The Miombo ecoregion covers eastern and southern Africa,with variations in plant species composition,structure,and biomass across a broad precipitation gradient.Most studies of woody plant communities focus exclusivel...The Miombo ecoregion covers eastern and southern Africa,with variations in plant species composition,structure,and biomass across a broad precipitation gradient.Most studies of woody plant communities focus exclusively on larger overstorey trees(≥5 or≥10cm stem diameter),overlooking the contribution of small trees and shrubs in the understorey,which can comprise a significant portion of total biomass and diversity.Here,we evaluate the contribution of both large overstorey and small understorey woody plants to species diversity and above-ground biomass(AGB),with 17 plots(0.5-1ha)across five sites representing both extremes of rainfall gradient spanning the Miombo ecoregion,in northeast Namibia(500-700mm mean annual precipitation,MAP)and southern Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC)(>1,200mm MAP).Mean AGB per site ranged from 21 to 119Mg·ha^(-1),increasing with rainfall,while the proportional AGB contribution of small trees,saplings,and shrubs decreased.In dry Namibia,small trees,saplings,and shrubs(<5cm DBH)contributed up to 28.2%of total AGB(mean±standard deviation:18.3%±3.4%),whereas in wet DRC,they contributed only up to 2.5%(2.3%±1.4%).Namibian sites,on average,contained a large proportion of woody species diversity exclusively in small trees and shrubs(<5cm DBH),with 55 species representing 59.4%of the total diversity.In contrast,DRC sites had higher overall small woody plant diversity(66 species)but fewer species found exclusively as small individuals(25.2%),with many saplings that grow to larger trees.Understorey composition also differed,with saplings of overstorey trees dominating in DRC,while shrubs dominated in Namibia.Our findings show that woody biomass and diversity in dry woodlands are substantially underestimated when studies focus only on larger trees.This highlights the need to consider all woody vegetation to better understand woody plant diversity and biomass variation.展开更多
Forest fuel investigations in central and southern Siberian taiga of Scots pine forest stands dominated by lichen and feather moss ground vegetation cover revealed that total aboveground biomass varied from 13.1 to 21...Forest fuel investigations in central and southern Siberian taiga of Scots pine forest stands dominated by lichen and feather moss ground vegetation cover revealed that total aboveground biomass varied from 13.1 to 21.0 kg/m 2.Stand biomass was higher in plots in the southern taiga,while ground fuel loads were higher in the central taiga.We developed equations for fuel biomass(both aerial and ground)that could be applicable to similar pine forest sites of Central Siberia.Fuel loading variability found among plots is related to the impact and recovery time since the last wildfi re and the mosaic distribution of living vegetation.Fuel consumption due to surface fi res of low to high-intensities ranged from 0.95 to 3.08 kg/m 2,that is,18–74%from prefi re values.The total amount of fuels available to burn in case of fi re was up to 4.5–6.5 kg/m 2.Moisture content of fuels(litter,lichen,feather moss)was related to weather conditions characterized by the Russian Fire Danger Index(PV-1)and FWI code of the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System.The data obtained provide a strong foundation for understanding and modeling fi re behavior,emissions,and fi re eff ects on ecosystem processes and carbon stocks and could be used to improve existing global and regional models that incorporate biomass and fuel characteristics.展开更多
It has been argued that increased soil respiration would become a major atmospheric source of CO\-2 in the event of global warming. The simple statistical models were developed based on a georeferenced database with 0...It has been argued that increased soil respiration would become a major atmospheric source of CO\-2 in the event of global warming. The simple statistical models were developed based on a georeferenced database with 0 5°×0 5° longitude/latitude resolution to simulate global soil\|CO\-2 fluxes, to investigate climatic effects on these fluxes using sensitivity experiments, and to assess possible responses of soil\|CO\-2 fluxes to various climate change scenarios. The statistical models yield a value of 69 PgC/a of global soil\|CO\-2 fluxes for current condition. Sensitivity experiments confirm that the fluxes are responsive to changes in temperature, precipitation and actual evapotranspiration, but increases in temperature and actual evapotranspiration affect soil\|CO 2 fluxes more than increases in precipitation. Using climatic change projections from four global circulation models, each corresponding to an equilibrium doubling of CO 2, it can be found that the largest increases in soil\|CO 2 fluxes were associated with the boreal and tundra regions. The globally averaged soil\|CO 2 fluxes were estimated to increase by about 35% above current values, providing a positive feedback to the greenhouse effect.展开更多
Background： Replacement of fossil fuel based energy with biochar-based bioenergy production can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions while mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change and global warming. However,...Background： Replacement of fossil fuel based energy with biochar-based bioenergy production can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions while mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change and global warming. However, the production of biochar-based bioenergy depends on a sustainable supply of biomass. Although, Northwestern Ontario has a rich and sustainable supply of woody biomass, a comprehensive life cycle cost and economic assessment of biochar-based bioenergy production technology has not been done so far in the region. Methods： In this paper, we conducted a thorough life cycle cost assessment （LCCA） of biochar-based bioenergy production and its land application under four different scenarios： 1） biochar production with low feedstock availability; 2） biochar production with high feedstock availability; 3） biochar production with low feedstock availability and its land application; and 4） biochar production with high feedstock availability and its land applicationusing SimaPro, EIOLCA software and spreadsheet modeling. Based on the LCCA results, we further conducted an economic assessment for the break-even and viability of this technology over the project period. Results： It was found that the economic viability of biochar-based bioenergy production system within the life cycle analysis system boundary based on study assumptions is directly dependent on costs of pyrolysis, feedstock processing （drying, grinding and pelletization） and collection on site and the value of total carbon offset provided by the system. Sensitivity analysis of transportation distance and different values of C offset showed that the system is profitable in case of high biomass availability within 200 km and when the cost of carbon sequestration exceeds CAD S60 per tonne of equivalent carbon （CO2e）. Conclusions： Biochar-based bioenergy system is economically viable when life cycle costs and environmental assumptions are accounted for. This study provides a medium scale slow-pyrolysis plant scenario and we recommend similar experiments with large-scale plants in order to implement the technology at industrial scale.展开更多
This commentary shows the exponential growth of digital health and the accompanying explosion of health data.It discusses three major shifts in the global health landscape.The first will be the move of the big tech co...This commentary shows the exponential growth of digital health and the accompanying explosion of health data.It discusses three major shifts in the global health landscape.The first will be the move of the big tech companies into healthcare,the second will be the monetization of consumer data and the creation of health data marketplaces;and the third will be the growth of Asia as a leader in digital health.Big tech already has the advantage of a massive consiuner base,data and analytics which enable them to understand consumers;and complementary technologies,like wearables,that will drive the consumerization of healthcare.This expansion can happen quickly and already is creating challenges for regulators as they try to catch up.The vast volumes of data and the ability of technology such as blockchain to enable data owners to monetize their data,will lead to the development of health data marketplaces,which can connect and monetize data for data owners and make it available for scientific discovery.The developments in self-sovereign identity,will make it possible for individuals to monetize their health data in the future.Finally,we see the emergence of Asia as a powerhouse for the digital health of the future,with vast populations,mobile technology and increasing adoption of wearable devices.Consumer focused health care driven by data will change the institutional models of the past.展开更多
The accurate prediction of coke quality is important for the selection and valuation of metallurgical coals. Whilst many prediction models exist, they tend to perform poorly for coals beyond which the model was develo...The accurate prediction of coke quality is important for the selection and valuation of metallurgical coals. Whilst many prediction models exist, they tend to perform poorly for coals beyond which the model was developed. Further, these models general fail to directly account for physical interactions occurring between the blend components, through the assumption that the aggregate properties of the blend are suitably representative of the overall behavior of the blend. To study this assumption, a parameter termed the vitrinite distribution category was introduced to directly account for the distribution of one of these commonly aggregated parameters, the vitrinite reflectance. The introduction of this parameter in a regression model for coke quality prediction improved the model fit. The vitrinite distribution category was demonstrated to provide new information about coal blending decisions, and was found to be capable of providing insight into the behavior of different blending structures. Residual analysis was applied to explore the behavior of the coke quality prediction model, with the vitrinite distribution category found to explain more than just the presence or absence of coals within a blend. This work provides the foundation of future studies in examining coal blending decisions, with the proposed parameter having the potential to be applied as part of a coke quality prediction model to optimize coal blending decisions.展开更多
This paper evaluates literature across multiple disciplines and stakeholder types to identify commonalities and contradictions in definitions for community resilience.It aims to support cross-disciplinary discourse to...This paper evaluates literature across multiple disciplines and stakeholder types to identify commonalities and contradictions in definitions for community resilience.It aims to support cross-disciplinary discourse to build an interdisciplinary understanding of community resilience.This work identifies the differences between mono-,multi-,inter-,and cross-disciplinary approaches to inform community resilience strategies in academic and practice-based contexts.Four themes for community resilience were identified through a review of cross-disciplinary literature.These include(1)diverse yet convergent definitions of community resilience and the evolution from equilibrium to adaptation to transformation;(2)equitable and inclusive strategies for the development of community resilience initiatives;(3)when and at what scale strategies should be implemented;and(4)community resilience as a process or an outcome.This work is valuable to those seeking to familiarise themselves with the concept of community resilience,including educators who deliver courses on community resilience and policy-makers.It is novel in that it presents an interdisciplinary framework for navigating the community resilience discourse beyond individual professional boundaries.展开更多
The phosphonate fertilizers, Calphos （calcium phosphonate）, Magphos （magnesium phosphouate） and Phosphoros （potassium phosphonate） were used in Jordan and showed a nematicidal effect. This study aimed to investi...The phosphonate fertilizers, Calphos （calcium phosphonate）, Magphos （magnesium phosphouate） and Phosphoros （potassium phosphonate） were used in Jordan and showed a nematicidal effect. This study aimed to investigate the fungicidal effect of these fertilizers against the growth of the fungi, Fusarium proliferatum, Altrenaria solani, Pythium debaryanum and Penicillium digitatum. Results showed that the phosphonate fertilizer Calphos at the concentration of 1% mixed with potato dextrose agar （PDA） totally inhibited the growth of all studied fungi. Magphos （1%） delayed the growth of the fungus F. proliferatum and inhibited the growth of other tested fungi. While Phosphoros （1%） mixed with PDA inhibited the growth ofA. solani and P. digitatum even after 12 d of incubation and delayed the growth ofF. proliferatum and P. debaryanum compared with the growth of the fungi on the PDA only.展开更多
Introduction:The Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System(CFFDRS)is a globally known wildland fire risk assessment system,and two major components,the fire weather index system and the fire behavior prediction system...Introduction:The Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System(CFFDRS)is a globally known wildland fire risk assessment system,and two major components,the fire weather index system and the fire behavior prediction system,have been extensively used both nationally and internationally to aid operational wildland fire decision making.Methods:In this paper,we present an overview of an R package cffdrs,which is developed to calculate components of the CFFDRS,and highlight some of its functionality.In particular,we demonstrate how these functions could be used for large data analysis.Results and Discussion:With this cffdrs package,we provide a portal for not only a collection of R functions dealing with all available components in CFFDRS but also a platform for various additional developments that are useful for the understanding of fire occurrence and behavior.This is the first time that all relevant CFFDRS methods are incorporated into the same platform,which can be accessed by both the management and research communities.展开更多
Correction The original publication(cffdrs,2017)has an error in the citation of figure 1.Below you will find the correct version.Incorrect version:The Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System flow chart(FCFDG 1992)Co...Correction The original publication(cffdrs,2017)has an error in the citation of figure 1.Below you will find the correct version.Incorrect version:The Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System flow chart(FCFDG 1992)Correct version:The Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System flow chart(Stocks et al.1989).展开更多
Using the multi-product dual revenue function framework,this paper examines the nature and extent of technical and economic interactions among five demersal species of Al-Batinah demersal fishery,Oman during the 2010-...Using the multi-product dual revenue function framework,this paper examines the nature and extent of technical and economic interactions among five demersal species of Al-Batinah demersal fishery,Oman during the 2010-2016 period.The parameters of the system of output supply functions are estimated using Zellner’s seemingly unrelated regressions(SUR)technique.The likelihood ratio test in relation to the structure of the multi-output production technology rejects the null-hypothesis of input-output separability and non-jointness in inputs.These results suggest that the underlying production technology is non-separable between the outputs and the quasi-fixed input,and the harvesting level of one species is likely to have spill-over economic effects on the harvesting levels of others.The own-price elasticities of output supply are found to be positive,inelastic,and statistically significant in four out of five cases suggesting that,other things being equal,fishers’supply decisions are influenced by the prevailing market prices of outputs.The estimated values of the cross-price elasticity of supply are negative,inelastic and statistically significant at the 5%level for eight output pairs.The calculated values of the Morishima elasticity of substitution(MES)indicate the presence of substitutability between ten output pairs.The cross-price elasticity estimates are in the range of0.001(between Emperor and Catfish)to0.275(between Seabream and Grouper)which is lower(in absolute value)than that of the MES estimates.The magnitudes of the cross-price elasticity and the MES estimates indicate the extent of spill-over effects of one species on the other and signal the extent of species targeting by fishers.A statistically significant spatial,seasonal,and inter-annual variability is observed in all species cases.Finally,the implications of the findings are discussed from the perspective of developing effective management approaches,achieving sustainability of fisheries resources and improving fishers’socio-economic conditions stipulated in the Five-Year development plans for the sector.展开更多
Recycled shipping containers have the potential to be successfully used as a net-zero ready home.This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of a high-performance shipping container single-family housing project located ...Recycled shipping containers have the potential to be successfully used as a net-zero ready home.This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of a high-performance shipping container single-family housing project located in Virginia Beach,Virginia.The project was awarded the Best Undergraduate Project in the Single-family division at the 2019 U.S.Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon Design Challenge.The Hampton University Millennial Village Design Team designed a marketable net-zero ready container home for the ViBe Creative District in Virginia Beach,Virginia.Container Homes are not suitable for every homeowner,but they have a particular appeal to a generation of young and creative people across the country.For many municipalities in Virginia,where container housing is not readily accepted,the ViBe creative district has been having discussions with City code officials and local architects about the benefits.The Hampton University Millennial Village Design Team aimed to take advantage of the competition as an opportunity to explore a building construction method that is not widely seen in this part of the country.Testing design for net-zero readiness is a comprehensive way to understand how this type of construction performs from a building science standpoint.Collaboration with professional industry advisors helped the team to use research-based design methods to work on a unique project that the team believes will become a reality in the future.For the performance assessment of a net-zero container house,several simulation tools were used to investigate the environmental impacts,daylight performance,envelope performance,Energy Use Intensity(EUI),Home Energy Rating System(HERS),and solar energy generation.As for energy standards and codes,the Virginia residential code(VRC)2015,International Energy Conservation Code(IECC)2015 and The American Society of Heating,Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers(ASHRAE)90.1-2013 for residential buildings were consulted to set each variable for the net-zero container house project.The Rem/Rate energy simulation software achieved the HERS index of 51 and 0 without and with the applications of roof photovoltaics,respectively.展开更多
A 40 year old woman complains of tiredness over the past few weeks.She had a total thyroidectomy three years ago for Graves'thyrotoxicosis and has been taking levothyroxine since then.She weighs 80 kg and is takin...A 40 year old woman complains of tiredness over the past few weeks.She had a total thyroidectomy three years ago for Graves'thyrotoxicosis and has been taking levothyroxine since then.She weighs 80 kg and is taking 150 p.g daily.A blood test done in the previous week showed thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH)levels above 30 mU/L(reference range 0.4-4.5 mU/L).展开更多
There is a need to develop safe and effective downstream passage for diadromous anguillid eels on large rivers,where the combination of physical screening and bypass structures that is used to protect eel on smaller r...There is a need to develop safe and effective downstream passage for diadromous anguillid eels on large rivers,where the combination of physical screening and bypass structures that is used to protect eel on smaller rivers is infeasible.The Eel Passage Research Center was established in 2013 to address the challenge of providing safe passage for out-migrating silver-stage American eel(Anguilla rostrata)on the St.Lawrence River,the outflow of the Laurentian Great Lakes,which is spanned by two large,mainstem hydroelectric generating stations.The Center’s goal is to develop the technology to behaviorally guide eel to a collection point for capture and transfer around the two generating stations.To achieve this goal,three parallel initiatives were undertaken;1)research into behavioral guidance techniques suitable for guiding out-migrating eel on large,high flow rivers,2)the evaluation of sonar technologies for detection of eel,necessary for assessing in situ guidance,and 3)the commissioning of literature reviews for the most promising guidance technologies.A number of behavioral guidance stimuli,including electricity,flow,sound and electromagnetic fields were examined in laboratory and flume settings for their utility in guiding out-migrating silver-stage eel.Of the techniques examined,only sound showed any promise for guidance.Three sonar technologies(Simrad 120 kHz EK60 echosounder,Sound Metrics ARIS Explorer 1800 sonar,and the Kongsberg Mesotech 500 kHz M3 multi-mode multibeam sonar)were evaluated to determine if existing acoustic technologies could be used to estimate the relative abundance and distribution of out-migrating silver-phase American eel in the St.Lawrence River.Only the ARIS unit could successfully identify eel targets,and only over a short(<15 m)range.The immense volume of sonar data accumulated over a portion of a single outmigration season contributed to the successful development of machine learning tools to automate the identification of American eel targets.Based on previous research on the St.Lawrence River identifying light as a promising deterrent,and the potential for sound as a deterrent in this study,full literature reviews were commissioned for these two stimuli.Lessons learned to date have resulted in the design of a subscale,prototype guidance structure that is expected to be deployed in 2022.展开更多
基金funded by the following grants:the Natural Environ-ment Research Council-Funded SECO Project(NE/T01279X/1)the Fostering Research&Intra-African Knowledge Transfer Through Mobility&Education(FRAME)Conservation Action Research Network(CARN)through the ASPIRE Grant Programme.
文摘The Miombo ecoregion covers eastern and southern Africa,with variations in plant species composition,structure,and biomass across a broad precipitation gradient.Most studies of woody plant communities focus exclusively on larger overstorey trees(≥5 or≥10cm stem diameter),overlooking the contribution of small trees and shrubs in the understorey,which can comprise a significant portion of total biomass and diversity.Here,we evaluate the contribution of both large overstorey and small understorey woody plants to species diversity and above-ground biomass(AGB),with 17 plots(0.5-1ha)across five sites representing both extremes of rainfall gradient spanning the Miombo ecoregion,in northeast Namibia(500-700mm mean annual precipitation,MAP)and southern Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC)(>1,200mm MAP).Mean AGB per site ranged from 21 to 119Mg·ha^(-1),increasing with rainfall,while the proportional AGB contribution of small trees,saplings,and shrubs decreased.In dry Namibia,small trees,saplings,and shrubs(<5cm DBH)contributed up to 28.2%of total AGB(mean±standard deviation:18.3%±3.4%),whereas in wet DRC,they contributed only up to 2.5%(2.3%±1.4%).Namibian sites,on average,contained a large proportion of woody species diversity exclusively in small trees and shrubs(<5cm DBH),with 55 species representing 59.4%of the total diversity.In contrast,DRC sites had higher overall small woody plant diversity(66 species)but fewer species found exclusively as small individuals(25.2%),with many saplings that grow to larger trees.Understorey composition also differed,with saplings of overstorey trees dominating in DRC,while shrubs dominated in Namibia.Our findings show that woody biomass and diversity in dry woodlands are substantially underestimated when studies focus only on larger trees.This highlights the need to consider all woody vegetation to better understand woody plant diversity and biomass variation.
基金Cooperation and logistical support of the Russian Aerial Forest Protection Service(Avialesookhrana)and Russian Forest Service(Regional and Local Forestry Committees)is greatly appreciated.A special thanks to L.Bobkova,N.Koshurnikova,and E.Krasnoshchekova for their assistance in fuel sampling and to D.Randall for statistical analysis of tree data.
文摘Forest fuel investigations in central and southern Siberian taiga of Scots pine forest stands dominated by lichen and feather moss ground vegetation cover revealed that total aboveground biomass varied from 13.1 to 21.0 kg/m 2.Stand biomass was higher in plots in the southern taiga,while ground fuel loads were higher in the central taiga.We developed equations for fuel biomass(both aerial and ground)that could be applicable to similar pine forest sites of Central Siberia.Fuel loading variability found among plots is related to the impact and recovery time since the last wildfi re and the mosaic distribution of living vegetation.Fuel consumption due to surface fi res of low to high-intensities ranged from 0.95 to 3.08 kg/m 2,that is,18–74%from prefi re values.The total amount of fuels available to burn in case of fi re was up to 4.5–6.5 kg/m 2.Moisture content of fuels(litter,lichen,feather moss)was related to weather conditions characterized by the Russian Fire Danger Index(PV-1)and FWI code of the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System.The data obtained provide a strong foundation for understanding and modeling fi re behavior,emissions,and fi re eff ects on ecosystem processes and carbon stocks and could be used to improve existing global and regional models that incorporate biomass and fuel characteristics.
文摘It has been argued that increased soil respiration would become a major atmospheric source of CO\-2 in the event of global warming. The simple statistical models were developed based on a georeferenced database with 0 5°×0 5° longitude/latitude resolution to simulate global soil\|CO\-2 fluxes, to investigate climatic effects on these fluxes using sensitivity experiments, and to assess possible responses of soil\|CO\-2 fluxes to various climate change scenarios. The statistical models yield a value of 69 PgC/a of global soil\|CO\-2 fluxes for current condition. Sensitivity experiments confirm that the fluxes are responsive to changes in temperature, precipitation and actual evapotranspiration, but increases in temperature and actual evapotranspiration affect soil\|CO 2 fluxes more than increases in precipitation. Using climatic change projections from four global circulation models, each corresponding to an equilibrium doubling of CO 2, it can be found that the largest increases in soil\|CO 2 fluxes were associated with the boreal and tundra regions. The globally averaged soil\|CO 2 fluxes were estimated to increase by about 35% above current values, providing a positive feedback to the greenhouse effect.
基金Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada through Industrial Postgraduate Scholarships(NSERC-IPS)Ontario Graduate Scholarship(OGS)Ontario Power Generation(OPG)
文摘Background： Replacement of fossil fuel based energy with biochar-based bioenergy production can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions while mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change and global warming. However, the production of biochar-based bioenergy depends on a sustainable supply of biomass. Although, Northwestern Ontario has a rich and sustainable supply of woody biomass, a comprehensive life cycle cost and economic assessment of biochar-based bioenergy production technology has not been done so far in the region. Methods： In this paper, we conducted a thorough life cycle cost assessment （LCCA） of biochar-based bioenergy production and its land application under four different scenarios： 1） biochar production with low feedstock availability; 2） biochar production with high feedstock availability; 3） biochar production with low feedstock availability and its land application; and 4） biochar production with high feedstock availability and its land applicationusing SimaPro, EIOLCA software and spreadsheet modeling. Based on the LCCA results, we further conducted an economic assessment for the break-even and viability of this technology over the project period. Results： It was found that the economic viability of biochar-based bioenergy production system within the life cycle analysis system boundary based on study assumptions is directly dependent on costs of pyrolysis, feedstock processing （drying, grinding and pelletization） and collection on site and the value of total carbon offset provided by the system. Sensitivity analysis of transportation distance and different values of C offset showed that the system is profitable in case of high biomass availability within 200 km and when the cost of carbon sequestration exceeds CAD S60 per tonne of equivalent carbon （CO2e）. Conclusions： Biochar-based bioenergy system is economically viable when life cycle costs and environmental assumptions are accounted for. This study provides a medium scale slow-pyrolysis plant scenario and we recommend similar experiments with large-scale plants in order to implement the technology at industrial scale.
文摘This commentary shows the exponential growth of digital health and the accompanying explosion of health data.It discusses three major shifts in the global health landscape.The first will be the move of the big tech companies into healthcare,the second will be the monetization of consumer data and the creation of health data marketplaces;and the third will be the growth of Asia as a leader in digital health.Big tech already has the advantage of a massive consiuner base,data and analytics which enable them to understand consumers;and complementary technologies,like wearables,that will drive the consumerization of healthcare.This expansion can happen quickly and already is creating challenges for regulators as they try to catch up.The vast volumes of data and the ability of technology such as blockchain to enable data owners to monetize their data,will lead to the development of health data marketplaces,which can connect and monetize data for data owners and make it available for scientific discovery.The developments in self-sovereign identity,will make it possible for individuals to monetize their health data in the future.Finally,we see the emergence of Asia as a powerhouse for the digital health of the future,with vast populations,mobile technology and increasing adoption of wearable devices.Consumer focused health care driven by data will change the institutional models of the past.
文摘The accurate prediction of coke quality is important for the selection and valuation of metallurgical coals. Whilst many prediction models exist, they tend to perform poorly for coals beyond which the model was developed. Further, these models general fail to directly account for physical interactions occurring between the blend components, through the assumption that the aggregate properties of the blend are suitably representative of the overall behavior of the blend. To study this assumption, a parameter termed the vitrinite distribution category was introduced to directly account for the distribution of one of these commonly aggregated parameters, the vitrinite reflectance. The introduction of this parameter in a regression model for coke quality prediction improved the model fit. The vitrinite distribution category was demonstrated to provide new information about coal blending decisions, and was found to be capable of providing insight into the behavior of different blending structures. Residual analysis was applied to explore the behavior of the coke quality prediction model, with the vitrinite distribution category found to explain more than just the presence or absence of coals within a blend. This work provides the foundation of future studies in examining coal blending decisions, with the proposed parameter having the potential to be applied as part of a coke quality prediction model to optimize coal blending decisions.
基金Royal Academy of Engineers(RAE)for funding this collaborative research via their‘Frontiers of Development’award programme.
文摘This paper evaluates literature across multiple disciplines and stakeholder types to identify commonalities and contradictions in definitions for community resilience.It aims to support cross-disciplinary discourse to build an interdisciplinary understanding of community resilience.This work identifies the differences between mono-,multi-,inter-,and cross-disciplinary approaches to inform community resilience strategies in academic and practice-based contexts.Four themes for community resilience were identified through a review of cross-disciplinary literature.These include(1)diverse yet convergent definitions of community resilience and the evolution from equilibrium to adaptation to transformation;(2)equitable and inclusive strategies for the development of community resilience initiatives;(3)when and at what scale strategies should be implemented;and(4)community resilience as a process or an outcome.This work is valuable to those seeking to familiarise themselves with the concept of community resilience,including educators who deliver courses on community resilience and policy-makers.It is novel in that it presents an interdisciplinary framework for navigating the community resilience discourse beyond individual professional boundaries.
文摘The phosphonate fertilizers, Calphos （calcium phosphonate）, Magphos （magnesium phosphouate） and Phosphoros （potassium phosphonate） were used in Jordan and showed a nematicidal effect. This study aimed to investigate the fungicidal effect of these fertilizers against the growth of the fungi, Fusarium proliferatum, Altrenaria solani, Pythium debaryanum and Penicillium digitatum. Results showed that the phosphonate fertilizer Calphos at the concentration of 1% mixed with potato dextrose agar （PDA） totally inhibited the growth of all studied fungi. Magphos （1%） delayed the growth of the fungus F. proliferatum and inhibited the growth of other tested fungi. While Phosphoros （1%） mixed with PDA inhibited the growth ofA. solani and P. digitatum even after 12 d of incubation and delayed the growth ofF. proliferatum and P. debaryanum compared with the growth of the fungi on the PDA only.
文摘Introduction:The Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System(CFFDRS)is a globally known wildland fire risk assessment system,and two major components,the fire weather index system and the fire behavior prediction system,have been extensively used both nationally and internationally to aid operational wildland fire decision making.Methods:In this paper,we present an overview of an R package cffdrs,which is developed to calculate components of the CFFDRS,and highlight some of its functionality.In particular,we demonstrate how these functions could be used for large data analysis.Results and Discussion:With this cffdrs package,we provide a portal for not only a collection of R functions dealing with all available components in CFFDRS but also a platform for various additional developments that are useful for the understanding of fire occurrence and behavior.This is the first time that all relevant CFFDRS methods are incorporated into the same platform,which can be accessed by both the management and research communities.
文摘Correction The original publication(cffdrs,2017)has an error in the citation of figure 1.Below you will find the correct version.Incorrect version:The Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System flow chart(FCFDG 1992)Correct version:The Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System flow chart(Stocks et al.1989).
文摘Using the multi-product dual revenue function framework,this paper examines the nature and extent of technical and economic interactions among five demersal species of Al-Batinah demersal fishery,Oman during the 2010-2016 period.The parameters of the system of output supply functions are estimated using Zellner’s seemingly unrelated regressions(SUR)technique.The likelihood ratio test in relation to the structure of the multi-output production technology rejects the null-hypothesis of input-output separability and non-jointness in inputs.These results suggest that the underlying production technology is non-separable between the outputs and the quasi-fixed input,and the harvesting level of one species is likely to have spill-over economic effects on the harvesting levels of others.The own-price elasticities of output supply are found to be positive,inelastic,and statistically significant in four out of five cases suggesting that,other things being equal,fishers’supply decisions are influenced by the prevailing market prices of outputs.The estimated values of the cross-price elasticity of supply are negative,inelastic and statistically significant at the 5%level for eight output pairs.The calculated values of the Morishima elasticity of substitution(MES)indicate the presence of substitutability between ten output pairs.The cross-price elasticity estimates are in the range of0.001(between Emperor and Catfish)to0.275(between Seabream and Grouper)which is lower(in absolute value)than that of the MES estimates.The magnitudes of the cross-price elasticity and the MES estimates indicate the extent of spill-over effects of one species on the other and signal the extent of species targeting by fishers.A statistically significant spatial,seasonal,and inter-annual variability is observed in all species cases.Finally,the implications of the findings are discussed from the perspective of developing effective management approaches,achieving sustainability of fisheries resources and improving fishers’socio-economic conditions stipulated in the Five-Year development plans for the sector.
文摘Recycled shipping containers have the potential to be successfully used as a net-zero ready home.This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of a high-performance shipping container single-family housing project located in Virginia Beach,Virginia.The project was awarded the Best Undergraduate Project in the Single-family division at the 2019 U.S.Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon Design Challenge.The Hampton University Millennial Village Design Team designed a marketable net-zero ready container home for the ViBe Creative District in Virginia Beach,Virginia.Container Homes are not suitable for every homeowner,but they have a particular appeal to a generation of young and creative people across the country.For many municipalities in Virginia,where container housing is not readily accepted,the ViBe creative district has been having discussions with City code officials and local architects about the benefits.The Hampton University Millennial Village Design Team aimed to take advantage of the competition as an opportunity to explore a building construction method that is not widely seen in this part of the country.Testing design for net-zero readiness is a comprehensive way to understand how this type of construction performs from a building science standpoint.Collaboration with professional industry advisors helped the team to use research-based design methods to work on a unique project that the team believes will become a reality in the future.For the performance assessment of a net-zero container house,several simulation tools were used to investigate the environmental impacts,daylight performance,envelope performance,Energy Use Intensity(EUI),Home Energy Rating System(HERS),and solar energy generation.As for energy standards and codes,the Virginia residential code(VRC)2015,International Energy Conservation Code(IECC)2015 and The American Society of Heating,Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers(ASHRAE)90.1-2013 for residential buildings were consulted to set each variable for the net-zero container house project.The Rem/Rate energy simulation software achieved the HERS index of 51 and 0 without and with the applications of roof photovoltaics,respectively.
文摘A 40 year old woman complains of tiredness over the past few weeks.She had a total thyroidectomy three years ago for Graves'thyrotoxicosis and has been taking levothyroxine since then.She weighs 80 kg and is taking 150 p.g daily.A blood test done in the previous week showed thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH)levels above 30 mU/L(reference range 0.4-4.5 mU/L).
基金The research conducted by the EPRC has been funded by the Fish Enhancement,Mitigation,and Research Fund,administered by the U.S.Fish and Wildlife ServiceHydro-Qu´ebec and Ontario Power Generation.Additional funding was received from Duke Energy and the Electric Power Research Institute.
文摘There is a need to develop safe and effective downstream passage for diadromous anguillid eels on large rivers,where the combination of physical screening and bypass structures that is used to protect eel on smaller rivers is infeasible.The Eel Passage Research Center was established in 2013 to address the challenge of providing safe passage for out-migrating silver-stage American eel(Anguilla rostrata)on the St.Lawrence River,the outflow of the Laurentian Great Lakes,which is spanned by two large,mainstem hydroelectric generating stations.The Center’s goal is to develop the technology to behaviorally guide eel to a collection point for capture and transfer around the two generating stations.To achieve this goal,three parallel initiatives were undertaken;1)research into behavioral guidance techniques suitable for guiding out-migrating eel on large,high flow rivers,2)the evaluation of sonar technologies for detection of eel,necessary for assessing in situ guidance,and 3)the commissioning of literature reviews for the most promising guidance technologies.A number of behavioral guidance stimuli,including electricity,flow,sound and electromagnetic fields were examined in laboratory and flume settings for their utility in guiding out-migrating silver-stage eel.Of the techniques examined,only sound showed any promise for guidance.Three sonar technologies(Simrad 120 kHz EK60 echosounder,Sound Metrics ARIS Explorer 1800 sonar,and the Kongsberg Mesotech 500 kHz M3 multi-mode multibeam sonar)were evaluated to determine if existing acoustic technologies could be used to estimate the relative abundance and distribution of out-migrating silver-phase American eel in the St.Lawrence River.Only the ARIS unit could successfully identify eel targets,and only over a short(<15 m)range.The immense volume of sonar data accumulated over a portion of a single outmigration season contributed to the successful development of machine learning tools to automate the identification of American eel targets.Based on previous research on the St.Lawrence River identifying light as a promising deterrent,and the potential for sound as a deterrent in this study,full literature reviews were commissioned for these two stimuli.Lessons learned to date have resulted in the design of a subscale,prototype guidance structure that is expected to be deployed in 2022.
