Basis Of Monitoring Data Research Articles

Thermo-Electro Chemical Surface Energy Conversion Influence on Air Pollution

Water vapor condensation and crystallization active centers on gas exposed solid dust particle enable thermo-electrochemical energy catalytic storage and conversion. Thermodynamic diagnostic method is developed for determination of catalyst working function and thermo-electro chemical surface reaction kinetic. The diagnostic results of catalyst working function and hydrogen evolution rate constants justify the functional dependence    obtained on the basis of monitoring data in six day period, in different seasons and location in Romania and Serbia These indicate to relative electric permittivity dominant influence, depending on  Helmholtz surface and Helmholtz outer and diffusion planes in catalyst electric double layer.

Monitoring and Analysis of Historic Building Vibration Influenced by Blasting in Complex Urban Environment

This article is based on TengChong County municipal sewage treatment plant supporting pipe network project, monitored and analyze the vibration influence on the historic building taiji bridage by the Pipe-jacking blasting construction. Via regression analysis of velocity in vertical direction of measuring points on the basis of monitoring data, obtained the attenuation laws toward taij bridage direction. The vibration signals were decomposed into IMF components by using HilbertHuang transform (HHT),analyzed the several IMF components could be acquired the timefrequency characteristics of the vibration signals. These will provide references to the similar projects.

Dynamics of tree layer composition, tree age and large diameter trees in Habitats Directive Annex I forest habitats in Estonia on the basis of monitoring data collected from 2010–2012

Abstract The protection of late-succession forest habitats and continuous woodlands is the primary goal in Estonian forest nature conservation. Therefore ecological qualities of almost all forest stands in Estonian protected areas are described. Forest patches will be mapped and protected as Annex I forest habitats if they have enough structural and functional qualities. The member states of the European Union report in every six years about the conservation status of European Habitats Directive Annex I habitats. Changes in area as well as changes in habitat type’s structure and functions are also declared. In the present paper the dynamics in tree species composition, stand age and larger diameter trees of monitored Annex I forest habitats is analyzed. The mean age of stands is older than the Estonian mean value, but it is only slightly higher than the cutting age of the corresponding tree species. The mean diameter of larger living trees is in general larger than dead wood, which is indicative of the forest succession and historical low-intensive forest management. Currently, conservation activities support natural succession in forests that formerly were managed economically. Therefore, changes in the composition of tree layer species are to be expected. The dominance of spruce and the abundance of broad-leaved trees are increasing in non-managed forest habitats. In contrast, the proportion of pine, birch and aspen decreases significantly. In general the number of tree species in habitat patches will increase; thereby the dominance of certain species will decline. According to the Estonian interpretation of the forest types in the Manual of the Habitats Directive, some stands with changed main tree species will need to be reclassified. Therefore the area of some forest habitat types may increase in the future. On contrary the area and functional quality of some other habitat types may decrease.

Slope Displacement Prediction Model Based on LMD and BP Neural Network

Slope displacement time series prediction model,a combination of Local mean decomposition(LMD) and BP neural network is presented.By selecting train samples on the basis of monitoring data on slope displacement and conducting an adaptive decomposing, several production function is obtained.After that, BP neural network is used to forecast the PF and finally adding it all up and the result is the predicton of slope displacement. BP neural network is used to optimize the parameters so as to improve the forecast accuracy.The model is put into application on the slope displacement forecasting of the permanent lock slope.The case study shows that the prediction result is of high accuracy, scientifically valid and has potential value in the field of slope displacement time series prediction.

Block-in-Matrix Structure and Creeping Slope: Tunneling in Hard Soil and/or Weak Rock

The city bypass tunnel of Waidhofen an der Ybbs (Austria) is situated in an intricate geological-geotechnical complex consisting of soil, hard soil, weak rock and solid rock. Marls and marly limestone (Waidhofener formation) predominate followed by tectonic breccia of the Alpine cliff zone, which is a tectonic melange zone. Materials of this kind universally have isolated interior blocks embedded in a matrix called “block-in-matrix” (see Fig. 1) requiring a particular characterization of the mechanical rock mass properties. The complex geological and morphological situation required the application of various tunneling methods including open cuts, cut-and-cover sections and the New Austrian Tunneling Method. During construction in creeping slopes increased movements were triggered, which required the installation of a sophisticated monitoring system. On the basis of monitoring data and additional ground investigations structural measures were assessed that enabled safe tunneling in the creeping slope. Open image in new window Fig. 1 Left Core photo of a drilling through rock mass type GA2 with a block-in-matrix structure. Right Tunneling through block-in-matrix structure with digged out blocks

When no catches matter: Coping with zeros in environmental assessments

The environmental legislation of many countries increasingly requires the continuous monitoring of fish assemblages to evaluate the success of river and stream restorations. Predicting species–environment relationships on the basis of monitoring data is central in the evaluation of ecological integrity and planning of rehabilitation strategies. Monitoring data are, however, often plagued by a substantial proportion of zeros (no catch at single sampling points) which are caused by relevant ecological processes, but complicate the use of commonly used statistical methods. This study compares mere count regression models, mixture and hurdle models based on Poisson and negative binomial distribution and logistic regressions with respect to their ability to cope with large zero-inflated data sets obtained by point abundance sampling of young-of-the-year fish from three large German rivers. Only mixture and hurdle models based on negative binomial distribution could satisfactorily be fitted to the zero-inflated and overdispersed count data. The logistic regression models applied to transliterated catch data simplified the computational procedure and yielded qualitative similar results to the count regression models indicating that the use of more complex count data did not generally provide better predictions. Therefore, presence/absence sampling may be a suitable and less costly alternative to abundance surveys for identifying environmental factors which affect the spatial distribution of fish populations at least if information on subtly abundance fluctuations is not needed. Mixture or hurdle models are particularly worth the additional effort if it is reasonable to distinguish between those environmental factors influencing the occurrence probability and others affecting the abundance. All models showed low sensitivity to rare guilds pointing to the need for a further development of statistical models for rare species whose management is a matter of growing environmental concern.

Intra-specific variation in cardiac activity of the Mediterranen limpet Patella caerulea along a contamination gradient

The Mediterranean limpet Patella caerulea was collected along a gradient of metal pollution. On the basis of monitoring data released by the Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Tuscany, the following four sites range from strongly polluted to unpolluted: Porto di Livorno (PL), Marina di Pisa (MP), Quercianella (Q) and Castiglioncello (C). Measurements of body concentrations of copper and zinc — the two metals eliciting cardiac variations in limpets — confirmed that the four sites lie along a gradient of metal bioavailability. Non-invasive recordings of cardiac activity showed that bradycardia induced by copper (0.25 and 0.5 mg l-1; up to 6 hr) was higher in limpets from Q and C than in those from PL and MP. These results suggest that the cardiac response to copper can be used to assess the degree of exposure of native limpet populations to trace metals.

Databases as policy instruments. About extending networks as evidence-based policy

BackgroundThis article seeks to identify the role of databases in health policy. Access to information and communication technologies has changed traditional relationships between the state and professionals, creating new systems of surveillance and control. As a result, databases may have a profound effect on controlling clinical practice.MethodsWe conducted three case studies to reconstruct the development and use of databases as policy instruments. Each database was intended to be employed to control the use of one particular pharmaceutical in the Netherlands (growth hormone, antiretroviral drugs for HIV and Taxol, respectively). We studied the archives of the Dutch Health Insurance Board, conducted in-depth interviews with key informants and organized two focus groups, all focused on the use of databases both in policy circles and in clinical practice.ResultsOur results demonstrate that policy makers hardly used the databases, neither for cost control nor for quality assurance. Further analysis revealed that these databases facilitated self-regulation and quality assurance by (national) bodies of professionals, resulting in restrictive prescription behavior amongst physicians.ConclusionThe databases fulfill control functions that were formerly located within the policy realm. The databases facilitate collaboration between policy makers and physicians, since they enable quality assurance by professionals. Delegating regulatory authority downwards into a network of physicians who control the use of pharmaceuticals seems to be a good alternative for centralized control on the basis of monitoring data.

A Fuzzy Logic Model to Describe the Cyanobacteria Nodularia spumigena Blooms in the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea

A fuzzy logic model to describe the seasonal evolution of Nodularia spumigena blooms in the Gulf of Finland was built and calibrated on the basis of monitoring data. The model includes three phosphate sources: excess phosphate after the annual spring bloom and parameterised phosphate transport to the upper mixed layer by turbulent mixing and upwelling events. Surface layer temperature and wind mixing form the physical conditions controlling the growth of N. spumigena. Model simulations revealed that phosphate input caused by turbulent mixing and upwelling have to be taken into account to achieve the best fit with observed data. Testing the fuzzy model for early prediction of maximum N. spumigena biomass about a month before the usual occurrence of blooms, gave good results. The potential use of the model for prediction of bloom risk at a certain location along the Estonian or Finnish coast was tested. The bloom transport velocities used in the fuzzy model were pre-calculated by a 3D numerical circulation model for different wind regimes.

Simultaneous determination of organophosphorus pesticides in cruciferous vegetables by dual-column GC with pulsed FPD and FTD

We evaluated simultaneous analytical methods for organophosphorus pesticides in cruciferous vegetables by gas chromatography (GC). Firstly, 36 pesticides were selected on the basis of monitoring data (April 1996-March 2003) in Aichi Prefecture. A sample was extracted with acetonitrile and the acetonitrile layer was separated by salting-out. The extract was cleaned up with gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and then with a tandem silica-gel/PSA mini-column. The test solution was subjected to dual-column GC equipped with a pulsed FPD (P mode, Rtx-OPPesticides column) and a FTD (Rtx-OPPesticides 2 column). Organophosphorus pesticides in such sulfur-rich matrices as cabbage and radish were determined without any serious interfering peaks on the pulsed FPD chromatograms after diluting the extracts 10- to 20-fold (0.25-0.5 mg/L of sample). The method was applied to cruciferous vegetables to demonstrate its usefulness in routine analysis.

Phytoplankton spring blooms in the southern Baltic Sea—spatio-temporal development and long-term trends

The seasonal and long-term development of the phytoplankton spring bloom in different regions of the southern Baltic Sea was investigated on the basis of monitoring data. The development of a spring bloom starts when the upper mixed layer becomes shallower than the euphotic zone, as proved also by a mesocosm experiment. This already happens in March in Mecklenburg Bight and the western part of the Arkona Sea, leading to a diatom bloom, but only in April in the Bomholm Sea, increasingly giving rise to a dinoflagellate bloom. The new production of the spring phyto- plankton may be calculated from the decrease in nutrients during spring. In comparison with the Redfield ratio, phosphorus is taken up in excess (N:P = 9.2-10.2). The consumption of silicate in spring has been reduced in the southern Baltic proper since 1989, pointing to a decline in diatoms. The increase in chlorophyll a in the Bornholm and the southern Gotland Seas is related to eutrophication, whereas the decrease in diatoms in favour of the dinoflagellates is related to mild winters. The lack of deep-reaching circulation after mild winters may be one reason for the suppression of the non- motile diatoms.