Standard-based Approach Research Articles

Beyond limits and efficiency, what? Assessing developments in EU water policy

This paper documents a transformation of EU water policy from a standard-based approach towards a more diverse policy combining ecological, economic and social elements with an emphasis on institutional and participatory aspects. This is marked in a new Water Framework Directive. Analysis is supported by a theoretical discussion of different approaches to sustainability and recognition of the deadlock of an ecological limit vs. economic efficiency dichotomy. While an approach originating from works in institutional and ecological economics and emphasising processes, justice and collective decisions seems to break this impasse, it is not without its own conceptual problems.

On joint protection/restoration in IP-centric DWDM based optical transport networks

Previous advances in WDM technology are now beginning to shift the focus more toward optical networking and network-level issues. Providing survivability at the optical layer is inherently attractive, but whether it makes practical sense, given similar mechanisms that are already available at the higher layers, poses serious challenges and raises many questions. Today's core network architecture model has functional overlap among its layers, contains outdated functionality, and is too slow to scale. If IP can be mapped directly onto the WDM layer, some of the unnecessary network layers can be eliminated, opening up new possibilities for developing a simple and integrated-protection/restoration scheme that can be coordinated at both the IP and WDM layers. This article presents an overview of existing optical protection/restoration schemes. Then we present a novel mesh-based hybrid optical protection scheme that utilizes multifiber physical links along with a hierarchical OXC structure. An overview of the envisioned IP-centric DWDM-based optical data network architecture is then presented. The basis of how to implement a more direct IP standard-based approach for closer and efficient IP-WDM integration is also discussed. Finally, we articulate a view of how to provide a joint protection/restoration scheme that is coordinated at both the IP and WDM layers.

Determination of chemical warfare agent degradation products at low-part-per-billion levels in aqueous samples and sub-part-per-million levels in soils using capillary electrophoresis.

A significant enhancement in the method detection limits is observed in the analysis of chemical warfare agent (CWA) degradation products in environmental samples by capillary electrophoresis (CE) using electrokinetic injection. The CE method uses indirect UV detection of the nonderivitized acidic analyte and a cationic surfactant, didodecyldimethylammonium hydroxide, for reversal of the electroosmotic flow. Analytes studied include the dibasic acid methylphosphonic acid (MPA) and its monoacid/monoalkyl esters, RMPA, where R = ethyl, isopropyl, and pinacolyl (2-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)). The CE method uses an attractive buffer system which is highly stable and inexpensive, and, in addition to reversing the electroosmotic flow, provides excellent separation efficiencies within a 3-min run. This CE method is also free from interference caused by carbonate, humic acids, and fluoride. Compared to pressure injection, electrokinetic injection with this CE buffer system provided substantially lower detection limits, up to 100-fold lower for samples in reagent water. However, to best realize the benefits of the electrokinetic injection enhancement for environmental samples, a prior cleanup of the sample using standard ion-exchange cartridges is necessary. This cleanup step uses sequential cartridges to remove sulfate (barium cartridge), chloride (silver cartridge), and cations (H+ cartridge). Using this approach, detection limits for these four acids were as low as 1-2 micrograms/L for water samples and 25-50 micrograms/L for aqueous leachates of soil samples (10 mL of leachate/1.5 g of soil). The utility of this method for separation of CWA degradation products by CE is discussed in terms of pressure injection versus electokinetic injection. The effects of voltage and time of injection on the separation were investigated. Results from three types of soils and four types of water (groundwater, artificial seawater, tap water, bay water) indicated that the method has potential for environmental monitoring. Quantitative CE analysis with electrokinetic injection enhancement of detection limits of these types of environmental samples requires the use of an appropriate internal standard approach. The data presented here indicate that an internal standard-based approach could be expected to give analysis results in the sub-part-per-million concentration range of 90-110% of the true value.