bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Handheld Device for Intrusive and Nonintrusive Field Measurements of Air Permeability
Authors: Jalbert Marc , Dane Jacob H.
Published: October 2013

Air permeability is an easy to measure soil parameter that is of direct importance in gas transport studies. Its values can also be used as indicators of soil hydraulic conductivity. Near the soil surface, both air and water permeability values are important for hydrological and agricultural studies involving, for example, soil aeration and water runoff during rainfall events. We provide a design of a rugged, lightweight, handheld, single‐reading device allowing for fast measurements of air permeability near the soil surface. The device makes use of two interchangeable air probes. The contact probe, well documented in the petroleum engineering literature, is proposed as an addition to the traditional insertion probe. The advantages and drawbacks of each probe type are discussed briefly. Central to the in situ measurement of air permeability is the concept of the probe geometric factor. Empirical relationships are presented to make the application of this concept more amenable. Relative differences in air permeability values obtained with the two probes seem to be acceptable for permeability measurements. Even though in most cases contact probe air permeability values were higher than insertion probe values, no clear trend existed. The differences were attributed to differences in soil compaction, bypass flow, and different measurement volumes associated with the two probe types. For the flow rates and pressures encountered during the measurements, the flow rate behaved as a linear function of the pressure gradient. In other words, the assumed Darcy‐type equation was applicable.
A Modified Vadose Zone Fluxmeter with Solution Collection Capability
Authors: Gee Glendon W. , Zhang Z. Fred , Ward Andy L.
Published: October 2013

To assess contaminant fluxes in the vadose zone water flux and solute concentrations must be known but they are seldom measured simultaneously at the same location. A water fluxmeter (WFM) with divergence control was modified to measure solute concentrations by adding a funnel and collection vial to the bottom of the meter. Laboratory experiments using coarse and fine sands showed that measured solute concentrations and known water fluxes can be combined to provide estimates of solute flux. Water containing a NO−3 tracer was applied at a rate of 1.97 × 10−8 m s−1 (621 mm yr−1), and water flux was simultaneously measured along with NO−3 concentrations in the outflow water. The general agreement in fitted and measured pore‐water velocities suggests that the breakthrough curves of NO−3 measured using the drainage through the WFM can be used to estimate the pore‐water velocity of the soil. Solute travel‐time through the 60‐cm‐long wick was <10% of the travel time through the sands and could be neglected. Flow divergence was examined by measuring the soil water content and pressure head at different positions and by measuring the water flux passing through and around the WFM. Divergence was controlled by a 15‐cm‐high barrier such that more than 80% of the flow passed through the fluxmeter in both soils. Results show that the modified SFM can provide a convenient method for long‐term monitoring of contaminant flux.
Transport by Advection and Diffusion Revisited
Authors: Corey A. T. , Auvermann B. W.
Published: October 2013

Mass transport by advection and diffusion is involved in nearly all branches of science, but various scientific disciplines define the two mechanisms of transport differently. Models widely accepted for combining transport resulting from advection and diffusion are shown to be inconsistent with experimental observations. Experimental observations are cited to show that the barycentric velocity of a solution is not synonymous with velocity as determined by the Navier‐Stokes equation of fluid motion. The physics of advection and diffusion is analyzed, and requirements for combining advection and diffusion are presented. Advection is defined here as transport responding to a pressure gradient or body force. Molecular diffusion is defined as transport responding to concentration or thermal gradients. Diffusion represents an average velocity component of molecules of a particular constituent relative to a fixed frame of reference external to the solution, rather than to the mean velocity of all constituents in a solution as defined in current literature. Advection and diffusion contribute independently to the total transport.
Modeling Plant Response to Drought and Salt Stress: Reformulation of the Root‐Sink Term
Authors: Dudley L. M. , Shani U.
Published: October 2013

Because transpiration is often the largest component of the water budget in arid systems, the efficacy of computer simulation models as predictors of water and salt movement is predicated on their ability to predict transpiration. The objective of this study was to improve the root‐sink term for water extraction and thus improve predictions of transpiration. The root‐sink terms often use either a transpiration‐apportioning (TA) empirical function for the plant response to the soil matric and osmotic potential or a potential‐flow (PF) function. Three root‐sink terms, a TA formulation, a PF formulation, and a combination of the two (PFTA, a TA function for computing water uptake in response to salinity and a PF function for computing water uptake in response to water availability) were coded into a simulation model, and model predictions were compared with field‐collected data. When predicted and measured relative yields (yield/yieldmax) were compared, the PF produced the poorest agreement with data (y = 0.8741x + 0.0251), the TA gave better agreement (y = 0.9283x + 0.0476), and PFTA provided the best agreement (y = 0.9909x + 0.0430). The plant and plant–soil based formulation predicted the salinity profile at the end of the field experiment under conditions of high salinity (EC irrigation water = 6.0 dS m−1) and irrigation equal to potential evaporation. The plant–soil formulation was the better predictor under the same salinity condition with irrigation at 40% of potential evaporation. The simulated evolution of the water content and salinity profile across time was also examined.
Carbon Isotopic Evidence for Biodegradation of Organic Contaminants in the Shallow Vadose Zone of the Radioactive Waste Management Complex
Authors: Conrad Mark E. , DePaolo Donald J.
Published: October 2013

Waste material buried in drums in the shallow subsurface at the Radioactive Waste Management Facility (RWMC) of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) contained significant amounts of organic compounds, including lubricating oils and chlorinated solvents. Carbon dioxide concentrations in pore gas samples from monitoring wells in the vicinity of the disposal pits are three to five times higher than the concentrations in nearby background wells. The stable C isotope ratios (δ13C values) of CO2 from the disposal pits averaged 2.4‰ less than CO2 from the background wells, indicating that the elevated CO2 concentrations around the pits were derived from source materials with δ13C values in the range of −24 to −29‰. These δ13C values are typical of lubricating oils, but higher than most solvents. The radiocarbon (14C) contents of CO2 across most of the site were significantly elevated above modern concentrations due to reactor blocks buried in a subsurface vault at the site. However, several samples collected from the high‐CO2 zone on the far side of the RWMC from the reactor blocks had very low 14C contents (<0.13 times modern), confirming production from lubricating oils manufactured from fossil hydrocarbons. The magnitude of the CO2 anomaly observed at the site is consistent with intrinsic biodegradation rates on the order of 0.5 to 3.0 t C yr−1
Transient Flow in a Heterogeneous Vadose Zone with Uncertain Parameters
Authors: Tartakovsky Alexandre M. , Garcia‐Naranjo Luis , Tartakovsky Daniel M.
Published: October 2013

We consider transient flow in unsaturated heterogeneous porous media with uncertain hydraulic parameters. Our aim is to provide unbiased predictions (estimates) of system states, such as pressure head, water content, and fluxes, and to quantify the uncertainty associated with such predictions. We achieve this goal by treating hydraulic parameters as random fields and the corresponding flow equations as stochastic. Current stochastic analyses of transient flow in partially saturated soils require linearization of the constitutive relations, which may lead to significant inaccuracies when these relations are highly nonlinear. If relative conductivity and saturation vary exponentially with pressure and the corresponding scaling parameters are random variables, the transient Richards equation is mapped onto a linear equation by means of the Kirchhoff transformation. This allows us to develop deterministic differential equations for the first and second ensemble moments of pressure and saturation. We solve these equations analytically, for vertical infiltration, and compare them with direct Monte Carlo simulations.
Evaluation of the Conceptual Flow Model for a Deep Vadose Zone System Using Advanced Tensiometers
Authors: McElroy Deborah L. , Hubbell Joel M.
Published: October 2013

Conceptual flow models provide a framework for predictive modeling of contaminant transport. This study tests the assumptions of steady‐state flow and a unit hydraulic gradient in a 177‐m‐thick vadose zone beneath a mixed waste site, using a network of advanced tensiometers. The conceptual flow model at the waste site, located on the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEEL), describes moisture movement through a geologically complex site comprising basalt flows intercalated with sedimentary interbeds. The presence of sedimentary interbeds is expected to dampen and store much of the episodic recharge, resulting in near steady‐state conditions and unit gradient flow. Thirty advanced tensiometers in 18 wells provided field water potential data at depths ranging from 6.7 to 73.5 m below land surface (bls), beneath and adjacent to the waste site. Measured water potentials from February 2000 through August 2002 ranged from near saturation (−30 cm of water) to about −400 cm of water. Above 17 m, the observed long‐term drying trends were presumed to be a response to the cumulative effect of lower than average annual precipitation for the last 3 yr (2000–2002). Below 17 m, steady‐state conditions were observed at more than one‐half of the monitored locations. However, long‐term drying and wetting trends were also observed at 9 of the 25 monitored locations below 17 m, in contrast to the steady‐state flow assumptions in the conceptual model. Long‐term water potential changes ranged from about 20 to 200 cm of water. It is hypothesized that these drying trends are related to areas of focused infiltration, such as drainage ditches, and are a response to decreased runoff from three years of less than average precipitation. A unit gradient was indicated by aligning dispersed monitoring locations along a presumed vertical profile.
Fate of Brine Applied to Unpaved Roads at a Radioactive Waste Subsurface Disposal Area
Authors: Hull Larry C. , Bishop Carolyn W.
Published: October 2013

Between 1984 and 1993, MgCl2brine was used to suppress dust on unpaved roads at a radioactive waste subsurface disposal area. Because Cl−might enhance corrosion of buried metals in the waste, we investigated the distribution and fate of Cl−in the vadose zone using pore water samples collected from suction lysimeters and soluble salt concentrations extracted from sediment samples. The Cl/Br mass ratio and the total dissolved Cl−concentration of pore water show that brine contamination occurs primarily within 13 m of treated roads, but can extend as much as 30 m laterally in near‐surface sedimentary deposits. Within the deep vadose zone, which consists of interlayered basalt lava flows and sedimentary interbeds, brine has moved up to 110 m laterally. This lateral migration suggests formation of perched water and horizontal transport during periods of high recharge. In a few locations, brine migrated to depths of 67 m within 3 to 5 yr. Elevated Cl−concentrations were found to depths of 2 m in roadbed material. In drainage ditches along roads, where runoff accumulates and recharge of surface water is high, Cl−was flushed from the sediments in 3 to 4 yr. In areas of lower recharge, Cl−remained in the sediments after 5 yr. Vertical brine movement is directly related to surface recharge through sediments. The distribution of Cl−in pore water and sediments is consistent with estimates of vadose zone residence times and spatial distribution of surface water recharge from other investigations at the subsurface disposal area.
Interpreting INEEL Vadose Zone Water Movement on the Basis of Large‐Scale Field Tests and Long‐Term Vadose Zone Monitoring Results
Authors: Mattson Earl D. , Magnuson Swen O. , Ansley Shannon L.
Published: October 2013

A review of the results from two large‐scale field tests and vadose zone monitoring data at two facilities at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) has provided information to support development of a conceptual model of water movement in the highly heterogeneous vadose zone beneath two INEEL facilities. Both of the large‐scale field tests were ponded water infiltration tests that approached the size of the two facilities. An assembly of perched water wells, neutron access tubes, and tensiometers have been used to monitor water movement beneath these sites. Once water has percolated through the surficial sediment at these facilities, the presence of the surficial sediment–basalt interface results in some perching of the percolated water with limited lateral movement. Water movement in basalt formations is mainly gravity‐dominated in preferential fracture pathways and rubble zones and results in rapid vertical flow especially frequently under conditions of positive hydrostatic head. Detection of wetting front advance is typically not sequential with depth and has been shown to vary between episodic infiltration events. At the basalt–sediment interface of the interbeds, perched water is often detected and has resulted in more lateral spreading of recharge than at the surficial sediment–basalt interface. Gaps in the sedimentary interbeds will allow some of the recharge water to bypass the interbeds and rapidly continue toward the aquifer. This complex water movement in the vadose zone beneath the INEEL supports the need to control surface infiltration, identify gaps and the lateral continuity of the interbeds, and investigate the influence of nearby surface water sources on perched water movement beneath these two facilities.
Regulatory Modeling for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory's Subsurface Disposal Area and Conceptual Model Uncertainty Treatment
Authors: Magnuson Swen
Published: October 2013

The Subsurface Disposal Area (SDA) at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) contains low‐level, hazardous, and transuranic wastes and is the subject of ongoing environmental assessments. The buried waste is in shallow land burial overlying a 180‐m‐thick vadose zone comprised of fractured basalts and sedimentary interbeds. Applied simulation studies to predict future contaminant concentrations from this buried waste have been conducted as part of ongoing regulatory‐driven environmental assessments for the SDA. An overview of the most recent numerical simulation study is presented along with a treatment of conceptual model uncertainty. The main premise of this paper is that conceptual uncertainty likely dominates parametric uncertainty, and this dominance should be considered when designing characterization studies. Given that the current modeling is uncalibrated due to inconsistent monitoring data in the vadose zone, it is only appropriate to consider conceptual model uncertainty. Conceptual model uncertainty was addressed by modeling different scenarios. Scenarios presented in this paper are the assignment of infiltration boundary conditions, a simplistic approximation to represent facilitated transport, and alternative representations of the moisture characteristic curve for fractured basalts. Results of this subsurface transport modeling have been used in part to guide additional field characterization activities. Eventually, predicted concentrations from this applied model will be used to estimate human health risks for a potential future receptor as part of the environmental assessment process.
Hydraulic and Geochemical Framework of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Vadose Zone
Authors: Nimmo John R. , Rousseau Joseph P. , Perkins Kim S. , Stollenwerk Kenneth G. , Glynn Pierre D. , Bartholomay Roy C. , Knobel LeRoy L.
Published: October 2013

Questions of major importance for subsurface contaminant transport at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) include (i) travel times to the aquifer, both average or typical values and the range of values to be expected, and (ii) modes of contaminant transport, especially sorption processes. The hydraulic and geochemical framework within which these questions are addressed is dominated by extreme heterogeneity in a vadose zone and aquifer consisting of interbedded basalts and sediments. Hydraulically, major issues include diverse possible types of flow pathways, extreme anisotropy, preferential flow, combined vertical and horizontal flow, and temporary saturation or perching. Geochemically, major issues include contaminant mobility as influenced by redox conditions, the concentration of organic and inorganic complexing solutes and other local variables, the interaction with infiltrating waters and with the contaminant source environment, and the aqueous speciation of contaminants such as actinides. Another major issue is the possibility of colloid transport, which inverts some of the traditional concepts of mobility, as sorbed contaminants on mobile colloids may be transported with ease compared with contaminants that are not sorbed. With respect to the goal of minimizing aquifer concentrations of contaminants, some characteristics of the vadose zone are essentially completely favorable. Examples include the great thickness (200 m) of the vadose zone, and the presence of substantial quantities of fine sediments that can retard contaminant transport both hydraulically and chemically. Most characteristics, however, have both favorable and unfavorable aspects. For example, preferential flow, as promoted by several notable features of the vadose zone at the INEEL, can provide fast, minimally sorbing pathways for contaminants to reach the aquifer easily, but it also leads to a wide dispersal of contaminants in a large volume of subsurface material, thus increasing the opportunity for dilution and sorption.
Simulating Infiltration Tests in Fractured Basalt at the Box Canyon Site, Idaho
Authors: Unger André J. A. , Faybishenko Boris , Bodvarsson Gudmundur S. , Simmons Ardyth M.
Published: October 2013

The results of a series of ponded infiltration tests in variably saturated fractured basalt at Box Canyon, Idaho were used to build confidence in conceptual and numerical modeling approaches used to simulate infiltration in fractured rock. Specifically, we constructed a dual‐permeability model using TOUGH2 to represent both the matrix and fracture continua of the upper basalt flow at the Box Canyon Site. A consistent set of hydrogeological parameters was obtained by calibrating the model to infiltration front arrival times in the fracture continuum as inferred from Br− samples collected from fracture–borehole intersections observed during the infiltrating tests. These parameters included the permeability of the fracture and matrix continua, the interfacial area between the fracture and matrix continua, and the porosity of the fracture continuum. To calibrate the model, we multiplied the fracture–matrix interfacial area by a factor between 0.1 and 0.01 to reduce imbibition of water from the fracture continuum into the matrix continuum during the infiltration tests. Furthermore, the porosity of the fracture continuum, as calculated using the fracture aperture inferred from pneumatic‐test permeabilities, was increased by a factor of 50 yielding porosity values for the upper basalt flow in the range of 0.01 to 0.02. The fracture‐continuum porosity was a highly sensitive parameter controlling the arrival times of the simulated infiltration fronts. Porosity values are consistent with those determined during the Large‐Scale Aquifer Pumping and Infiltration Test at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.
Risk sharing in hydropower development: case study of the Chukha Hydel Project in Bhutan
Authors: Dhakal D. N. S. , Jenkins Glenn P.
Published: October 2013

The Himalayan rivers have an enormous hydropower potential that is still not exploited fully for the benefit of the region. Bhutan and Nepal together have an economically feasible potential of 60,000 MW of hydroelectric power generation capacity but are too weak financially to bear the risks associated with the development of their hydro resources alone. India is the only potential market for the electricity supplied from these sources. The power purchase agreement framework for the 336 MW Chukha Hydel Project in Bhutan could serve as a model for the transfer of risks, management of risks and sourcing of finance in exchange for sharing the economic rents associated with such projects. India undertook the costs and risks of constructing the hydroelectric dam and power plant in exchange for a reduced purchase price of electricity from the completed facility. This paper contains a financial and economic assessment of the Chukha Hydel Project. While India is in a position to exercise monopsonic power in this electricity market, this analysis shows that it is possible to have an agreement for sharing the risks and returns between India and the Himalayan countries that is highly beneficial to all the stakeholders.
Are embankments a good flood control strategy? A case study on the Kosi river
Authors: Somanathan E.
Published: October 2013

Whether embankments should be used to control floods is a question of great importance in the eastern Gangetic plain, where embankment breaches cause severe flood damage every year and huge damage due to major breaches every few years. Critics of the embankment policy have called for a strategy of living with floods by building dispersed infrastructure to cope with floods. However, no cost–benefit analysis of alternative strategies is available. This paper makes a first pass at evaluating embankments. Using 2 years or more of data from 504 households in 28 villages in the floodplain of the Kosi river in north Bihar, the paper compares agricultural output, wage incomes, unemployment and other indicators of well-being in villages subject to flooding from rivers with those from villages not subject to such flooding. The paper finds that, for the most part, villages subject to river flooding are no worse off than villages not subject to such flooding. Thus, the evidence provides no support for the embankment strategy.
Implications of climate change for water resources development in the Ganges basin
Authors: Jeuland Marc , Harshadeep Nagaraja , Escurra Jorge , Blackmore Don , Sadoff Claudia
Published: October 2013

This paper presents the first basin-wide assessment of the potential impact of climate change on the hydrology and production of the Ganges system, undertaken as part of the World Bank's Ganges Strategic Basin Assessment. A series of modeling efforts – downscaling of climate projections, water balance calculations, hydrological simulation and economic optimization – inform the assessment. We find that projections of precipitation across the basin, obtained from 16 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change-recognized General Circulation Models are highly variable, and lead to considerable differences in predictions of mean flows in the main stem of the Ganges and its tributaries. Despite uncertainties in predicted future flows, they are not, however, outside the range of natural variability in this basin, except perhaps at the tributary or sub-catchment levels. We also find that the hydropower potential associated with a set of 23 large dams in Nepal remains high across climate models, largely because annual flow in the tributary rivers greatly exceeds the storage capacities of these projects even in dry scenarios. The additional storage and smoothing of flows provided by these infrastructures translates into enhanced water availability in the dry season, but the relative value of this water for the purposes of irrigation in the Gangetic plain, and for low flow augmentation to Bangladesh under climate change, is unclear.
Managerial response to sea level rise in the tidal estuaries of the Indian Sundarbans: a geomorphological approach
Authors: Bhattacharyya Somenath , Pethick John , Sarma Kakoli Sen
Published: October 2013

Tidal estuaries constrained by embankments in the Sundarbans have failed to respond to a >1 m sea level rise over the past 100 years since their construction. This paper shows that this has led to a disequilibrium morphology leading to channel erosion that has undermined embankments, causing mass failure, breaching and subsequent flooding during surge events. Predicted future sea level rise will exacerbate this trend and managed realignment of embankments will be needed to accommodate it. Management practices have, however, modified this underlying process of erosion. The increasing practice of severing tributary channels from the main channel using flap sluices to create freshwater storage ponds has, in many cases, reduced tidal flow in the main channels so that they are not only accreting rather than eroding, but capable of accommodating future sea level rise without erosion. In contrast, the rapid spread of salt water aquaculture in the Sundarbans, flooding previous paddy land, has led to an increase in tidal discharge and accelerated erosion of the embankments in estuary channels conveying water to the ponds. This paper concludes that existing management practices may have a more significant impact on flooding in the Sundarban than the predicted sea level rise due to global warming.
Some rare and interesting green algae (Chlorophyta) from subalpine Tatra lakes (High Tatra Mountains, Poland)
Authors: Lenarczyk Joanna , Tsarenko Petro
Published: October 2013

Five green algal taxa rarely occurring in the world were found in subalpine lakes of the High Tatra Mountains in Poland. These are Actinastrum gracillimum G.M. Sm. var. elongatum (G.M. Sm.) Fott, Monoraphidium tatrae (Hindák) Hindák, Pediastrum braunii Wartm. in Wartm. et Schenk, Scotiella tuberculata Bourr. var. tuberculata and Thelesphaera olivacea (Beck-Mannag.) Fott. The taxa are described and illustrated with light micrographs and drawings. A review of their distribution in the world is presented.
Anabaena poulseniana J. Boye Petersen — a species new to Polish flora
Authors: Richter Dorota
Published: October 2013

Anabaena poulseniana J. Boye Petersen Bot. Iceland 2, 1923 (Cyanobacteria), a cyanobacteria species new to Polish flora, was noted during a study of phytoplankton in one of Wrocław’s clay pits. The species was noted in plankton samples among Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (Wołoszyńska) Seenayya et Subba Raju (Cyanobacteria) and Mougeotia sp. (Chlorophyta) filaments. The green algae created a bloom characterized by vegetation mats floating on the water.

The paper presents detailed characteristics for Anabaena poulseniana, and for the habitat and the ecological condition in the examined water reservoir during its presence. The paper also presents a comparison of morphological characteristics of A. poulseniana from Poland to the species from other geographical locations. The research will provide data on the morphology and ecology of the species. The species found during the study were documented in the form of original photos and illustrations.
Mercury in immature and adults Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus) wintering on the Gulf of Gdańsk area
Authors: Szumiło Emilia , Szubska Marta , Meissner Włodzimierz , Bełdowska Magdalena , Falkowska Lucyna
Published: October 2013

This study presents total mercury concentrations (HgT) in selected tissues and organs (blood, muscles, liver, kidneys, feathers and claws) of the herring gull (Larus argentatus) in order to assess the environmental pollution in the coastal zone of the southern Baltic. Dead, frozen birds were collected in the vicinity of Wladysławowo between December 2009 and March 2010, an exceptionally severe winter — a total of 13 specimens; 6 adults (>4 years old) and 7 immature birds (≤4 years old). Mercury concentrations in all analyzed samples exceeded the detection limit. The lowest average concentration, at a level of 0.4 μg Hg g−1 (d.w.) was observed in the muscles of adult and immature gulls while the highest, at a level of 3.3 μg Hg g−1 (d.w), was determined in the contour of immature gulls. A significant linear correlation was found between mercury concentration in the blood and the concentration in the kidneys and liver, with the coefficients of determination at R2 = 0.87 and 0.86, respectively. This indicates that blood of birds, as a mercury carrier, may reflects the concentration of mercury in tissues and internal organs of birds and, in the case of kidneys and liver, may express long-term exposure to mercury in nourishment.
Reversing the Logic
Authors: Knight David B.
Published: October 2013

Colleges and universities are being pressed to seek innovative ways to measure student learning outcomes and identify the conditions that lead to their development. Understanding how students group according to a multidimensional set of learning outcomes provides information on the extent to which institutions are meeting goals. This study develops a typology based on engineering undergraduates’ array of outcomes. The study also demonstrates variation in personal and educational experiences across outcomes-based student groupings, thus providing insight into “what works” for programs who seek to graduate students who have developed an array of engineering-related outcomes. This outcomes-based approach is readily applicable to any set of student learning outcomes that programs or institutions seek to cultivate.
Theology and Rationality: Some Conceptual and Epistemic Remarks
Authors: Schulz Heiko
Published: October 2013

Abstract:

The paper comprises three major arguments and, correspondingly, three main objectives. First, it suggests that we conceive of rationality as a virtue-concept designating, among other things, an entity located halfway between virtues that admit being reformulated as goods and duties (like reliability) and those lacking this capacity (like wisdom, being a good and a virtue, but not a duty). Second, the notion of “epistemic success” is introduced in order to account for possible standards of rationality—if only in the restricted sense of a sufficient condition of rationality, as opposed to a necessary one. Finally, religious beliefs as well as their self-reflective expression as theological statements) are shown, at least in principal, to be epistemically successful and thus rationally justified in the pragmatical sense described: if, whenever and to the extent that they express and are rooted in certain experiences to be spelled out as an “acute spiritual crisis.” Moreover, such justification turns out to have a special bearing on how dogmatically adequate statements can be generated.
Ambiguities and paradoxes in a competence-based	approach to vocational education and training in	France
Authors: Hébrard Pierre
Published: October 2013

This article aims to show the effects of the prevalence of the competence regime within several sectors of vocational education and training in France. The first part of the article outlines the origin of the concept of competence and the evolution of its meaning. Later, the underlying theoretical and epistemological foundations are examined and two different paradigms are distinguished. The second part of the article focuses on ambiguities and paradoxes of effect of competence approaches, in specific educational programmes in the healthcare professions and social work in France. This study is based on the analysis of a corpus of documents concerning French vocational education and training that use a competence-based approach
GeoCENS: A Geospatial Cyberinfrastructure for the World-Wide Sensor Web
Authors: Liang Steve , Huang Chih-Yuan
Published: October 2013

The world-wide sensor web has become a very useful technique for monitoring the physical world at spatial and temporal scales that were previously impossible. Yet we believe that the full potential of sensor web has thus far not been revealed. In order to harvest the world-wide sensor web’s full potential, a geospatial cyberinfrastructure is needed to store, process, and deliver large amount of sensor data collected worldwide. In this paper, we first define the issue of the sensor web long tail followed by our view of the world-wide sensor web architecture. Then, we introduce the Geospatial Cyberinfrastructure for Environmental Sensing (GeoCENS) architecture and explain each of its components. Finally, with demonstration of three real-world powered-by-GeoCENS sensor web applications, we believe that the GeoCENS architecture can successfully address the sensor web long tail issue and consequently realize the world-wide sensor web vision.
Assessing Incorrect Household Waste Sorting in a Medium-Sized Swedish City
Authors: Rousta Kamran , Ekström Karin
Published: October 2013

Source separation is a common method for dealing with the increasing problem of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in society. The citizens are then responsible for separating waste fractions produced in their home. If the consumers fail to sort the waste according to the source separation scheme, it will lead to an ineffective system. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the environmental, economic and social aspects of incorrect waste sorting in a medium sized Swedish city that has established a source separation system. In order to determine the extent to which citizens correctly sort their waste, food waste (black bags) and combustible fraction (white bags), were collected randomly from a residential area and categorized in different waste fractions. The results show that approximately 68 wt% of the waste in the white and 29 wt% in the black bags were not sorted correctly. This incorrect sorting accrues over 13 million SEK per year cost for this community. In order to improve the inhabitants’ participation in the waste management system, it is necessary to change different factors such as convenience and easy access to the recycling stations in the local MSW management systems as well as to review current regulation and policy.
Les Romances Religiosos des provinces de Heredia, Cartago et Alajuela (Costa Rica)
Authors: Cohen Henry
Published: October 2013

La tradición oral popular sigue transmitiéndose con mucha vitalidad en Costa Rica ; la difusión activa del romancero religioso demuestra bien este fenómeno. En las provincias de Heredia, Cartago y Alajuela, unos investigadores han descubierto cuarenta versiones de nueve romances religiosos españoles antiguos que se encuentran también en otros países americanos. Algunos parecen ser más o menos fijos, mientras otros demuestran bastante variedad léxica, narrativa y formuláica. Unos de estos poemas constituyen parte integrante de ritos sagrados de Navidad y Semana Santa por ser considerados puras oraciones. Este género no es menos evidente en la tradición oral costarricense que los romances novelescos, los romances infantiles, los villancicos, los corridos, las coplas y otros muchos géneros de la poesía popular.
A GENERALIZED PRECONDITIONED MHSS METHOD FOR A CLASS OF COMPLEX SYMMETRIC LINEAR SYSTEMS
Authors: Dehghan Mehdi , Dehghani-Madiseh Marzieh , Hajarian Masoud
Published: October 2013

Based on the MHSS (Modified Hermitian and skew-Hermitian splitting) and preconditioned MHSS methods, we will present a generalized preconditioned MHSS method for solving a class of complex symmetric linear systems. The new method (GPMHSS) is essentially a two-parameter iteration method where the iterative sequence is unconditionally convergent to the unique solution of the linear system. A parameter region of the convergence for our method is provided. An efficient preconditioner is presented for the actual implementation of the new method. Some numerical results are given to show its effectiveness.
A STAGE-STRUCTURED PREDATOR-PREY SI MODEL WITH DISEASE IN THE PREY AND IMPULSIVE EFFECTS
Authors: Zhang Tongqian , Meng Xinzhu , Song Yi , Zhang Tonghua
Published: October 2013

This paper aims to develop a high-dimensional SI model with stage structure for both the prey (pest) and the predator, and then to investigate the dynamics of it. The model can be used for the study of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) which is a combination of constant pulse releasing of animal enemies and diseased pests at two different fixed moments. Firstly, we use analytical techniques for impulsive delay differential equations to obtain the conditions for global attractivity of the ‘pest-free’ periodic solution and permanence of the population model. It shows that the conditions strongly depend on time delay, impulsive release of animal enemies and infective pests. Secondly, we present a pest management strategy in which the pest population is kept under the economic threshold level (ETL) when the pest population is permanent. Finally, numerical analysis is presented to illustrate our main conclusion.
EMPIRICAL INSIGHTS ON UNDERSTANDING STAKEHOLDER INFLUENCE
Authors: Susnienė Dalia , Purvinis Ojaras
Published: October 2013

The paper deals with the stakeholder management especially giving focus on the organization's and stakeholder relationships issues. The purpose of the paper is to construct a new methodological approach by developing fuzzy logic model based on experts’ knowledge for conceptual insights on possible solutions for measuring stakeholders’ influence. The objective of the research includes identification of possible organization stakeholder interactions considering stakeholders’ influence according to such attributes/ factors as interest, power, benevolence, and reliability. The results reveal that fuzzy logic technique is a reliable and valid tool for modelling and visualizing knowledge about stakeholders’ influence on the organization. Finally, the results were tested on the real business data concerning stakeholders’ influence. A contribution of this paper is the application of fuzzy logic model to evaluate and/or predict stakeholders’ influence to the issues the organization seeks to solve and to provide relevant information for the stakeholder relationships management.
REFERENCE MODEL OF BUSINESS INFORMATICS ECONOMICS MANAGEMENT
Authors: Maryska Milos , Wagner Jaroslav
Published: October 2013

This paper is devoted to issues connected with processes that can be used for the management of economic efficiency of business informatics with the support in the area of Business Intelligence. We analyze the processes of the management of business informatics economics. We propose new model that takes into account requirements on the management of economic efficiency necessitated by accounting, managers of companies, differences in the method of accounting of business informatics cost and profits etc. Our model provides information that helps to define prices and costs for services provided by business informatics to other in-house units, provides information for cost analysis of each employee, total cost of each IS/ICT section, identifying the total costs of business informatics etc.
The Safety and Efficacy of Noncorticosteroid Triple Immunosuppressive Therapy in the Treatment of Refractory Chronic Noninfectious Uveitis in Childhood
Authors: Little Jessica A. , Sen Ethan S. , Strike Helen , Hinchcliffe Annie , Guly Catherine M. , Lee Richard W.J. , Dick Andrew D. , Ramanan Athimalaipet V.
Published: October 2013

Objective.

To assess the safety and efficacy of noncorticosteroid triple immunosuppressive therapy in the treatment of refractory chronic noninfectious childhood uveitis.

Methods.

Subjects were retrospectively selected from a database. Patients were included if they were diagnosed with chronic, noninfectious uveitis at 16 years of age or under and treated with triple immunosuppressive therapy for at least 6 months (following failure of a combination of 2 immunosuppressants). Patient demographics, diagnoses, duration of uveitis, drug dosages, active joint inflammation, and ophthalmologic data were recorded. Efficacy outcomes for triple therapy were recorded at 6 months.

Results.

Thirteen patients with bilateral uveitis were included. Using Standardized Uveitis Nomenclature (SUN) criteria, at 6 months only 11 eyes (42%) had a 2-step improvement in anterior chamber cell inflammation (n = 26). In addition, 2 patients required additional oral corticosteroid treatment. There were 4 significant infectious adverse events during a total of 21.9 patient-years (PY) on triple therapy (0.18 events per PY).

Conclusion.

In this group of children with refractory uveitis, addition of a third immunosuppressive agent did not confer substantial benefit in redressing ocular inflammation and was associated with significant infections in a minority of patients.
Un psy au bord du canal, aller vers et présence, aller vers la présence
Authors: Jourdan Marc
Published: October 2013

Être psychologue, psychanalyste dans un lieu à tous les vents d’une ville. N’être pas qu’un visiteur compatissant, charitable, mais aussi un soignant, mais pas que, être un homme d’à côté des « mecs d’à côté » qui sont aussi des hommes de côté. À quoi s’accrocher, se raccrocher pour être bord, bordure...
Le fanatisme entendu par un psychanalyste
Authors: Haynal André
Published: October 2013

En présentant les effets dévastateurs du fanatisme, l’article offre une réflexion sur le fonctionnement psychique aussi bien de l’individu que du groupe fanatique. Le fanatisme peut être présent dans certaines formes de la pensée religieuse, il sous-tend les régimes totalitaires et des extrémismes nationalistes ainsi que certaines autres manifestations contemporaines, souvent politiques. Les théories freudiennes concernant la destructivité contribuent à mieux comprendre ce phénomène.
The State of Bats in Conservation Planning for the National Wildlife Refuge System, With Recommendations
Authors: Dixon Michael D. , Heist Kevin , Tinsley Karl
Published: October 2013

Bats face an unprecedented array of threats in the early 21st century, from traditional concerns such as habitat loss, to white nose syndrome and collisions with wind turbines. These growing challenges arise when the National Wildlife Refuge System, a system of public lands and waters that provides habitat for nearly every bat species in North America north of Mexico, is beginning its first revision cycle for its management plans, known as Comprehensive Conservation Plans. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is thus uniquely positioned to assess its current contribution to sustaining viable populations of bats in the United States and incorporate those findings into the biological objectives that will guide Refuge management for the next 15 y. We present a review of the degree to which the first generation of Comprehensive Conservation Plans addresses bat conservation, and we provide recommendations to guide managers, planners, and partners in the development of the second generation of these Comprehensive Conservation Plans.
Aux origines de l’industrie moderne marseillaise : l’œuvre de Louis Benet et de Philip Taylor (années 1830-1850)
Authors: Daumalin Xavier , Raveux Olivier
Published: September 2013

Les carrières industrielles et les conceptions sociales de Louis Benet et de Philip Taylor permettent de mieux comprendre la diversité des attitudes du patronat marseillais face aux défis de la première révolution industrielle. Que les entrepreneurs disposent d’une formation de haut niveau ou qu’ils aient été formés « sur le tas », qu’ils soient autochtones ou étrangers, ils bénéficient localement d’un remarquable terrain d’opportunités pour leurs projets industriels. Une seule condition compte finalement : savoir s’insérer dans les réseaux relationnels permettant de surmonter les problèmes de capitaux, de marchés et de technologies. Si ces deux hommes ont terminé leurs carrières par des échecs, ils n’en ont pas moins été de grands capitaines d’industrie, laissant derrière eux un héritage imposant et durable. Leurs itinéraires soulignent aussi la diversité des comportements dans la façon de percevoir et d’aborder la question ouvrière, des différences qui sont assez symptomatiques de l’époque et du lieu.
Knowledge about breast cancer and reasons for late presentation by cancer patients seen at Princess Marina Hospital, Gaborone, Botswana
Authors: Mbuka-Ongona Deogratias , Tumbo John M.
Published: October 2013

Introduction: In Botswana, breast cancer, the second most common malignancy amongst women, is often diagnosed late, with 90% of patients presenting at advanced stages at Princess Marina Hospital (PMH) Gaborone, the only referral hospital with an operational oncology department. The reasons for this late presentation have not been studied. Determination of these reasons is critical for the formulation of strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality from breast cancer in Botswana. The aim of this study was to explore existing knowledge about breast cancer and the reasons for late presentation amongst patients attending the oncology unit of Princess Marina Hospital.Method: A descriptive qualitative study using free attitude interview was performed.Twelve breast cancer sufferers were purposefully selected and eleven interviews conducted. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and translated. Thematic analysis of data was performed.Results: This study found that breast cancer sufferers had had poor knowledge of the disease prior to the diagnosis. Their knowledge improved markedly during their attendance to the oncology clinic. Screening methods such as breast self-examination (BSE) were not used frequently. The majority of participants had delayed going to the hospital because of a lack of knowledge, fear of the diagnosis and fear of death, misinterpretation of the signs, the influence of lay beliefs and advice from the community. In some cases, however, advice from family and friends resulted in a timely medical consultation. The poor clinical practices of some healthworkers and the inadequate involvement by decision makers regarding the issue of cancer awareness discouraged patients from seeking and adhering to appropriate therapy.Conclusions: Awareness and knowledge of breast cancer was found to be poor amongst sufferers prior to their diagnosis, but their awareness and knowledge improved after the diagnosis. There was limited use of screening methods and a generally delayed seeking of medical attention. The need for increased awareness and use of screening practices was identified to be essential for early diagnosis of the disease and for improved outcomes of breast cancer management in Botswana.