse sources of potential pollution. The strategic process will start with investigative discussions with major stakeholders and determining the strategic context and current situation. The latter will consist of a detailed literature and stakeholder survey, and an evaluation of existing agricultural activities. The next steps of determining a vision and the setting of strategic objectives will be done with active participation by the major players. An action plan will be developed to achieve the set objectives. Important components of the strategy will be to: classify activities according to their risk to the water resource, taking into account the sensitivity of the water resource; set regulatory measures in accordance with the risk posed by the activity (measures could include the promulgation of regulations, general authorisations and/or issuing of licenses); harmonise and link the process with existing relevant processes and guidelines within DWAF and other government departments; review existing guidelines; sign agreements with relevant government departments and the agricultural sector; and provide training, built capacity and raise awareness during and after the process.

75 FR 51416 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Acquisition of Commercial Items

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-20

... be used for the acquisition of commercial items, and revised the language to address the conditions... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Defense Acquisition Regulations System 48 CFR Parts 202, 212, and 234 [DFARS Case 2008-D011] Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Acquisition of Commercial Items...

A Teacher’s Guide for Using Learning Strategies in English-as-a-Second- Language Instruction

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-11-01

learner strategies used in the acquisition of English as a second language (ESL). The Teacher’s Guide demonstrates for ESL...strategies to apply to a wide range of language learning tasks are far more likely to be effective language learners . The language lessons in this section...skills in the acquisition of English as a second language (ESL). This study completed a review of the literature on learning strategies in

Tracking and forecasting the Nation’s water quality - Priorities and strategies for 2013-2023

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rowe, Gary L.; Gilliom, Robert J.; Woodside, Michael D.

2013-01-01

Water-quality issues facing the Nation are growing in number and complexity, and solutions are becoming more challenging and costly. Key factors that affect the quality of our drinking water supplies and ecosystem health include contaminants of human and natural origin in streams and groundwater; excess nutrients and sediment; alteration of natural streamflow; eutrophication of lakes, reservoirs, and coastal estuaries; and changes in surface and groundwater quality associated with changes in climate, land and water use, and management practices. Tracking and forecasting the Nation's water quality in the face of these and other pressing water-quality issues are important goals for 2013-2023, the third decade of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. In consultation with stakeholders and the National Research Council, a new strategic Science Plan has been developed that describes a strategy for building upon and enhancing assessment of the Nation's freshwater quality and aquatic ecosystems. The plan continues strategies that have been central to the NAWQA program's long-term success, but it also makes adjustments to the monitoring and modeling approaches NAWQA will use to address critical data and science information needs identified by stakeholders. This fact sheet describes surface-water and groundwater monitoring and modeling activities that will start in fiscal year 2013. It also provides examples of the types of data and information products planned for the next decade, including (1) restored monitoring for reliable and timely status and trend assessments, (2) maps and models that show the distribution of selected contaminants (such as atrazine, nitrate, and arsenic) in streams and aquifers, and (3) Web-based modeling tools that allow managers to evaluate how water quality may change in response to different scenarios of population growth, climate change, or land-use management.

Nanotechnology-based water treatment strategies.

PubMed

Kumar, Sandeep; Ahlawat, Wandit; Bhanjana, Gaurav; Heydarifard, Solmaz; Nazhad, Mousa M; Dilbaghi, Neeraj

2014-02-01

The most important component for living beings on the earth is access to clean and safe drinking water. Globally, water scarcity is pervasive even in water-rich areas as immense pressure has been created by the burgeoning human population, industrialization, civilization, environmental changes and agricultural activities. The problem of access to safe water is inevitable and requires tremendous research to devise new, cheaper technologies for purification of water, while taking into account energy requirements and environmental impact. This review highlights nanotechnology-based water treatment technologies being developed and used to improve desalination of sea and brackish water, safe reuse of wastewater, disinfection and decontamination of water, i.e., biosorption and nanoadsorption for contaminant removal, nanophotocatalysis for chemical degradation of contaminants, nanosensors for contaminant detection, different membrane technologies including reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration, electro-dialysis etc. This review also deals with the fate and transport of engineered nanomaterials in water and wastewater treatment systems along with the risks associated with nanomaterials.

Use of a priori statistics to minimize acquisition time for RFI immune spread spectrum systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holmes, J. K.; Woo, K. T.

1978-01-01

The optimum acquisition sweep strategy was determined for a PN code despreader when the a priori probability density function was not uniform. A psuedo noise spread spectrum system was considered which could be utilized in the DSN to combat radio frequency interference. In a sample case, when the a priori probability density function was Gaussian, the acquisition time was reduced by about 41% compared to a uniform sweep approach.

Effects of two retraining strategies on nursing students' acquisition and retention of BLS/AED skills: A cluster randomised trial.

PubMed

Hernández-Padilla, José Manuel; Suthers, Fiona; Granero-Molina, José; Fernández-Sola, Cayetano

2015-08-01

To determine and compare the effects of two different retraining strategies on nursing students' acquisition and retention of BLS/AED skills. Nursing students (N = 177) from two European universities were randomly assigned to either an instructor-directed (IDG) or a student-directed (SDG) 4-h retraining session in BLS/AED. A multiple-choice questionnaire, the Cardiff Test, Laerdal SkillReporter(®) software and a self-efficacy scale were used to assess students' overall competency (knowledge, psychomotor skills and self-efficacy) in BLS/AED at pre-test, post-test and 3-month retention-test. GEE, chi-squared and McNemar tests were performed to examine statistical differences amongst groups across time. There was a significant increase in the proportion of students who achieved competency for all variables measuring knowledge, psychomotor skills and self-efficacy between pre-test and post-test in both groups (all p-values<0.05). However, at post-test, significantly more students in the SDG achieved overall BLS/AED competency when compared to IDG. In terms of retention at 3 months, success rates of students within the IDG deteriorated significantly for all variables except ≥ 70% of chest compressions with correct hand position (p-value = 0.12). Conversely, the proportion of students who achieved competency within the SDG only decreased significantly in 'mean no flow-time ≤ 5s' (p-value = 0.02). Furthermore, differences between groups' success rates at retention-test also proved to be significantly different for all variables measured (all p-values < 0.05). This study demonstrated that using a student-directed strategy to retrain BLS/AED skills has resulted in a higher proportion of nursing students achieving and retaining competency in BLS/AED at three months when compared to an instructor-directed strategy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of various water quality sampling strategies on load estimates for small streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robertson, Dale M.; Roerish, Eric D.

1999-01-01

Extensive streamflow and water quality data from eight small streams were systematically subsampled to represent various water‐quality sampling strategies. The subsampled data were then used to determine the accuracy and precision of annual load estimates generated by means of a regression approach (typically used for big rivers) and to determine the most effective sampling strategy for small streams. Estimation of annual loads by regression was imprecise regardless of the sampling strategy used; for the most effective strategy, median absolute errors were ∼30% based on the load estimated with an integration method and all available data, if a regression approach is used with daily average streamflow. The most effective sampling strategy depends on the length of the study. For 1‐year studies, fixed‐period monthly sampling supplemented by storm chasing was the most effective strategy. For studies of 2 or more years, fixed‐period semimonthly sampling resulted in not only the least biased but also the most precise loads. Additional high‐flow samples, typically collected to help define the relation between high streamflow and high loads, result in imprecise, overestimated annual loads if these samples are consistently collected early in high‐flow events.

76 FR 71833 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Simplified Acquisition Threshold for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-18

...-AH29 Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Simplified Acquisition Threshold for... statutory authority to invoke a simplified acquisition threshold that is two times the normal amount to...) to invoke a simplified acquisition threshold that is two times the amount specified at 41 U.S.C 134...

Temporal and spatial changes of water quality and management strategies of Dianchi Lake in southwest China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, T.; Zeng, W. H.; Wang, S. R.; Ni, Z. K.

2014-04-01

Temporal and spatial changes to the water quality of Dianchi Lake in southwest China were investigated using monthly monitoring data from 2005 to 2012. Dianchi Lake is divided into two parts, Caohai Lake and Waihai Lake, by a man-made dike. Caohai Lake lies at the north of Dianchi Lake, while Waihai Lake is the main water body of Dianchi Lake and accounts for 96.7% of the whole area of the lake. Based on the analysis of total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), and chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentrations, it was determined that, in Caohai Lake, the annual concentrations of these variables ranged from 0.19-1.46 mg L-1, 6.11-16.79 mg L-1, 0.06-0.14 mg L-1, respectively. In addition, the annual concentrations of TP, TN and Chl a in Waihai Lake ranged between 0.13 and 0.20 mg L-1, 1.82 and 3.01 mg L-1, and 0.04 and 0.09 mg L-1, respectively. Cluster analysis (CA) classified the 10 monitoring sites into two clusters (cluster A and cluster B) based on similarities of water quality characteristics. Our data revealed that the current status of water quality within Caohai Lake was much worse than that of Waihai Lake. Water quality was seriously degraded during the economic boom near the period of the "Eleventh Five-Year Plan" (2005-2010), and gradually improved from 2010 to 2012 because of the "standard emission directive to industry". The main factors that influenced the spatial and temporal changes to water quality were natural factors including lake evolution and regional characteristic as well as human factors such as pollution load into the lake and management strategies that were already adopted. Some activities and regulations were implemented to enhance the lake environment by controlling wastewater emissions and establishing regulations to protect the lakes in the Yunnan Province. However, problems with institutional fragmentation (horizontal and vertical), simple treatment methods, low-intensity investment in pollution control, and lack of meaningful endogenous

Use of Tactual Materials on the Achievement of Content Specific Vocabulary and Terminology Acquisition within an Intermediate Level Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terry, Brian H.

2012-01-01

In this quasi-experimental study, the researcher investigated the effectiveness of three tactual strategies and one non-tactual strategy of content specific vocabulary acquisition. Flash cards, task cards, and learning wheels served as the tactual strategies, and vocabulary review sheets served as a non-tactual strategy. The sample (n = 85)…

An Acquisition Guide for Executives

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This guide covers the following subjects; What is Acquisition?, Purpose and Primary Functions of the Agency’s Acquisition System, Key Organizations in Acquisitions, Legal Framework, Key Players in Acquisitions, Acquisition Process, Acquisition Thresholds

Development of adaptation strategies of marshland water management to regional climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bormann, Helge; Frank, Ahlhorn; Luise, Giani; Kirsten, Klaassen; Thomas, Klenke

2010-05-01

Since many centuries, low lying areas at the German North Sea coast are intensively managed by water boards and dike boards. Sophisticated water management systems have been developed in order to keep the water out of the low lying areas in wet periods, while in some regions additional water is needed in dry periods for agricultural and ecological purposes. For example in the Wesermarsch region, a water management system has been developed in historical times, draining the landscape in winter time by means of channels, ditches, gates, sluices and pumping stations. In contrast, in summer time water is conducted from Weser River into the Wesermarsch region to serve watering of animals, fencing grazing areas and ensuring a continuous flow in the marsh watercourses. Doing so, maintaining soil fertility is guaranteed for agriculture as well as protection against floods, sustaining river ecology and traditional livestock farming. Due to climate variability and river engineering, the water management of the Wesermarsch already runs into problems because watering in summer cannot be assured any longer in sufficient water quality. During high tides, salt water from the North Sea is flowing upstream into the Weser estuary, generating brackish conditions in the lower Weser River. In addition, soil subsidence and soil mineralization of marsh and peat soils as well as the sea level rise increase the necessary pumping frequency and the emerging energy costs. The expected future climate change will further aggravate those problems and require an adaptation of the current management system. This presentation introduces the concept behind and preliminary results of an integrative and participatory project, aiming at the development of a new water management strategy adapted to the regional climate change likely to occur until year 2050. In close cooperation with a number of regional stakeholders and based on the priorities with respect to the future development of the region

Chemical & Material Risk Management Initiatives: Reach & Cr6+ Strategies (Briefing Charts)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-02-01

Definition Acquisition, Technology and Logistics 17 DoD Hexavalent Chromium Minimization Strategy Non‐ Chrome  Primer Acquisition, Technology and...Logistics 18 Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6+) - Some Facts • Cr6+ compounds are wonderful corrosion inhibitors • Cr6+ compounds are highly toxic – We’ve learned...and Logistics 21 DoD Hexavalent Chromium Minimization Policy Acquisition, Technology and Logistics 22 Myth-busters • The DoD policy does not ban the

33. Perimeter acquisition radar building room #320, perimeter acquisition radar ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

33. Perimeter acquisition radar building room #320, perimeter acquisition radar operations center (PAROC), contains the tactical command and control group equipment required to control the par site. Showing spacetrack monitor console - Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex, Perimeter Acquisition Radar Building, Limited Access Area, between Limited Access Patrol Road & Service Road A, Nekoma, Cavalier County, ND

Connectivity research in Iceland - using scientific tools to establish sustainable water management strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finger, David

2015-04-01

Since the ninth century when the first settlers arrived in Iceland the island has undergone deforestation and subsequent vegetation degradation and soil erosion. Almost the entire birch forest and woodland, which originally covered ~ 25% of the nation, have been deforested through wood cutting and overgrazing. Consequently, soil erosion seriously affects over 40% of the country. During the last 50 years extensive drainage of wetlands has taken place. Furthermore, about 75% of Iceland electricity production comes from hydropower plants, constructed along the main rivers. Along with seismic and volcanic activities the above mentioned anthropogenic impacts continuously altered the hydro-geomorphic connectivity in many parts of the island. In the framework of ongoing efforts to restore ecosystems and their services in Iceland a thorough understanding of the hydro-geomorphic processes is essential. Field observations and numerical models are crucial tools to adopt appropriate management strategies and help decision makers establish sustainable governance strategies. Sediment transport models have been used in the past to investigate the impacts of hydropower dams on sediment transport in downstream rivers (Finger et al., 2006). Hydropower operations alter the turbidity dynamics in downstream freshwater systems, affecting visibility and light penetration into the water, leading to significant changes in primary production (Finger et al., 2007a). Overall, the interruption of connectivity by physical obstructions can affect the entire food chain, hampering the fishing yields in downstream waters (Finger et al., 2007b). In other locations hydraulic connectivity through retreating glaciers assures water transfer from upstream to downstream areas. The drastically retreat of glaciers can raise concerns of future water availability in remote mountain areas (Finger et al., 2013). Furthermore, the drastic reduction of glacier mass also jeopardizes the water availability for

Pilot-scale cooling tower to evaluate corrosion, scaling, and biofouling control strategies for cooling system makeup water.

PubMed

Chien, S H; Hsieh, M K; Li, H; Monnell, J; Dzombak, D; Vidic, R

2012-02-01

Pilot-scale cooling towers can be used to evaluate corrosion, scaling, and biofouling control strategies when using particular cooling system makeup water and particular operating conditions. To study the potential for using a number of different impaired waters as makeup water, a pilot-scale system capable of generating 27,000 kJ∕h heat load and maintaining recirculating water flow with a Reynolds number of 1.92 × 10(4) was designed to study these critical processes under conditions that are similar to full-scale systems. The pilot-scale cooling tower was equipped with an automatic makeup water control system, automatic blowdown control system, semi-automatic biocide feeding system, and corrosion, scaling, and biofouling monitoring systems. Observed operational data revealed that the major operating parameters, including temperature change (6.6 °C), cycles of concentration (N = 4.6), water flow velocity (0.66 m∕s), and air mass velocity (3660 kg∕h m(2)), were controlled quite well for an extended period of time (up to 2 months). Overall, the performance of the pilot-scale cooling towers using treated municipal wastewater was shown to be suitable to study critical processes (corrosion, scaling, biofouling) and evaluate cooling water management strategies for makeup waters of complex quality.

Season-ahead streamflow forecast informed tax strategies for semi-arid water rights markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delorit, J. D.; Block, P. J.

2016-12-01

In many semi-arid regions multisectoral demands stress available water supplies. The Elqui River valley of north central Chile, which draws on limited capacity reservoirs supplied largely by annually variable snowmelt, is one of these cases. This variability forces water managers to develop demand-based allocation strategies which have typically resulted in water right volume reductions, applied equally per right. Compounding this issue is often deferred or delayed infrastructure investments, which has been linked Chile's Coasian approach to water markets, under which rights holders do not pay direct procurement costs, non-use fees, nor taxes. Here we build upon our previous research using forecasts of likely water rights reductions, informed by season-ahead prediction models of October-January (austral growing season) streamflow, to construct annual, forecast-sensitive, per right tax. We believe this tax, to be borne by right holders, will improve the beneficial use of water resources by stimulating water rights trading and improving system efficiency by generating funds for infrastructure investment, thereby reducing free-ridership and conflict between rights holders. Research outputs will include sectoral per right tax assessments, tax revenue generation, Elqui River valley economic output, and water rights trading activity.

Workshop on data acquisition and trigger system simulations for high energy physics

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

NONE

1992-12-31

This report discusses the following topics: DAQSIM: A data acquisition system simulation tool; Front end and DCC Simulations for the SDC Straw Tube System; Simulation of Non-Blocklng Data Acquisition Architectures; Simulation Studies of the SDC Data Collection Chip; Correlation Studies of the Data Collection Circuit & The Design of a Queue for this Circuit; Fast Data Compression & Transmission from a Silicon Strip Wafer; Simulation of SCI Protocols in Modsim; Visual Design with vVHDL; Stochastic Simulation of Asynchronous Buffers; SDC Trigger Simulations; Trigger Rates, DAQ & Online Processing at the SSC; Planned Enhancements to MODSEM II & SIMOBJECT -- anmore » Overview -- R.; DAGAR -- A synthesis system; Proposed Silicon Compiler for Physics Applications; Timed -- LOTOS in a PROLOG Environment: an Algebraic language for Simulation; Modeling and Simulation of an Event Builder for High Energy Physics Data Acquisition Systems; A Verilog Simulation for the CDF DAQ; Simulation to Design with Verilog; The DZero Data Acquisition System: Model and Measurements; DZero Trigger Level 1.5 Modeling; Strategies Optimizing Data Load in the DZero Triggers; Simulation of the DZero Level 2 Data Acquisition System; A Fast Method for Calculating DZero Level 1 Jet Trigger Properties and Physics Input to DAQ Studies.« less

Microcomputer-Based Acquisitions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Desmarais, Norman

1986-01-01

This discussion of three automated acquisitions systems--Bib-Base/Acq, The Book Trak Ordering System, and Card Datalog Acquisitions Module--covers searching and updating, editing, acquisitions functions and statistics, purchase orders and order file, budgeting and accounts maintenance, defining parameters, documentation, security, printing, and…

Drip irrigation management in different chufa planting strategies: yield and irrigation water use efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pascual-Seva, Nuria; San Bautista, Alberto; López-Galarza, Salvador; Maroto, José Vicente; Pascual, Bernardo

2013-04-01

In a study presented in the EGU assembly 2012, it was analysed how yield and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) in chufa (Cyperus esculentus L. var. sativus), crop, were affected by planting strategy (ridges and flat raised beds, with two and three plant rows along them) and irrigation system [furrow (FI) and drip irrigation (DI)]. Each irrigation session started when the Volumetric Soil Water Content (VSWC) in ridges dropped to 80% of field capacity; beds were irrigated simultaneously with ridges and with the same irrigation duration. R produced lower yield than the two types of beds, and yields in DI were higher than those FI. Ridges led to the highest IWUE with DI, and to the lowest with FI. Then, it was decided to analyse, in DI, how yield and IWUE responded to start each irrigation session when the VSWC in the central point of different planting strategies [ridges (R), and flat raised beds with two (b) and three (B) plant rows along them] dropped to 80% of field capacity. In R and b, plants were irrigated by a single dripline per plant row, while in B two irrigation layouts were assayed: a single dripline per plant row (B3) and two driplines per bed (B2), placing each dripline between two planting rows. Irrigation session stop was also automated as a function of the VSWC. Results show that yield was affected (P˜0.01) by planting strategy; the greatest yield was obtained in b (2.4 kgm-2), differing (P˜0.05) from that obtained in R (2.1 kgm-2), with intermediate yields in B2 (2.3 kgm-2) and B3 (2.3 kgm-2). Yield was not affected (P˜0.05) by the utilisation of two or three driplines in B. Considerably less irrigation water was applied (IWA) in R (376 mm) than in B3 (465 mm), B2 (475 mm) and b (502 mm). This automatic irrigation management, as a function of the VSWC in each planting strategy, lead to adjust the IWA to the plant water requirements, which were similar in all three flat raised beds, since they correspond to the same planting density, that was

Inter-slice Leakage Artifact Reduction Technique for Simultaneous Multi-Slice Acquisitions

PubMed Central

Cauley, Stephen F.; Polimeni, Jonathan R.; Bhat, Himanshu; Wang, Dingxin; Wald, Lawrence L.; Setsompop, Kawin

2015-01-01

Purpose Controlled aliasing techniques for simultaneously acquired EPI slices have been shown to significantly increase the temporal efficiency for both diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and fMRI studies. The “slice-GRAPPA” (SG) method has been widely used to reconstruct such data. We investigate robust optimization techniques for SG to ensure image reconstruction accuracy through a reduction of leakage artifacts. Methods Split slice-GRAPPA (SP-SG) is proposed as an alternative kernel optimization method. The performance of SP-SG is compared to standard SG using data collected on a spherical phantom and in-vivo on two subjects at 3T. Slice accelerated and non-accelerated data were collected for a spin-echo diffusion weighted acquisition. Signal leakage metrics and time-series SNR were used to quantify the performance of the kernel fitting approaches. Results The SP-SG optimization strategy significantly reduces leakage artifacts for both phantom and in-vivo acquisitions. In addition, a significant boost in time-series SNR for in-vivo diffusion weighted acquisitions with in-plane 2× and slice 3× accelerations was observed with the SP-SG approach. Conclusion By minimizing the influence of leakage artifacts during the training of slice-GRAPPA kernels, we have significantly improved reconstruction accuracy. Our robust kernel fitting strategy should enable better reconstruction accuracy and higher slice-acceleration across many applications. PMID:23963964

A Cost-Reduction Strategy for Weapon System Acquisition

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-12-01

quantities, manufacturing processes, and test and evaluation are made. As a result, by milestone I, approximately 60% of the life-cycle costs are already...Assess the results from the potential SDIO application of the CRS and 5 consider further development and testing of the strategy. - Consider a policy that...eliminating activities must be carefully weighed. For example, extensive testing and I program reviews are typically classified as non-value added activities

Using high-frequency water quality data to assess sampling strategies for the EU Water Framework Directive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skeffington, R. A.; Halliday, S. J.; Wade, A. J.; Bowes, M. J.; Loewenthal, M.

2015-05-01

The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires that the ecological and chemical status of water bodies in Europe should be assessed, and action taken where possible to ensure that at least "good" quality is attained in each case by 2015. This paper is concerned with the accuracy and precision with which chemical status in rivers can be measured given certain sampling strategies, and how this can be improved. High-frequency (hourly) chemical data from four rivers in southern England were subsampled to simulate different sampling strategies for four parameters used for WFD classification: dissolved phosphorus, dissolved oxygen, pH and water temperature. These data sub-sets were then used to calculate the WFD classification for each site. Monthly sampling was less precise than weekly sampling, but the effect on WFD classification depended on the closeness of the range of concentrations to the class boundaries. In some cases, monthly sampling for a year could result in the same water body being assigned to three or four of the WFD classes with 95% confidence, due to random sampling effects, whereas with weekly sampling this was one or two classes for the same cases. In the most extreme case, the same water body could have been assigned to any of the five WFD quality classes. Weekly sampling considerably reduces the uncertainties compared to monthly sampling. The width of the weekly sampled confidence intervals was about 33% that of the monthly for P species and pH, about 50% for dissolved oxygen, and about 67% for water temperature. For water temperature, which is assessed as the 98th percentile in the UK, monthly sampling biases the mean downwards by about 1 °C compared to the true value, due to problems of assessing high percentiles with limited data. Low-frequency measurements will generally be unsuitable for assessing standards expressed as high percentiles. Confining sampling to the working week compared to all 7 days made little difference, but a modest

77 FR 10665 - General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation; Acquisition-Related Thresholds

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-23

... GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION 48 CFR Parts 519 and 552 [GSAR Amendment 2012-02; GSAR Case 2011-G502; (Change 54) Docket 2012- 0003, Sequence 1] RIN 3090-AJ24 General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation; Acquisition-Related Thresholds AGENCIES: Office of Acquisition Policy, General...

Prediction Markets as a Way to Manage Acquisition Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

volume helps management set production levels, but if management increases advertising it will undermine the market . This becomes critical for the DoD...34 Corporate Strategy Board. Gaspoz, C. (2008). "Prediction markets as an innovative way to manage R&D portfolios." CAiSE Doctoral Consortium. Montpellier...NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA MBA PROFESSIONAL REPORT Prediction Markets as a Way to Manage Acquisition

Funding for Life: When to Spend the Acquisition Pot

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-01

Private Military Sector Software Requirements for OA Spiral Development Strategy for Defense Acquisition Research The Software, Hardware...qb=p`elli= Capital Budgeting for the DoD Energy Saving Contracts/DoD Mobile Assets Financing DoD Budget via PPPs Lessons from Private Sector ...the endeavor can, in part, be related to the stability of the aims and contributory components. Economic growth has been driven by globalisation

Evaluation of Parallel and Fan-Beam Data Acquisition Geometries and Strategies for Myocardial SPECT Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Yujin; Tsui, B. M. W.; Gilland, K. L.; Frey, E. C.; Gullberg, G. T.

2004-06-01

This study evaluates myocardial SPECT images obtained from parallel-hole (PH) and fan-beam (FB) collimator geometries using both circular-orbit (CO) and noncircular-orbit (NCO) acquisitions. A newly developed 4-D NURBS-based cardiac-torso (NCAT) phantom was used to simulate the /sup 99m/Tc-sestamibi uptakes in human torso with myocardial defects in the left ventricular (LV) wall. Two phantoms were generated to simulate patients with thick and thin body builds. Projection data including the effects of attenuation, collimator-detector response and scatter were generated using SIMSET Monte Carlo simulations. A large number of photon histories were generated such that the projection data were close to noise free. Poisson noise fluctuations were then added to simulate the count densities found in clinical data. Noise-free and noisy projection data were reconstructed using the iterative OS-EM reconstruction algorithm with attenuation compensation. The reconstructed images from noisy projection data show that the noise levels are lower for the FB as compared to the PH collimator due to increase in detected counts. The NCO acquisition method provides slightly better resolution and small improvement in defect contrast as compared to the CO acquisition method in noise-free reconstructed images. Despite lower projection counts the NCO shows the same noise level as the CO in the attenuation corrected reconstruction images. The results from the channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) study show that FB collimator is superior to PH collimator in myocardial defect detection, but the NCO shows no statistical significant difference from the CO for either PH or FB collimator. In conclusion, our results indicate that data acquisition using NCO makes a very small improvement in the resolution over CO for myocardial SPECT imaging. This small improvement does not make a significant difference on myocardial defect detection. However, an FB collimator provides better defect detection than a

Analytical optimization of demand management strategies across all urban water use sectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedman, Kenneth; Heaney, James P.; Morales, Miguel; Palenchar, John

2014-07-01

An effective urban water demand management program can greatly influence both peak and average demand and therefore long-term water supply and infrastructure planning. Although a theoretical framework for evaluating residential indoor demand management has been well established, little has been done to evaluate other water use sectors such as residential irrigation in a compatible manner for integrating these results into an overall solution. This paper presents a systematic procedure to evaluate the optimal blend of single family residential irrigation demand management strategies to achieve a specified goal based on performance functions derived from parcel level tax assessor's data linked to customer level monthly water billing data. This framework is then generalized to apply to any urban water sector, as exponential functions can be fit to all resulting cumulative water savings functions. Two alternative formulations are presented: maximize net benefits, or minimize total costs subject to satisfying a target water savings. Explicit analytical solutions are presented for both formulations based on appropriate exponential best fits of performance functions. A direct result of this solution is the dual variable which represents the marginal cost of water saved at a specified target water savings goal. A case study of 16,303 single family irrigators in Gainesville Regional Utilities utilizing high quality tax assessor and monthly billing data along with parcel level GIS data provide an illustrative example of these techniques. Spatial clustering of targeted homes can be easily performed in GIS to identify priority demand management areas.

Investigating Second Language Acquisition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jordens, Peter, Ed.; Lalleman, Josine, Ed.

Essays in second language acquisition include: "The State of the Art in Second Language Acquisition Research" (Josine Lalleman); "Crosslinguistic Influence with Special Reference to the Acquisition of Grammar" (Michael Sharwood Smith); "Second Language Acquisition by Adult Immigrants: A Multiple Case Study of Turkish and…

Strategies of Vibrio parahaemolyticus to acquire nutritional iron during host colonization

PubMed Central

León-Sicairos, Nidia; Angulo-Zamudio, Uriel A.; de la Garza, Mireya; Velázquez-Román, Jorge; Flores-Villaseñor, Héctor M.; Canizalez-Román, Adrian

2015-01-01

Iron is an essential element for the growth and development of virtually all living organisms. As iron acquisition is critical for the pathogenesis, a host defense strategy during infection is to sequester iron to restrict the growth of invading pathogens. To counteract this strategy, bacteria such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus have adapted to such an environment by developing mechanisms to obtain iron from human hosts. This review focuses on the multiple strategies employed by V. parahaemolyticus to obtain nutritional iron from host sources. In these strategies are included the use of siderophores and xenosiderophores, proteases and iron-protein receptor. The host sources used by V. parahaemolyticus are the iron-containing proteins transferrin, hemoglobin, and hemin. The implications of iron acquisition systems in the virulence of V. parahaemolyticus are also discussed. PMID:26217331

75 FR 5241 - General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation; Rewrite of Part 512, Acquisition of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-02

... Acquisition Regulation; Rewrite of Part 512, Acquisition of Commercial Items AGENCIES: Office of Acquisition... Administration (GSA) is amending the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) to update the text addressing the acquisition of commercial items. This rule is a result of the GSAM Rewrite...

Natural remananent magnetization acquisition through sediment mixing: theory and implications for relative paleointensity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egli, Ramon; Zhao, Xiangyu

2015-04-01

We present a general theory on the acquisition of natural remanent magnetizations (NRM) in sediment under the influence of (a) magnetic torques, (b) randomizing torques (e.g. from bioturbation), and (c) torques resulting from interaction forces between remanence carriers and other particles. Dynamic equilibrium between (a) and (b) in the water column and sediment-water interface produce a detrital remanent magnetization (DRM), while much stronger randomizing forces occur in the mixed layer of sediment due to bioturbation forces. These generate a so-called mixing remanent magnetization (MRM), which is stabilized by interaction forces. During the time required to cross the mixed layer, DRM is lost and MRM is acquired at a rate that depends on bioturbation intensity. Both processes are governed by the same MRM lock-in function. The final NRM intensity is controlled mainly by a single parameter defined as the product of rotational diffusion constant and mixed layer thickness, divided by the sedimentation rate. This parameter defines three regimes: (1) slow mixing, leading to DRM preservation and insignificant MRM acquisition, (2) fast mixing with MRM acquisition and full randomization of the original DRM, and (3) intermediate mixing. Because the acquisition efficiency of DRM is expectedly larger than that of a MRM, MRM is particularly sensitive to the mixing rate in case of intermediate regimes, and generates variable NRM acquisition efficiencies. Our model explains (1) lock-in delays that can be matched with empirical reconstructions from paleomagnetic records, (2) the existence of small lock-in depths leading to DRM preservation, (3) NRM acquisition efficiencies of magnetofossil-rich sediments, and (4) relative paleointensity artifacts reported in some recent studies.

77 FR 69720 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Interagency Acquisitions: Compliance by Nondefense Agencies With...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-20

... 9000-AM36 Federal Acquisition Regulation; Interagency Acquisitions: Compliance by Nondefense Agencies...D, GSA, and NASA are issuing an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to add new requirements specific to the acquisition of supplies and services by nondefense agencies on...

Mining residential water and electricity demand data in Southern California to inform demand management strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cominola, A.; Spang, E. S.; Giuliani, M.; Castelletti, A.; Loge, F. J.; Lund, J. R.

2016-12-01

Demand side management strategies are key to meet future water and energy demands in urban contexts, promote water and energy efficiency in the residential sector, provide customized services and communications to consumers, and reduce utilities' costs. Smart metering technologies allow gathering high temporal and spatial resolution water and energy consumption data and support the development of data-driven models of consumers' behavior. Modelling and predicting resource consumption behavior is essential to inform demand management. Yet, analyzing big, smart metered, databases requires proper data mining and modelling techniques, in order to extract useful information supporting decision makers to spot end uses towards which water and energy efficiency or conservation efforts should be prioritized. In this study, we consider the following research questions: (i) how is it possible to extract representative consumers' personalities out of big smart metered water and energy data? (ii) are residential water and energy consumption profiles interconnected? (iii) Can we design customized water and energy demand management strategies based on the knowledge of water- energy demand profiles and other user-specific psychographic information? To address the above research questions, we contribute a data-driven approach to identify and model routines in water and energy consumers' behavior. We propose a novel customer segmentation procedure based on data-mining techniques. Our procedure consists of three steps: (i) extraction of typical water-energy consumption profiles for each household, (ii) profiles clustering based on their similarity, and (iii) evaluation of the influence of candidate explanatory variables on the identified clusters. The approach is tested onto a dataset of smart metered water and energy consumption data from over 1000 households in South California. Our methodology allows identifying heterogeneous groups of consumers from the studied sample, as well as

Water consumption and allocation strategies along the river oases of Tarim River based on large-scale hydrological modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Yang; Disse, Markus; Yu, Ruide

2016-04-01

With the mainstream of 1,321km and located in an arid area in northwest China, the Tarim River is China's longest inland river. The Tarim basin on the northern edge of the Taklamakan desert is an extremely arid region. In this region, agricultural water consumption and allocation management are crucial to address the conflicts among irrigation water users from upstream to downstream. Since 2011, the German Ministry of Science and Education BMBF established the Sino-German SuMaRiO project, for the sustainable management of river oases along the Tarim River. The project aims to contribute to a sustainable land management which explicitly takes into account ecosystem functions and ecosystem services. SuMaRiO will identify realizable management strategies, considering social, economic and ecological criteria. This will have positive effects for nearly 10 million inhabitants of different ethnic groups. The modelling of water consumption and allocation strategies is a core block in the SuMaRiO cluster. A large-scale hydrological model (MIKE HYDRO Basin) was established for the purpose of sustainable agricultural water management in the main stem Tarim River. MIKE HYDRO Basin is an integrated, multipurpose, map-based decision support tool for river basin analysis, planning and management. It provides detailed simulation results concerning water resources and land use in the catchment areas of the river. Calibration data and future predictions based on large amount of data was acquired. The results of model calibration indicated a close correlation between simulated and observed values. Scenarios with the change on irrigation strategies and land use distributions were investigated. Irrigation scenarios revealed that the available irrigation water has significant and varying effects on the yields of different crops. Irrigation water saving could reach up to 40% in the water-saving irrigation scenario. Land use scenarios illustrated that an increase of farmland area in the

Management strategies for trace organic chemicals in water - A review of international approaches.

PubMed

Bieber, Stefan; Snyder, Shane A; Dagnino, Sonia; Rauch-Williams, Tanja; Drewes, Jörg E

2018-03-01

To ensure an appropriate management of potential health risks and uncertainties from the release of trace organic chemicals (TOrCs) into the aqueous environment, many countries have evaluated and implemented strategies to manage TOrCs. The aim of this study was to evaluate existing management strategies for TOrCs in different countries to derive and compare underlying core principles and paradigms and to develop suggestions for more holistic management strategies to protect the environment and drinking water supplies from the discharge of undesired TOrCs. The strategies in different industrial countries were summarized and subsequently compared with regards to three particular questions: 1) Do the approaches different countries have implemented manage all or only specific portions of the universe of chemicals; 2) What implementation and compliance strategies are used to manage aquatic and human health risk and what are their pros and cons; and 3) How are site-specific watershed differences being addressed? While management strategies of the different countries target similar TOrCs, the programs differ in several important aspects, including underlying principles, the balance between aquatic or human health protection, implementation methods, and financing mechanisms used to fund regulatory programs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Health care mergers and acquisitions: implications of robbers cave realistic conflict theory and prisoner's dilemma game theory.

PubMed

Creasy, Todd; Kinard, Jerry

2013-01-01

Many health care mergers and acquisitions have proven highly successful because of the geographic proximity of the institutions, coalignment strategies, complementary services, and improved financial performance. Other health care mergers and acquisitions, however, have been dismal failures. This article seeks to explain a primary cause of less successful mergers or acquisitions through the prism of a multiscale, iterative prisoner's dilemma that occurs between department managers. Aspects of "Coping Theory," "Resource (Conservation) Theory," and "Social Comparison Theory" are used to analyze the experience of employees charged with making mergers or acquisitions successful. Lastly, this article suggests possible culture clash remedies drawn from the realistic conflict experiment conducted by Muzafer Sherif near Robbers Cave State Park in Oklahoma.

Defense Acquisition Research Journal. Volume 21, Number 4, Issue 71, October 2014

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-01

Military Sales and Direct Contractor Sales Strategies into Programs • Controlling Costs Throughout the Product Life Cycle • System Cyber Hardness GROUND...Power • Life Cycle Chart • iTunes • Defense Acquisition Guide Book iCatalog • Course Schedule • Equivalency Fulfillment • Predecessors/Prerequisites

Learning strategies during clerkships and their effects on clinical performance.

PubMed

van Lohuizen, M T; Kuks, J B M; van Hell, E A; Raat, A N; Cohen-Schotanus, J

2009-11-01

Previous research revealed relationships between learning strategies and knowledge acquisition. During clerkships, however, students' focus widens beyond mere knowledge acquisition as they further develop overall competence. This shift in focus can influence learning strategy use. We explored which learning strategies were used during clerkships and their relationship to clinical performance. Participants were 113 (78%) clerks at the university hospital or one of six affiliated hospitals. Learning strategies were assessed using the 'Approaches to Learning at Work Questionnaire' (deep, surface-rational and surface-disorganised learning). Clinical performance was calculated by taking the mean of clinical assessment marks. The relationship between learning strategies and clinical performance was explored using regression analysis. Most students (89%) did not clearly prefer a single learning strategy. No relationship was found between learning strategies and clinical performance. Since overall competence comprises integration of knowledge, skills and professional behaviour, we assume that students without a clear preference use more than one learning strategy. Finding no relationship between learning strategies and clinical performance reflects the complexity of clinical learning. Depending on circumstances it may be important to obtain relevant information quickly (surface-rational) or understand material thoroughly (deep). In future research we will examine when and why students use different learning strategies.

Deductive reasoning, brain maturation, and science concept acquisition: Are they linked?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawson, Anton E.

The present study tested the alternative hypotheses that the poor performance of the intuitive and transitional students on the concept acquisition tasks employed in the Lawson et al. (1991) study was due either to their failure (a) to use deductive reasoning to test potentially relevant task features, as suggested by Lawson et al. (1991); (b) to identify potentially relevant features; or (c) to derive and test a successful problem-solving strategy. To test these hypotheses a training session, which consisted of a series of seven concept acquisition tasks, was designed to reveal to students key task features and the deductive reasoning pattern necessary to solve the tasks. The training was individually administered to students (ages 5-14 years). Results revealed that none of the five- and six-year-olds, approximately half of the seven-year-olds, and virtually all of the students eight years and older responded successfully to the training. These results are viewed as contradictory to the hypothesis that the intuitive and transitional students in the Lawson et al. (1991) study lacked the reasoning skills necessary to identify and test potentially relevant task features. Instead, the results support the hypothesis that their poor performance was due to their failure to use hypothetico-deductive reasoning to derive an effective strategy. Previous research is cited that indicates that the brain's frontal lobes undergo a pronounced growth spurt from about four years of age to about seven years of age. In fact, the performance of normal six-year-olds and adults with frontal lobe damage on tasks such as the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST), a task similar in many ways to the present concept acquisition tasks, has been found to be identical. Consequently, the hypothesis is advanced that maturation of the frontal lobes can explain the striking improvement in performance at age seven. A neural network of the role of the frontal lobes in task performance based upon the work

More Water Resources but Less for Irrigation: Adaptation Strategy of the Yellow River in a Changing Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Q.; Yin, Y. Y.

2015-12-01

The Yellow River is the primary source of freshwater to the northern China. Increasing population and socio-economic development have put great pressure on water resources of the river basin. The anticipated climate and socio-economic changes may further increase water stress. Development of adaptation strategies would have significant implications for water and food security of this region. In this study, the outputs of multiple hydrological models forced with the bias-corrected climatic variables from multiple global climate models were used to assess the change in renewable water resources of the river basin in the 21st century. The outputs of multiple crop models were used to assess the change in agricultural water demand. The domestic and industrial water demands were estimated based on the future socio-economic conditions under the Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs). Besides basic ecosystem needs for water which must be met, the water use in domestic and industrial sectors is considered to have a higher priority than the agricultural water use when water is insufficient. The results show that the renewable water resources of the basin would increase as global mean temperature increases while the water demand would grow much more rapidly, largely due to water demand increase in domestic and industrial sectors. In most of the sub-basins of the Yellow River basin, the available water resources can not sustain all the water use sectors starting from the next a few decades. As more water resources would be appropriated by domestic and industrial sectors, a part of irrigated area had to be converted to rainfed agriculture which led to a large reduction in food production. This study highlights the linked water and food security in a changing environment and suggests that the trade-off should be considered when developing regional adaptation strategies.

A Strategy Combining Higher Energy C-Trap Dissociation with Neutral Loss- and Product Ion-Based MSn Acquisition for Global Profiling and Structure Annotation of Fatty Acids Conjugates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bi, Qi-rui; Hou, Jin-jun; Yang, Min; Shen, Yao; Qi, Peng; Feng, Rui-hong; Dai, Zhuo; Yan, Bing-peng; Wang, Jian-wei; Shi, Xiao-jian; Wu, Wan-ying; Guo, De-an

2017-03-01

Fatty acids conjugates (FACs) are ubiquitous but found in trace amounts in the natural world. They are composed of multiple unknown substructures and side chains. Thus, FACs are difficult to be analyzed by traditional mass spectrometric methods. In this study, an integrated strategy was developed to global profiling and targeted structure annotation of FACs in complex matrix by LTQ Orbitrap. Dicarboxylic acid conjugated bufotoxins (DACBs) in Venenum bufonis (VB) were used as model compounds. The new strategy (abbreviated as HPNA) combined higher-energy C-trap dissociation (HCD) with product ion- (PI), neutral loss- (NL) based MSn (n ≥ 3) acquisition in both positive-ion mode and negative-ion mode. Several advantages are presented. First, various side chains were found under HCD in negative-ion mode, which included both known and unknown side chains. Second, DACBs with multiple side chains were simultaneously detected in one run. Compared with traditional quadrupole-based mass method, it greatly increased analysis throughput. Third, the fragment ions of side chain and steroids substructure could be obtained by PI- and NL-based MSn acquisition, respectively, which greatly increased the accuracy of the structure annotation of DACBs. In all, 78 DACBs have been discovered, of which 68 were new compounds; 25 types of substructure formulas and seven dicarboxylic acid side chains were found, especially five new side chains, including two saturated dicarboxylic acids [(azelaic acid (C9) and sebacic acid (C10)] and three unsaturated dicarboxylic acids (u-C8, u-C9, and u-C10). All these results greatly enriched the structures of DACBs in VB.

Language Learning Strategies of Multilingual Adults Learning Additional Languages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dmitrenko, Violetta

2017-01-01

The main goal consisted in identifying and bringing together strategies of multilinguals as a particular learner group. Therefore, research was placed in the intersection of the three fields: language learning strategies (LLS), third language acquisition (TLA), and the didactics of plurilingualism. First, the paper synthesises the major findings…

End-User Computing Strategy in the United States Marine Corps

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-03-01

views it as a way to restrict acquisition. 4. Marketing Strategy Of the strategies discussed so far, the Marketing strategy is the most proactive...toward the development of EUC in the organization. Under the Marketing strategy , the organization has a firm idea of where it desires EUC to progress. It...seeks to increase EUC use, but the increase will be in consonance with organizational goals. The policies and plans under the Marketing strategy are

Strategies for Providing Low-Cost Water Immersion Therapy With Limited Resources.

PubMed

Brickhouse, Brenda; Isaacs, Christine; Batten, Meghann; Price, Amber

At our university-affiliated medical center, a major renovation of the women's health and birthing unit resulted in the temporary loss of the permanent tub used for water immersion therapy during labor. Because 40 percent of the women in the nurse-midwifery practice utilize hydrotherapy, we undertook a rigorous search for an interim solution. We developed a safe and cost-effective strategy that can be easily replicated and utilized by others to provide hydrotherapy for laboring women. © 2015 AWHONN.

Single and double acquisition strategies for compensation of artifacts from eddy current and transient oscillation in balanced steady-state free precession.

PubMed

Lee, Hyun-Soo; Choi, Seung Hong; Park, Sung-Hong

2017-07-01

To develop single and double acquisition methods to compensate for artifacts from eddy currents and transient oscillations in balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) with centric phase-encoding (PE) order for magnetization-prepared bSSFP imaging. A single and four different double acquisition methods were developed and evaluated with Bloch equation simulations, phantom/in vivo experiments, and quantitative analyses. For the single acquisition method, multiple PE groups, each of which was composed of N linearly changing PE lines, were ordered in a pseudocentric manner for optimal contrast and minimal signal fluctuations. Double acquisition methods used complex averaging of two images that had opposite artifact patterns from different acquisition orders or from different numbers of dummy scans. Simulation results showed high sensitivity of eddy-current and transient-oscillation artifacts to off-resonance frequency and PE schemes. The artifacts were reduced with the PE-grouping with N values from 3 to 8, similar to or better than the conventional pairing scheme of N = 2. The proposed double acquisition methods removed the remaining artifacts significantly. The proposed methods conserved detailed structures in magnetization transfer imaging well, compared with the conventional methods. The proposed single and double acquisition methods can be useful for artifact-free magnetization-prepared bSSFP imaging with desired contrast and minimized dummy scans. Magn Reson Med 78:254-263, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Does the bathing water classification depend on sampling strategy? A bootstrap approach for bathing water quality assessment, according to Directive 2006/7/EC requirements.

PubMed

López, Iago; Alvarez, César; Gil, José L; Revilla, José A

2012-11-30

Data on the 95th and 90th percentiles of bacteriological quality indicators are used to classify bathing waters in Europe, according to the requirements of Directive 2006/7/EC. However, percentile values and consequently, classification of bathing waters depend both on sampling effort and sample-size, which may undermine an appropriate assessment of bathing water classification. To analyse the influence of sampling effort and sample size on water classification, a bootstrap approach was applied to 55 bacteriological quality datasets of several beaches in the Balearic Islands (Spain). Our results show that the probability of failing the regulatory standards of the Directive is high when sample size is low, due to a higher variability in percentile values. In this way, 49% of the bathing waters reaching an "Excellent" classification (95th percentile of Escherichia coli under 250 cfu/100 ml) can fail the "Excellent" regulatory standard due to sampling strategy, when 23 samples per season are considered. This percentage increases to 81% when 4 samples per season are considered. "Good" regulatory standards can also be failed in bathing waters with an "Excellent" classification as a result of these sampling strategies. The variability in percentile values may affect bathing water classification and is critical for the appropriate design and implementation of bathing water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Programs. Hence, variability of percentile values should be taken into account by authorities if an adequate management of these areas is to be achieved. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Training Systems Product Group (TSPG) Training Systems Acquisition (TSA)

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-05-23

ES) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT NUMBER(S) 12 . DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Approved for public release...Planned Actions • TSA III – Acquisition Strategy – Small Business • TSA II Points of Contact 3 Dominant Air Power: Design For Tomorrow…Deliver Today...Provides ready access to Large and Small Businesses Specializing in Air Force Training Systems Primarily Supporting Wright Patterson AFB OH and Hill AFB

Water pollution control technology and strategy for river-lake systems: a case study in Gehu Lake and Taige Canal.

PubMed

Zhang, Yimin; Zhang, Yongchun; Gao, Yuexiang; Zhang, Houhu; Cao, Jianying; Cai, Jinbang; Kong, Xiangji

2011-07-01

The Taoge water system is located in the upstream of Taihu Lake basin and is characterized by its multi-connected rivers and lakes. In this paper, current analyses of hydrology, hydrodynamics and water pollution of Gehu Lake and Taige Canal are presented. Several technologies are proposed for pollution prevention and control, and water environmental protection in the Taihu Lake basin. These included water pollution control integration technology for the water systems of Gehu Lake, Taige Canal and Caoqiao River. Additionally, river-lake water quality and quantity regulation technology, ecological restoration technology for polluted and degraded water bodies, and water environmental integration management and optimization strategies were also examined. The main objectives of these strategies are to: (a) improve environmental quality of relative water bodies, prevent pollutants from entering Gehu Lake and Taige Canal, and ensure that the clean water after the pre-treatment through Gehu Lake is not polluted before entering the Taihu Lake through Taige Canal; (b) stably and efficiently intercept and decrease the pollution load entering the lake through enhancing the river outlet ecological system structure function and water self-purifying capacity, and (c) designate Gehu Lake as a regulation system for water quality and water quantity in the Taoge water system and thus guarantee the improvement of the water quality of the inflow into Taihu Lake.

A Comparison of Alternative Strategies for Cost-Effective Water Quality Management in Lakes

Treesearch

Daniel Boyd Kramer; Stephen Polasky; Anthony Starfield; Brian Palik; Lynn Westphal; Stephanie Snyder; Pamela Jakes; Rachel Hudson; Eric Gustafson

2006-01-01

Roughly 45% of the assessed lakes in the United States are impaired for one or more reasons. Eutrophication due to excess phosphorus loading is common in many impaired lakes. Various strategies are available to lake residents for addressing declining lake water quality, including septic system upgrades and establishing riparian buffers. This study examines 25 lakes to...

A review of proton exchange membrane water electrolysis on degradation mechanisms and mitigation strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Qi; Yuan, Xiao-Zi; Liu, Gaoyang; Wei, Bing; Zhang, Zhen; Li, Hui; Wang, Haijiang

2017-10-01

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is an advanced and effective solution to the primary energy storage technologies. A better understanding of performance and durability of PEMWE is critical for the engineers and researchers to further advance this technology for its market penetration, and for the manufacturers of PEM water electrolyzers to implement quality control procedures for the production line or on-site process monitoring/diagnosis. This paper reviews the published works on performance degradations and mitigation strategies for PEMWE. Sources of degradation for individual components are introduced. With degradation causes discussed and degradation mechanisms examined, the review emphasizes on feasible strategies to mitigate the components degradation. To avoid lengthy real lifetime degradation tests and their high costs, the importance of accelerated stress tests and protocols is highlighted for various components. In the end, R&D directions are proposed to move the PEMWE technology forward to become a key element in future energy scenarios.

77 FR 56737 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-61; Introduction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-13

... Administration National Aeronautics and Space Administration 48 CFR Chapter 1 Federal Acquisition Regulations... AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 48 CFR Chapter 1 [Docket FAR 2012-0080, Sequence 6] Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-61; Introduction AGENCY: Department of Defense (DoD), General...

76 FR 39231 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-53; Introduction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-05

... National Aeronautics and Space Administration 48 CFR Chapter 1 Federal Acquisition Regulation; Final Rules... ADMINISTRATION 48 CFR Chapter 1 [Docket FAR 2011-0076, Sequence 5] Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-53; Introduction AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DoD), General Services...

From Global Reconnaissance to Sample Return: A Proposal for a Post-2009 Strategy to Follow the Water on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clifford, S. M.; George, J. A.; Stoker, C. R.; Briggs, G.

2003-01-01

Since the mid-1990's, the stated strategy of the Mars Exploration Program has been to Follow the Water. Although this strategy has been widely publicized, its degree of influence -- and the logic behind its current implementation (as reflected in mission planning, platform and instrument selection, and allocation of spacecraft resources) remains unclear. In response to this concern, we propose an integrated strategy for the post-2009 exploration of Mars that identifies the scientific objectives, rationale, sequence of missions, and specific investigations, that we believe provides the maximum possible science return by pursuing the most direct, cost-effective, and technically capable approach to following the water. This strategy is based on the orbital identification, high-resolution surface investigation, and ultimate sampling of the highest priority targets: near-surface liquid water and massive ground ice (potentially associated with the discharge of the outlflow channels or the relic of a former ocean). The analysis of such samples, in conjunction with the data acquired by the necessary precursor investigations (to identify the locations and characterize the environments of the optimum sampling sites), is expected to address a majority of the goals and high priority science objectives identified by MEPAG.

77 FR 2653 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Pilot Program for Acquisition of Military...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-19

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Defense Acquisition Regulations System 48 CFR Parts 212 and 252 RIN 0750-AH27 Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Pilot Program for Acquisition of Military-Purpose Nondevelopmental Items (DFARS Case 2011-D034) AGENCY: Defense Acquisition Regulations System...

Astronaut Alan Bean looks over data acquisition camera on Skylab trainer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

Astronaut Alan L. Bean, commander for Skylab 3, the second manned Skylab mission, looks over the data acquisition camera mounted on the water tank in the upper level of the Orbital Workshop (OWS) one-G trainer at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC).

[Identification of Systemic Contaminations with Legionella Spec. in Drinking Water Plumbing Systems: Sampling Strategies and Corresponding Parameters].

PubMed

Völker, S; Schreiber, C; Müller, H; Zacharias, N; Kistemann, T

2017-05-01

After the amendment of the Drinking Water Ordinance in 2011, the requirements for the hygienic-microbiological monitoring of drinking water installations have increased significantly. In the BMBF-funded project "Biofilm Management" (2010-2014), we examined the extent to which established sampling strategies in practice can uncover drinking water plumbing systems systemically colonized with Legionella. Moreover, we investigated additional parameters that might be suitable for detecting systemic contaminations. We subjected the drinking water plumbing systems of 8 buildings with known microbial contamination (Legionella) to an intensive hygienic-microbiological sampling with high spatial and temporal resolution. A total of 626 drinking hot water samples were analyzed with classical culture-based methods. In addition, comprehensive hygienic observations were conducted in each building and qualitative interviews with operators and users were applied. Collected tap-specific parameters were quantitatively analyzed by means of sensitivity and accuracy calculations. The systemic presence of Legionella in drinking water plumbing systems has a high spatial and temporal variability. Established sampling strategies were only partially suitable to detect long-term Legionella contaminations in practice. In particular, the sampling of hot water at the calorifier and circulation re-entrance showed little significance in terms of contamination events. To detect the systemic presence of Legionella,the parameters stagnation (qualitatively assessed) and temperature (compliance with the 5K-rule) showed better results. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

78 FR 60167 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-70; Introduction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-30

...)(3), contracting officers are encouraged to include the changes in these rules in major modifications.... William Clark, Acting Director, Office of Government-wide Acquisition Policy, Office of Acquisition Policy, Office of Government-wide Policy. Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-70 is issued under the...

Temporal and spatial changes of water quality and management strategies of Dianchi Lake in southwest China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, T.; Zeng, W. H.; Wang, S. R.; Ni, Z. K.

2013-12-01

Temporal and spatial changes to the water quality of Dianchi Lake in Southwest China were investigated using monthly monitoring data from 2005 to 2012. Based on the analysis of total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), and chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentrations, it was determined that, in Caohai Lake, the annual concentrations of these variables ranged from 0.19-1.46, 6.11-16.79, 0.06-0.14 mg L-1, respectively. In addition, the annual concentrations of TP, TN and Chl a in Waihai Lake ranged between 0.13-0.20, 1.82-3.01, 0.04-0.09 mg L-1, respectively. Cluster Analysis (CA) classified the 10 monitoring sites into two groups (group A and group B) based on similarities of water quality characteristics. Our data revealed that the current status of water quality within Caohai Lake was much worse than that of Waihai Lake. Water quality was seriously degraded during the economic boom near the period of the "Eleventh Five-Year Plan" (2005-2010), and gradually improved from 2010 to 2012 because of the "standard emission directive to industry". The main factors that influenced the spatial and temporal changes to water quality were natural factors including lake evolution and regional characteristic as well as human factors such as pollution load into the lake and management strategies that were already adopted. Some activities and regulations were implemented to enhance the lake environment by controlling wastewater emissions and establishing regulations to protect the lakes in the Yunnan Province. However, problems with institutional fragmentation (horizontal and vertical), simple treatment methods, low-intensity investment in pollution control, and lack of meaningful endogenous pollution control strategies were still present in the lake management strategy. To solve these problems, suitable control measures are needed, especially considering the current old-age status of Dianchi Lake. The fundamental improvement of the water quality within Caohai Lake was dependent on the

Water quality monitoring strategies - A review and future perspectives.

PubMed

Behmel, S; Damour, M; Ludwig, R; Rodriguez, M J

2016-11-15

The reliable assessment of water quality through water quality monitoring programs (WQMPs) is crucial in order for decision-makers to understand, interpret and use this information in support of their management activities aiming at protecting the resource. The challenge of water quality monitoring has been widely addressed in the literature since the 1940s. However, there is still no generally accepted, holistic and practical strategy to support all phases of WQMPs. The purpose of this paper is to report on the use cases a watershed manager has to address to plan or optimize a WQMP from the challenge of identifying monitoring objectives; selecting sampling sites and water quality parameters; identifying sampling frequencies; considering logistics and resources to the implementation of actions based on information acquired through the WQMP. An inventory and critique of the information, approaches and tools placed at the disposal of watershed managers was proposed to evaluate how the existing information could be integrated in a holistic, user-friendly and evolvable solution. Given the differences in regulatory requirements, water quality standards, geographical and geological differences, land-use variations, and other site specificities, a one-in-all solution is not possible. However, we advance that an intelligent decision support system (IDSS) based on expert knowledge that integrates existing approaches and past research can guide a watershed manager through the process according to his/her site-specific requirements. It is also necessary to tap into local knowledge and to identify the knowledge needs of all the stakeholders through participative approaches based on geographical information systems and adaptive survey-based questionnaires. We believe that future research should focus on developing such participative approaches and further investigate the benefits of IDSS's that can be updated quickly and make it possible for a watershed manager to obtain a

The quick acquisition technique for laser communication between LEO and GEO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Li-zhong; Zhang, Rui-qin; Li, Yong-hao; Meng, Li-xin; Li, Xiao-ming

2013-08-01

The sight-axis alignment can be accomplished by the quick acquisition operation between two laser communication terminals, which is the premise of establishing a free-space optical communication link. Especially for the laser communication links of LEO (Low Earth Orbit)-Ground and LEO-GEO (Geostationary Earth Orbit), since the earth would break the transmission of laser and break the communication as well, so the effective time for each communication is very shot (several minutes~ dozens of minutes), as a result the communication terminals have to capture each other to rebuild the laser communication link. In the paper, on the basis of the analysis of the traditional methods, it presents a new idea that using the long beacon light instead of the circular beacon light; thereby the original of two-dimensional raster spiral scanning is replaced by one-dimensional scanning. This method will reduce the setup time and decrease the failure probability of acquisition for the LEO-GEO laser communication link. Firstly, the analysis of the external constraint conditions in the acquisition phase has been presented in this paper. Furthermore, the acquisition algorithm models have been established. The optimization analysis for the parameters of the acquisition unit has been carried out, and the ground validation experiments of the acquisition strategy have also been performed. The experiments and analysis show that compared with traditional capturing methods, the method presented in this article can make the capturing time be shortened by about 40%, and the failure probability of capturing be reduced by about 30%. So, the method is significant for the LEO-GEO laser communication link.

The Effects of Behavioral History on Response Acquisition with Immediate and Delayed Reinforcement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snycerski, Susan; Laraway, Sean; Huitema, Bradley E.; Poling, Alan

2004-01-01

Effects of prior exposure to the experimental chamber with levers present or absent and variable-time (VT) 60-s water deliveries arranged during one, five, or no 1-hr sessions were examined in rats during a 6-hr response-acquisition session in which presses on one lever produced water delivery immediately or after a 15-s resetting delay, and…

Effects of laterality and sex on cognitive strategy in a water maze place learning task and modification by nicotine and nitric oxide synthase inhibition in rats.

PubMed

Kanit, L; Koylu, E O; Erdogan, O; Pogun, S

2005-08-15

The aim of the present study was to investigate sex differences in learning strategies and to elucidate the mechanisms, which may underlie these differences. In two separate experiments, rats were presented with different strategies that could be employed to learn the position of a platform in a water maze (WM); furthermore, rats received treatments that could influence these strategies. In the first experiment, we demonstrated that the response-learning paradigm can be applied to the WM and can be compared with visually cued learning and reversal learning. Naïve rats of either sex could acquire this protocol relatively easily. On the probe trial, where the rats are presented with a choice between using response versus visually cued learning, initially response learning was preferred, however, during these experiments, laterality emerged as a significant factor and rats trained to turn right had difficulty in reversing the learned pattern to find the platform. The second part of our study evaluated the effects of nicotine and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition on the aforementioned parameters. Drug treatments impaired acquisition compared to saline treatments and the effect was more pronounced with NOS inhibition. During the probe trial, while NOS inhibition enhanced the right-side bias in both sexes, nicotine treatment had the same effect only in males. In conclusion, naïve rats can acquire place learning using visible cues or response learning; however, there is a right side bias in both sexes and the laterality effect is more pronounced in male rats. In drug-treated animals, while NOS inhibition enhances laterality (right bias) in both sexes similarly, nicotine modifies the cognitive strategy in a sexually dimorphic manner by augmenting the right bias only in male rats.

Development of Strategies for Sustainable Irrigation Water Management in Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeyliger, Anatoly; Ermolaeva, Olga

2013-04-01

During 1960 - 1990 years irrigated areas in Russia have increased rapidly, helping to boost agricultural output. Although the impressive achievements of irrigation in this period its large experience indicates problems and failures of irrigation water management. In addition to large water use and low irrigation water efficiency, environmental concerns (excessive water depletion, water quality reduction, water logging, soil degradation) are usually considered like the most significant problem of the irrigation sector. Despite of considerable shrinking of irrigated areas in Russia and decreasing of water withdrawal for irrigation purposes during two last decades a degradation of environment as well as degradation of soil and water resources in irrigated areas was prolonged and will probably continue if current irrigation practices are maintained. Nowadays, in different regions of Russia there are societal demand to restore agricultural irrigation in Russia as answer to challenges from climate pattern changes and degradation of land & water resources. In the respect of these demands there is a need to develop strategies for sustainability of agricultural irrigation in Russia that should be based on three main societal objectives: costeffective use of water in irrigated agriculture at farm level, and satisfactory preserving the natural environment. Therefore sustainable irrigation water management is not only an objective at farm level but also an overall goal at the local and regional as well. A way to achieve sustainability in irrigation water management is to solve the local conflicts arising from the interactions between water use at irrigation areas and surrounding environment. Thus should be based on the development of irrigation framework program including on the irrigation water management issues, policies & decisions making at federal and regional levels should be based on the indicators of environment & irrigation water efficiency monitoring promoting the