Biomic river restoration: A new focus for river management

River management based solely on physical science has proven to be unsustainable and unsuccessful, evidenced by the fact that the problems this approach intended to solve (e.g., flood hazards, water scarcity, and channel instability) have not been solved and long‐term deterioration in river environments has reduced the capacity of rivers to continue meeting the needs of society. In response, there has been a paradigm shift in management over the past few decades, towards river restoration. But the ecological, morphological, and societal benefits of river restoration have, on the whole, been disappointing. We believe that this stems from the fact that restoration overrelies on the same physical analyses and approaches, with flowing water still regarded as the universally predominant driver of channel form and structural intervention seen as essential to influencing fluvial processes. We argue that if river restoration is to reverse long‐standing declines in river functions, it is necessary to recognize the influence of biology on river forms and processes and re‐envisage what it means to restore a river. This entails shifting the focus of river restoration from designing and constructing stable channels that mimic natural forms to reconnecting streams within balanced and healthy biomes, and so levering the power of biology to influence river processes. We define this new approach as biomic river restoration.     

Intra-ventral pallidal glutamate antagonists block expression of morphine-induced place preference.

The role of ionotropic glutamate receptors within the ventral pallidum (VP) in the expression of conditioned place preference (CPP) and motor adaptations to morphine was evaluated. VP-cannulated rats were subjected to 3 days of conditioning in which saline was paired to one distinct chamber in the morning and morphine (8 mg/kg ip or its vehicle) was paired to an alternate chamber in the afternoon. This induced (a) CPP expression in drug-free rats 1 day later, which was blocked by immediate pretreatments with intra-VP injections of a glutamate antagonist cocktail (DL-2-amino-5- phosphonopentanoic acid lithium salt [AP-5] + 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione disodium salt [CNQX]), and (b) changes in motor function expressed following an acute morphine challenge 18 days later, which were absent if preceded by a 10-day treatment with the glutamate antagonists injected unilaterally once daily in alternating hemispheres. Thus, VP ionotropic glutamate receptors are critical mediators of the expression of place preference and motor adaptations subsequent to repeated morphine exposure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Target coverage in camera networks for manufacturing workplaces

In this paper, we investigate the camera network placement problem for target coverage in manufacturing workplaces. The problem is formulated to find the minimum number of cameras of different types and their best configurations to maximise the coverage of the monitored workplace such that the given set of target points of interest are each k-covered with a predefined minimum spatial resolution. Since the problem is NP-complete, and even NP-hard to approximate, a novel method based on Simulated Annealing is presented to solve the optimisation problem. A new neighbourhood generation function is proposed to handle the discrete nature of the problem. The visual coverage is modelled using realistic and coherent assumptions of camera intrinsic and extrinsic parameters making it suitable for many real world camera based applications. Task-specific quality of coverage measure is proposed to assist selecting the best among the set of camera network placements with equal coverage. A 3D CAD of the monitored space is used to examine physical occlusions of target points. The results show the accuracy, efficiency and scalability of the presented solution method; which can be applied effectively in the design of practical camera networks.     

Intention to purchase on social commerce websites across cultures: A cross-regional study

This study investigates the moderating effect of culture and the mediating effect of trust in a social network community on the relationship between social interactions and purchase intention. Trust transference theory, social interactions, and Hofstede's cultural dimensions are considered. The findings from the research support the moderating effect of culture and the mediating role of trust in a social network community on the relationship between social interactions (in terms of closeness and familiarity) and intention to purchase in social commerce environments. In addition, the mediating effect of trust in a social network community is conditional on culture. The findings also suggest that trust in a social network community may be attributed to the closeness and familiarity developed among its members resulting from social interactions. The results presented herein are in line with the trust transference theory. The empirical study results also suggest that social commerce market penetration in East Asia may have relatively fewer barriers to overcome and be more likely to succeed than in the Latin America region.     

Context awareness in network selection for dynamic environments

Mobile devices of new generation are able to connect to multiple networks and to constitute new infrastructureless networks. These dynamic environments require new security paradigms and automatic mechanisms to minimize user intervention. Our goal is the definition of a new concept of distance that considers the current domain constraints and the user preferences. This paper addresses some of the problems of these complex environments by using Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) techniques. We also propose collaborative mechanisms for automatic environment marking. Based on these ideas we have developed Pervasive Interaction Manager (PervsIM), a decision mechanism that selects the most appropriate network or peer to interact with. Besides we have defined an embedded access control module which ensures that PervsIM decisions are followed by all applications. Furthermore, several simulation results and implementation details outline how these results can be incorporated in today’s mobile devices.     

Shallow groundwater mercury supply in a Coastal Plain stream

Fluvial methylmercury (MeHg) is attributed to methylation in up-gradient wetland areas. This hypothesis depends on efficient wetland-to-stream hydraulic transport under nonflood and flood conditions. Fluxes of water and dissolved (filtered) mercury (Hg) species (FMeHg and total Hg (FTHg)) were quantified in April and July of 2009 in a reach at McTier Creek, South Carolina to determine the relative importance of tributary surface water and shallow groundwater Hg transport from wetland/floodplain areas to the stream under nonflood conditions. The reach represented less than 6% of upstream main-channel distance and 2% of upstream basin area. Surface-water discharge increased within the reach by approximately 10%. Mean FMeHg and FTHg fluxes increased within the reach by 23-27% and 9-15%, respectively. Mass balances indicated that, under nonflood conditions, the primary supply of water, FMeHg, and FTHg within the reach (excluding upstream surface water influx) was groundwater discharge, rather than tributary transport from wetlands, in-stream MeHg production, or atmospheric Hg deposition. These results illustrate the importance of riparian wetland/floodplain areas as sources of fluvial MeHg and of groundwater Hg transport as a fundamental control on Hg supply to Coastal Plain streams.