bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Perovskite‐Structured BiFeO3–Bi(Zn1/2Ti1/2)O3–PbTiO3 Solid Solution Piezoelectric Ceramics with Curie Temperature About 700°C
Authors: Hou Xianbo , Yu Jian 
Published: May 2013

In this article, perovskite‐structured BiFeO3–Bi(Zn1/2Ti1/2)O3–PbTiO3 (BF–BZT–PT) ternary solid solutions were prepared with traditional solid‐state reaction method and demonstrated to exhibit a coexistent phase boundary (CPB) with Curie temperature of TC~700°C in the form of ceramics with microstructure grain size of several micron. It was found that those CPB ceramics fabricated with conventional electroceramic processing are mechanically and electrically robust and can be poled to set a high piezoelectricity for the ceramics prepared with multiple calcinations and sintering temperature around 750°C. A high piezoelectric property of TC = 560°C, d33 = 30 pC/N, ε33T/ε0 = 302, and tanδ = 0.02 was obtained here for the CPB 0.53BF–0.15BZT–0.32PT ceramics with average grain size of about 0.3 μm. Primary experimental investigations found that the enhanced piezoelectric response and reduced ferroelectric Curie temperature are closely associated with the small grain size of microstructure feature, which induces lattice structural changes of increased amount ratio of rhombohedral‐to‐tetragonal phase accompanying with decreased tetragonality in the CPB ceramics. Taking advantage of structural phase boundary feature like the Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 systems, through adjusting composition and microstructure grain size, the CPB BF–BZT–PT ceramics is a potential candidate to exhibit better piezoelectric properties than the commercial K‐15 Aurivillius‐type bismuth titanate ceramics. Our essay is anticipated to excite new designs of high–temperature, high–performance, perovskite‐structured, ferroelectric piezoceramics and extend their application fields of piezoelectric transducers.
I‐CAN: The Classification and Prediction of Support Needs
Authors: Arnold Samuel R. C. , Riches Vivienne C. , Stancliffe Roger J. 
Published: May 2013

BackgroundSince 1992, the diagnosis and classification of intellectual disability has been dependent upon three constructs: intelligence, adaptive behaviour and support needs (Luckasson et al. 1992. Mental Retardation: Definition, Classification and Systems of Support. American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Washington, DC). While the methods and instruments to measure intelligence and adaptive behaviour are well established and generally accepted, the measurement and classification of support needs is still in its infancy. This article explores the measurement and classification of support needs.MethodA study is presented comparing scores on the ICF (WHO, 2001) based I‐CAN v4.2 support needs assessment and planning tool with expert clinical judgment using a proposed classification of support needs. A logical classification algorithm was developed and validated on a separate sample.ResultsGood internal consistency (range 0.73–0.91, N = 186) and criterion validity (κ = 0.94, n = 49) were found.ConclusionsFurther advances in our understanding and measurement of support needs could change the way we assess, describe and classify disability.
Estimating Crop Water Use via Remote Sensing Techniques vs. Conventional Methods in the South Platte River Basin, Colorado
Authors: Burkhalter J. Philip , Martin Timothy C. , Allen Richard G. , Kjaersgaard Jeppe , Wilson Erin , Alvarado Ray , Polly Jason S. 
Published: May 2013

AbstractWe compared two methods of estimating crop water consumption to assess whether remote sensing techniques provide consumptive use (CU) estimates commensurate with conventional methods. Using available historical satellite and meteorological data, we applied Mapping EvapoTranspiration at high Resolution using Internalized Calibration (METRIC) to 317,455 ha in the South Platte basin, in northeastern Colorado, for the 2001 irrigation season. We then compared these derived CU estimates with values calculated by using the Colorado Water Conservation Board's South Platte Decision Support System StateCU model. Evaluating the data by irrigation ditch service area, we disaggregated the output to allow for comparison by service area size, crop type, irrigation method, water supply source, and water availability. We concluded that METRIC is a suitable alternative to StateCU in the South Platte basin and could help to identify areas with inhibited crop growth or deficit irrigation practices. In addition, METRIC could be used as a complement to StateCU to refine StateCU model parameters, allowing for more accurate estimates of crop water shortages and groundwater recharge associated with irrigation delivery and application.
Tamarix and Diorhabda Leaf Beetle Interactions: Implications for Tamarix Water Use and Riparian Habitat
Authors: Nagler Pamela , Glenn Edward 
Published: May 2013

AbstractTamarix leaf beetles (Diorhabda carinulata) have been widely released on western United States rivers to control introduced shrubs in the genus Tamarix, with the goals of saving water through removal of an assumed high water‐use plant, and of improving habitat value by removing a competitor of native riparian trees. We review recent studies addressing three questions: (1) to what extent are Tamarix weakened or killed by recurrent cycles of defoliation; (2) can significant water salvage be expected from defoliation; and (3) what are the effects of defoliation on riparian ecology, particularly on avian habit? Defoliation has been patchy at many sites, and shrubs at some sites recover each year even after multiple years of defoliation. Tamarix evapotranspiration (ET) is much lower than originally assumed in estimates of potential water savings, and are the same or lower than possible replacement plants. There is concern that the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax trailli extimus) will be negatively affected by defoliation because the birds build nests early in the season when Tamarix is still green, but are still on their nests during the period of summer defoliation. Affected river systems will require continued monitoring and development of adaptive management practices to maintain or enhance riparian habitat values. Multiplatform remote sensing methods are playing an essential role in monitoring defoliation and rates of ET on affected river systems.
Automated Calibration of the METRIC‐Landsat Evapotranspiration Process
Authors: Allen Richard G. , Burnett Boyd , Kramber William , Huntington Justin , Kjaersgaard Jeppe , Kilic Ayse , Kelly Carlos , Trezza Ricardo 
Published: May 2013

AbstractA remaining challenge to applying satellite‐based energy‐balance algorithms for operational estimation of evapotranspiration (ET) is the calibration of the energy‐balance model. Customized calibration for each image date is generally required to overcome biases associated with radiometric accuracy of the image, uncertainties in aerodynamic features of the landscape, background thermal conditions, and model assumptions. The CIMEC process (calibration using inverse modeling at extreme conditions) is an endpoint calibration procedure where near extreme conditions in the image are identified where the ET can be estimated and assigned. In the Mapping EvapoTranspiration at high Resolution with Internalized Calibration (METRIC™) energy‐balance model, two endpoints represent the dry and wet ends of the ET spectrum. Generally, user‐intervention is required to select locations in the image to produce best accuracy. To bring the METRIC and similar processes into the domain of less experienced operators, a consistent, reproducible, and dependable statistics‐based procedure is introduced where relationships between vegetation amount and surface temperature are used to identify a subpopulation of locations (pixels) in an image that may best represent the calibration endpoints. This article describes the background and logic for the statistical approach, how the statistics were developed, area of interest requirements and assumptions, adjustment for dry conditions in desert climates, and implementation in a common image processing environment (ERDAS Imagine).
Estimating Annual Groundwater Evapotranspiration from Phreatophytes in the Great Basin Using Landsat and Flux Tower Measurements
Authors: Beamer Jordan P. , Huntington Justin L. , Morton Charles G. , Pohll Greg M. 
Published: May 2013

AbstractEscalating concerns about water supplies in the Great Basin have prompted numerous water budget studies focused on groundwater recharge and discharge. For many hydrographic areas (HAs) in the Great Basin, most of the recharge is discharged by bare soil evaporation and evapotranspiration (ET) from phreatophyte vegetation. Estimating recharge from precipitation in a given HA is difficult and often has significant uncertainty, therefore it is often quantified by estimating the natural discharge. As such, remote sensing applications for spatially distributing flux tower estimates of ET and groundwater ET (ETg) across phreatophyte areas are becoming more common. We build on previous studies and develop a transferable empirical relationship with uncertainty bounds between flux tower estimates of ET and a remotely sensed vegetation index, Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI). Energy balance‐corrected ET measured from 40 flux tower site‐year combinations in the Great Basin was statistically correlated with EVI derived from Landsat imagery (r2 = 0.97). Application of the relationship to estimate mean‐annual ETg from four HAs in western and eastern Nevada is highlighted and results are compared with previous estimates. Uncertainty bounds about the estimated mean ETg allow investigators to evaluate if independent groundwater discharge estimates are “believable” and will ultimately assist local, state, and federal agencies to evaluate expert witness reports of ETg, along with providing new first‐order estimates of ETg.
Integrated Freshwater Solutions — A New Zealand Application of Mediated Modeling
Authors: van den Belt Marjan , Schiele Heike , Forgie Vicky 
Published: May 2013

AbstractMediated Modeling (MM) refers to “model building with stakeholders,” enabling collaborative learning and decision support. This article presents results from the Integrated Freshwater Solutions (IFS — www.ifs.org.nz) action research project in the Manawatū River watershed, New Zealand. Water quality in the watershed often rates poorly, with the key issues being sedimentation, eutrophication, and habitat destruction. IFS is to develop and test MM to support collaborative and adaptive freshwater management. The project team was presented with the opportunity to collaborate with the Manawatū River Leaders' Forum (MRLF), an initiative driven by the Regional Council to improve water quality. This article describes the process of MM and how it was adapted to meet the needs of MRLF stakeholders. This highlights some important conditions for collaborative and adaptive capacity building. The MM/MRLF stakeholders, represented: industry, farming, local and regional authorities, environmental groups, and indigenous Māori iwi/hapū (tribe/sub‐tribe). This article describes how MM assisted early in the collaborative process to develop the following: (1) a shared and more integrated understanding of causes and effects and (2) a sense of the order of magnitude of the problems and the impact proposed solutions might have. It also describes how the context of politics, time, and resource constraints played an important role reverting to a more traditional planning approach part way through the process.
Disciplined Planning, Structured Participation, and Collaborative Modeling — Applying Shared Vision Planning to Water Resources
Authors: Palmer Richard N. , Cardwell Hal E. , Lorie Mark A. , Werick William 
Published: May 2013

AbstractParticipatory planning applied to water resources has sparked significant interest and debate during the last decade. Recognition that models play a significant role in the formulation and implementation of design and management strategies has encouraged the profession to consider how such models can be best implemented. Shared Vision Planning (SVP) is a disciplined planning approach that combines traditional water resources planning methodologies with innovations such as structured public participation and the use of collaborative modeling, resulting in a more complete understanding and an integrative decision support tool. This study reviews these three basic components of SVP and explains how they are incorporated into a unified planning approach. The successful application of SVP is explored in three studies involving planning challenges: the National Drought Study, the Lake Ontario‐St. Lawrence River Study, and the Apalachicola‐Chattahoochee‐Flint/Alabama‐Coosa‐Tallapoosa River Basin Study. The article concludes by summarizing the advantages and limitations of this planning approach.
Developing a New Operations Plan for the Bow River Basin Using Collaborative Modeling for Decision Support
Authors: Sheer A. Michael S. , Nemeth Michael W. , Sheer Daniel P. , Van Ham Megan , Kelly Michael , Hill David , Lebherz Samuel D. 
Published: May 2013

AbstractThe Bow River Basin is a cornerstone of Alberta's development. In 2010, stakeholders representing interests from agriculture, municipalities, environment, and more formed the Bow River Project Research Consortium to help determine the potential for improving the operations in the basin. At present, upstream reservoirs are operated primarily for hydropower, whereas downstream reservoirs are operated for irrigation. Through Collaborative Modeling for Decision Support the stakeholders were able to develop a new method for operating the system that would dramatically improve environmental performance. The main components of the new operating strategy called for: purchase or setting aside of a small amount of storage volume in the power reservoirs; a set of rules for releases from that storage; an agreement by the major irrigation districts with the largest water licenses to utilize their ability to shift deliveries to and from their large offstream storage reservoirs to allow for increased instream flows, and to allow junior water license holders (mainly municipal and industrial supplies) an uninterrupted water supply; limitations of reservoir fluctuations to improve inreservoir habitat for fisheries; and increased minimum flows throughout the system leading to improved environmental outcomes. Costs of this strategy were minimal, impacts on power revenue were estimated at <US$2 million/yr on average. Compensatory arrangements should be possible.
Computer‐Aided Negotiations of Water Disputes: An Interdisciplinary Role‐Playing Course
Authors: Rivera M.W. , Sheer D.P. , Miller A.J. 
Published: May 2013

AbstractThis study examines the evolution of a microworld created in a stakeholder process into educational materials used in a classroom setting. Microworlds have been used to stimulate learning through engagement in classroom and professional settings, but to our knowledge this is the first example that demonstrates utilization of the same process in both settings in the field of water resources, involving collaboration between the educational and professional sectors. An interdisciplinary role‐playing course in Computer‐Aided Negotiations (CAN) of water disputes is used as a case study. Upper‐level undergraduate students of varied academic backgrounds interacted in both the CAN process and river basin management model used in the CAN process as microworlds for one semester. We found evidence of meaningful engagement with both the process and model by all students. This finding has implications for engaging stakeholders without technical backgrounds in CAN processes. Students reported learning gains on surveys and pre/posttest scores improved, although only one item showed a statistically significant increase. During and after the teaching of this course, there was feedback of work products from the students to river basin managers. The course also provides the opportunity to learn the art of collaborative modeling through example and practice. Course materials are available at http://www.hydrologics.net/CAN_Course/.
Collaborative Modeling to Evaluate Water Management Scenarios in the Rio Grande Basin
Authors: Sandoval‐Solis Samuel , Teasley Rebecca L. , McKinney Daene C. , Thomas Gregory A. , Patiño‐Gomez Carlos 
Published: May 2013

AbstractThis article describes the collaborative modeling process and the resulting water resources planning model developed to evaluate water management scenarios in the transboundary Rio Grande basin. The Rio Grande is a severely water stressed basin that faces numerous management challenges as it crosses numerous jurisdictional boundaries. A collaborative process was undertaken to identify and model water management scenarios to improve water supply for stakeholders, the environment, and international obligations of water delivery from Mexico to the United States. A transparent and open process of data collection, model building, and scenario development was completed by a project steering committee composed of university, nongovernmental, and governmental experts from both countries. The outcome of the process was a planning model described in this article, with data and operations that were agreed on by water planning officials in each country. Water management scenarios were created from stakeholder input and were modeled and evaluated for effectiveness with the planning model.
Effects of an intelligent web‐based English instruction system on students' academic performance
Authors: Jia J. , Chen Y. , Ding Z. , Bai Y. , Yang B. , Li M. , Qi J. 
Published: May 2013

AbstractThis research conducted quasi‐experiments in four middle schools to evaluate the long‐term effects of an intelligent web‐based English instruction system, Computer Simulation in Educational Communication (CSIEC), on students' academic attainment. The analysis of regular examination scores and vocabulary test validates the positive impact of CSIEC, and in most cases, the positive impact is statistically significant. The reliability is ensured by the spectrum of the students from Grade 1 to Grade 3 in three junior high schools and from Grade 1 to Grade 2 in one senior high school, and of the teachers with or without blended learning experience, as well as by the various school locations from rural to urban areas in four provinces of China. The learning content‐oriented design and the instant feedback feature of the web‐based system, as well as its regular integration into the English class, contributed to its reliable positive effect on students' learning performance in ordinary examinations. This is the research's implication for instructional design. The conclusion of this paper could serve as a reference to the technical feasibility and pedagogical benefit of regular usage of appropriate Computer Assisted Learning system in the mainstream subject of middle schools. The multiple quasi‐experiments in divergent school settings to ensure the results' reliability distinguish this research from previous ones that just implemented one single experiment in one school.
Prosthetic rehabilitation of patients with history of moderate to severe periodontitis: a long‐term evaluation
Authors: Graetz Christian , Schwendicke Falk , Kahl Maren , Dörfer Christof E. , Sälzer Sonja , Springer Claudia , Schützhold Svenja , Kocher Thomas , König Jörgen , Rühling Andreas 
Published: May 2013

AbstractObjectivesLong‐term outcomes of conservative periodontal and prosthetic treatment of patients with moderate to severe periodontitis were to be evaluated. Groups of younger (YG) and middle‐aged patients (MG) were to be compared regarding survival of fixed and removable dental prostheses (FDP, RDP) inserted after active periodontal therapy (APT). In addition, functional‐occlusal status over more than 10 years of supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) was analysed.MethodsThe present multi‐case‐series retrospectively analysed data of 68 patients (34 YG and 34 MG) who had received APT and regular SPT ≥10 years. Tooth loss, occlusal status and survival and complications of prosthetics were evaluated descriptively and comparatively (t‐test).ResultsThere was no statistical difference between YG and MG concerning tooth loss/year (p > 0.05). Functional‐occlusal status was retained during SPT in 75% and 69% of YG and MG. Restorations inserted after APT showed high survival for both age groups (100%). Mean survival time until the last SPT visit was 15.2 and 11.6 years for FDP and RDP in YG, and 12.5 and 13.1 years in MG.ConclusionsProsthetic restorations in both younger and middle‐aged patients with severe periodontitis showed high survival, if pre‐prosthetic APT and regular SPT had been performed.
Radiation therapy for lymph node metastasis from extramammary Paget's disease
Authors: Hata M. , Koike I. , Wada H. , Minagawa Y. , Kasuya T. , Matsui T. , Suzuki R. , Takano S. , Inoue T. 
Published: May 2013

AbstractBackgroundInoperable patients with lymph node metastasis from extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) have limited curative treatment options.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to review the efficacy and toxicity of radiation therapy for lymph node metastasis from EMPD.MethodsEight EMPD patients with pelvic and inguinal lymph node metastasis, representing a total of 43 metastatic lymph nodes, underwent radiation therapy. Of these eight patients, two received radiation therapy as an initial treatment for EMPD and six for recurrence only in the lymph nodes after they had undergone surgery. Total doses of 45–61.2 Gy (median, 59.4 Gy) were delivered to metastatic lymph nodes in 25–34 fractions (median, 33 fractions).ResultsOf the 43 metastatic lymph nodes in the eight patients, all but one had no progression at the median follow‐up time of 22 months. The 2‐year local control rates were 86% in all patients and 98% in all metastatic lymph nodes, respectively. No therapy‐related toxicities of grade 3 or greater were observed.ConclusionRadiation therapy is effective and safe, and appears to offer a curative treatment option for lymph node metastasis from EMPD.
Natural selection. VII. History and interpretation of kin selection theory
Authors: Frank S. A. 
Published: May 2013

AbstractKin selection theory is a kind of causal analysis. The initial form of kin selection ascribed cause to costs, benefits and genetic relatedness. The theory then slowly developed a deeper and more sophisticated approach to partitioning the causes of social evolution. Controversy followed because causal analysis inevitably attracts opposing views. It is always possible to separate total effects into different component causes. Alternative causal schemes emphasize different aspects of a problem, reflecting the distinct goals, interests and biases of different perspectives. For example, group selection is a particular causal scheme with certain advantages and significant limitations. Ultimately, to use kin selection theory to analyse natural patterns and to understand the history of debates over different approaches, one must follow the underlying history of causal analysis. This article describes the history of kin selection theory, with emphasis on how the causal perspective improved through the study of key patterns of natural history, such as dispersal and sex ratio, and through a unified approach to demographic and social processes. Independent historical developments in the multivariate analysis of quantitative traits merged with the causal analysis of social evolution by kin selection.