Tensions in water management: Dutch tradition and European policy.

Present-day worldwide water problems require new management tools and sustainable system innovations. At Delft University of Technology research is being carried out into water resources and management development aimed at forming such tools and innovations, focused on Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM). One of the case-studies deals with Dutch water management and technology in the context of European IRBM in the form of the 2000 Water Frame Directive. The Netherlands experience many water problems and European IRBM could bring help by offering a framework for both international cooperation and technological innovations. To work as an adequate management tool European IRBM should be tailored to the Dutch water tradition, which recently culminated in Integrated Water Management. Both approaches are in some respects contradicting. Europe pursues, for example, centralized control; while the Dutch have their strongly water boards based decentralized administration. The tensions between both approaches require mutual adaptation, for which the concept of subsidiarity might offer points of departure. This paper describes the first results of the case-research into Dutch water management and technology in the context of Europe as well as the backgrounds and the set-up of the research as a whole.     

Change in computer hardware and software paradigms

The change in the paradigm of the development of processors and software for the processors is considered. This change is caused by the continuous progress in the technology of semiconductor microchips that is described by Moore’s law.     

Harmonic passive mode-locking with active loss and refractive index modulation

Passive mode-locking with equidistant ultrashort pulses in the laser cavity due to additional weak modulation of the losses or the refractive index is analyzed. The velocity of the relative pulse motion and the time of establishing the harmonic passive mode-locking mode are analytically estimated. Original Russian Text ￠ A.K. Komarov, 2007, published in Avtometriya, 2007, Vol. 43, No. 3, pp. 100–104.     

QRS feature extraction using linear prediction

This communication proposes a method called linear prediction (a high performant technique in digital speech processing) for analyzing digital ECG signals. There are several significant properties indicating that ECG signals have an important feature in the residual error signal obtained after processing by Durbin's linear prediction algorithm. This communication also indicates that the prediction order need not be more than two for fast arrhythmia detection. The ECG signal classification puts an emphasis on the residual error signal. For each ECG's QRS complex, the feature for recognition is obtained from a nonlinear transformation which transforms every residual error signal to a set of three states pulse-code train relative to the original ECG signal. The pulse-code train has the advantage of easy implementation in digital hardware circuits to achieve automated ECG diagnosis. The algorithm performs very well in feature extraction in arrhythmia detection. Using this method, our studies indicate that the PVC (premature ventricular contraction) detection has at least a 92 percent sensitivity for MIT/BIH arrhythmia database.     

Thermally induced convection in narrow channels II. Experimental results for refrigerant 113

Sudden heating of a fluid in a tube or narrow channel induces localized pressure gradients and transient flow which can significantly affect the heat transfer rate. Experiments with a long, pulse-heated tube containing refrigerant 113 produced induced flow as well as pressure oscillations. This paper presents experimental results, and analyses of the system.     

Components of genetic variance and covariance for linear type traits in Jersey cattle

First available appraisals for 67,644 Jersey cows were used to estimate relative magnitudes of additive and selected sources of nonadditive genetic variance and covariance for 13 type traits scored linearly from 50 to 99 points. Covariances among four types of relatives were used to estimate components of genetic variance and covariance for each of the 13 traits. Direct additive, direct dominance, and additive maternal genetic variances and the direct-maternal additive genetic covariance were estimated using covariances among paternal half-sibs, full-sibs, daughters and dams, and maternal half-sibs. Estimates of additive genetic variance were 11 to 36% of variance within herd-appraiser subclasses with largest values for stature, strength, rump angle, rump width, and udder depth. Dominance components were two to four times the magnitude of additive components for dairy character, rump width, fore udder, rear udder height, rear udder width, and suspensory ligament but much smaller for other traits. Maternal effects and the direct-maternal additive genetic covariance appeared small for all linear type traits.     

Generation and context memory.

Generation enhances memory for occurrence but may not enhance other aspects of memory. The present study further delineates the negative generation effect in context memory reported in N. W. Mulligan (2004). First, the negative generation effect occurred for perceptual attributes of the target item (its color and font) but not for extratarget aspects of context (location and background color). Second, nonvisual generation tasks with either semantic or nonsemantic generation rules (antonym and rhyme generation, respectively) produced the same pattern of results. In contrast, a visual (or data-driven) generation task (letter transposition) did not disrupt context memory for color. Third, generating nonwords produced no effect on item memory but persisted in producing a negative effect on context memory for target attributes, implying that (a) the negative generation effect in context memory is not mediated by semantic encoding, and (b) the negative effect on context memory can be dissociated from the positive effect on item memory. The results are interpreted in terms of the processing account of generation. The original, perceptual-conceptual version of this account is too narrow, but a modified processing account, based on a more generic visual versus nonvisual processing distinction, accommodates the results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multi-Reservoir System Optimization using Chlorophyll-<Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> Trophic Indexes

The problem of managing water scarcity by resorting to complex interconnected multi-source water systems needs to utilize management optimization techniques analyzing aspects of water quantity and quality in a common strategy. In the southern regions of Mediterranean Europe, the greater part of water resources for supply systems are derived from artificial reservoirs and water systems can become quite complex since they interconnect several sources and demand centers, as indeed occurs in the Region of Sardinia (Italy). A simplified approach to the requirement to insert water quality aspects in the mathematical optimization model can be achieved by examining the trophic conditions of reservoirs. Trophic State Indexes (TSI) based on Carlson’s (1977) make it possible to insert quality constraints in the water management optimization model also considering complex multi-reservoir and multi-user systems. Model formalization and implementation by the optimization toolkit WARGI (Water Resource system optimization aided by Graphical Interface) (Sechi and Zuddas 2000; Manca et al. 2004; Salis et al. 2005) is illustrated in this paper. The usefulness of a mixed quantity–quality optimization approach has been confirmed by WARGI application to a real multi-reservoir water resources system in southern Sardinia. The optimization model remains computationally efficient dealing with this complex multi-reservoir system and the obtained results can be seen as a reference target in a subsequent simulation phase.     

Basics of synthesis and application of pseudohomogeneous coal and petroleum feedstock hydrogenation catalysts

The mechanism of formation and properties of emulsion-synthesized globular pseudoheterogeneous catalysts are considered. The results of application of these catalysts to coal hydrogenation and other industrial-chemistry processes are reported.