Temporary Field Research Articles

2011 Census Field design: getting the numbers right

A labour force of over 30,000 temporary field staff has been employed to carry out the Census. This article summarises the role of the field staff in collecting census questionnaires from households and communal establishments for the March 2011 enumeration. Building on the lessons learned from the 2001 Census, and taking account of changes in society and technology since 2001, the article provides a summary of the planned field staff structures and processes intended to deal with returned questionnaires and non-responders.

Electrochemical state conversion model for occurrence of pitting corrosion on a cathodically polarized carbon steel in a near-neutral pH solution

Pitting corrosion occurs frequently on oil/gas pipelines which are protected by both coating and cathodic protection (CP). Since the steel is in an active state, the classic theories attributing pitting to the passive film breakdown do not apply. This work is anticipated to advance the understanding of the fundamentals of pitting corrosion of carbon steel pipelines occurring in an active system. In this work, a square wave polarization method was used to simulate the CP fluctuation and its effect on pipeline steel pitting in a near-neutral pH solution. Moreover, an electrochemical state conversion model was developed to illustrate the pit initiation and growth on the cathodically polarized steel. According to ESCM, when a potential fluctuation is generated on the steel electrode, the local double-charge layer structure is disturbed. The defect area undergoes a temporary anodic potential field, resulting in the local anodic dissolution to nucleate pits. Thus, local anodic dissolution (pitting) of steel would occur under an unstable cathodic polarization. Furthermore, it is found that the potential shifting range plays an important role in pitting initiation and growth. Pits nucleate in high-density under square wave polarization if the polarization potential range is relative narrow and the upper potential is not so negative, i.e., close to OCP. When under a wide potential range and a relatively negative upper potential, pits tend to grow into big size with a low density. Therefore, although the pipeline is protected by CP, the CP fluctuation could occur during service, which would introduce the polarization fluctuation on the steel, resulting in pitting corrosion.

Invertebrates in field margins: taxonomic group diversity and functional group abundance in relation to age

Sown, temporary field margins are a common agri-environment scheme (AES) in the Netherlands. Despite their wide application, though, there has been scarcely any long-term monitoring of the succession of invertebrates. In the field margins of 40 farms, invertebrate diversity and the abundance of three functional groups were assessed in relation to age. The diversity in terms of number of species groups was found to increase with the age of the margins. The abundance of herbivores and detritivores also showed a positive correlation with the age of the margins. However, the abundance of predators decreased with increasing age. Older margins showed a higher total vegetation cover and fewer plant species, also resulting in lower plant species evenness. We suggest several changes to the current AES regulations. For the conservation of invertebrate diversity, longer-lasting field margins are desirable. In addition, old margins are favoured by detritivores, a group that has particular difficulty finding suitable habitats in agricultural landscapes. However, such margins are less favourable from an agricultural perspective, as they appear unsuitable for high abundances of potentially useful predators and the high vegetation cover attracts many potentially harmful herbivores. To circumvent this, the AES might be extended by incorporating hay-making, which would reduce standing biomass and might lead to more predators and fewer herbivores.

Clinical and biochemical abnormalities in endurance horses eliminated from competition for medical complications and requiring emergency medical treatment: 30 cases (2005–2006)

To describe the clinical and clinicopathologic abnormalities in endurance horses eliminated from competition and requiring emergency medical treatment. Retrospective study over a 2-year period (2005-2006). Ten horses that successfully completed the ride in 2006 were included for comparison. Temporary equine emergency field hospital. All horses (n=30) that were removed from endurance competition and treated for a metabolic abnormality were studied. Horses were treated with IV fluids and analgesics. Monitoring included lab work (PCV, total protein, and electrolytes) and serial physical examinations. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and parametric and nonparametric comparisons (ANOVA, Friedman's test, and Kruskal-Wallis) where appropriate. The clinical diagnoses identified included colic, esophageal obstruction, poor cardiovascular recovery, myopathy, and synchronous diaphragmatic flutter. As a group, these sick horses had lower plasma chloride and potassium and higher total plasma protein concentrations as compared with 10 healthy horses that successfully completed the ride (P<0.05, <0.01, and <0.05 for chloride, potassium, and total protein, respectively). Horses with colic had a lower PCV as compared with horses with poor recovery and those with synchronous diaphragmatic flutter (P<0.05). All horses, including colics, were treated medically and discharged to owners. Based on the results of this study, the prognosis for horses requiring emergency veterinary treatment after being removed from endurance competition (for metabolic reasons) appears to be good if horses are withdrawn from competition under the same criteria outlined in this study. Biochemical abnormalities tend to be mild and do not necessarily aid in delineating sick horses from successfully completing horses. None of the horses with gastrointestinal disease required abdominal surgery.

Shear-wave splitting measurements — Problems and solutions

We compare sensitivity and reliability of three basic techniques of shear-wave splitting analysis – cross-correlation of wave components, minimization of covariance matrix eigenvalues and minimizing energy on the transverse component – of both synthetic and real data, point out some problems and propose solutions. We discuss major difficulties of evaluating shear-wave splitting parameters, which are not always obvious in routine processing and can sometimes lead to false results and wrong interpretations. We describe effects of pre-processing of digital records of shear waves, e.g., filtering and setting lengths of analyzed signals, and discuss reliability of results to minimize outliers in evaluated splitting parameters. For reliable evaluation of splitting of medium-quality SKS wave forms, which are valuable mainly in temporary deployments of stations, we recommend a careful band-pass filtering of the signal, using a window length not shorter than the dominant period, inspecting the signal/noise ratio on T component and the particle motion. The transverse minimization method provides usually more robust and stable solutions than the other two methods. In the conclusion, we suggest how to proceed in evaluation of splitting parameters to ensure reliable solutions even for medium- or low-quality shear waveforms recorded frequently during temporary field measurements.

Rainfall and temperature attributes on the lesotho–drakensberg escarpment edge, southern africa

.Located near the southeastern limit of Africa, the Lesotho‐Drakensberg and associated escarpment is the highest range of African mountains south of the massifs in Tanzania. At the escarpment summit and on the adjacent high peaks, the climate is generally interpreted as marginal periglacial yet few data, specifically rainfall and temperature, exist on record at these altitudes. Climatic data from two temporary field stations on the escarpment edge, one of which is the highest rainfall station yet on record in southern Africa, provide contemporary surface‐climate conditions. Mean annual rainfall recorded between 2001 and 2005 averages 767.8 mm at Sani Pass summit (three complete years), and 753.2 mm on Sentinel Peak (two complete years); these values are less than those recorded for the same period in the mountain foothills. Even though rainfall is slightly below long‐term rainfall averages for the area due to a marginally dry spell, the data show that earlier estimates of between 1000 mm and 2000 mm rainfall per annum on the escarpment are too high. A measured mean air temperature of 5.8°C at Sani Pass, however, falls within the range estimated for the escarpment summit. Frost cycles in air and at the soil surface are frequent in winter, but absent in soil for summer, and no long‐duration surface‐soil freeze was measured. Temperatures thus confirm the marginal periglacial nature as postulated for previously, but precipitation data indicate a dryer environment than anticipated. Palaeoenvironmental scenarios, notably arguments for former glaciation based on extrapolations from somewhat exaggerated contemporary precipitation values, thus require re‐consideration.

Electronic acoustic music engine

An electronic engine for generating acoustic musical notes for simulating a music box. The engine includes a memory for storing data, and an electronic controller connected to the memory for producing a control signal in accordance with said data. A plurality of tone generating members, such as tines from a comb are provided, with each tine generating a corresponding musical note when the tine is placed in motion. One or more actuators in communication with the controller generate a temporary magnetic field in response to the control signal for resonantly adding energy to the tines without requiring physical contact between the tines and the actuators to produce the corresponding musical notes.

Cross‐field effects and temporary social fields: a case study of the mediatization of recent Australian knowledge economy policies

This paper utilizes Bourdieu’s conceptual frame to examine the mediatized effects of policy processes concerned with the growth and support of knowledge industries in Australia. These policies span education, science, research and other knowledge industries (such as venture capital firms and intellectual property law). The paper argues that some policy processes are best represented as temporary social fields. The nature of these fields can be described by the kinds of cross‐field effects that they produce. A case study of an Australian knowledge economy policy, The chance to change, and associated policy processes demonstrates the broad analytic capacities of Bourdieu’s conceptual frame for policy analysis, when combined with the concepts of cross‐field effects and temporary social field developed here.

The variation of greenhouse gas emissions from soils of various land-use/cover types in Jambi province, Indonesia

We measured fluxes of three greenhouse gases (N2O, CO2O and CH4) from soils of six different land-use types at 27 temporary field sites in Jambi Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. Study sites included natural and logged-over forests; rubber plantation; oil palm plantation; cinnamon plantation; and grassland field. The ranges of N2O, CO2 and CH4 fluxes were 0.13–55.8 μgN m-2h-1; 1.38–5.16 g C m-2d-1; −1.27–1.18 mg C m-2d-1, respectively. The averages of N2O, CO2 and CH4 fluxes at 27 sites were 9.4 μgN m-2h-1,3.65 g C m-2d-1, −0.45 mg C m-2d-1, respectively. The values of CO2 and CH4 fluxes were comparable with those in the reports regarding other humid tropical forests, while the N2O flux was relatively lower than those of previous reports. The N2O fluxes in each soil type were correlated with the nitrification rates of soils of 0–5 cm depth. In Andisols, the ratio of the N2O emission rate to the nitrification rate was possibly smaller than that of the other soil types. There was no clear relationship between N2O flux and the soil water condition, such as water-filled pore space. Seventeen percent of CH4 fluxes were positive; according to these positive fluxes, we did not find a good correlation between CH4 uptake rate and soil properties. Although we performed a chronosequence analysis to produce some hypotheses about the effect of land-use change by a limited amount of sampling at one point in time, further tests are required for the future.

Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Rice–Wheat Cropping Systems in Asia

The rice-wheat belt comprises nearly 24–27 million ha in South and East Asia. Rice is generally grown in flooded fields whereas the ensuing wheat crop requires well-drained soil conditions. Consequently, both crops differ markedly in nature and intensity of greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes, namely emission of (1) methane (CH4) and (2) nitrous oxide (N2O) as well as the sequestration of (3) carbon dioxide. Wetland rice emits large quantities of CH4; strategies to CH4 emissions include proper management of organic inputs, temporary (mid-season) field drainage and direct seeding. As for the wheat crop, the major GHG is N2O that is emitted in short-term pulses after fertilization, heavy rainfall and irrigation events. However, N2O is also emitted in larger quantities during fallow periods and during the rice crop as long as episodic irrigation or rainfall result in aerobic-anaerobic cycles. Wetland rice ensures a relatively high content of soil organic matter in the rice-wheat system as compared to permanent upland conditions. In terms of global warming potential, baseline emissions of the rice-wheat system primarily depend on the management practices during the rice crop while emissions from the wheat crop remain less sensitive to different management practices. The antagonism between CH4 and N2O emissions is a major impediment for devising effective mitigation strategies in rice-wheat system - measures to reduce the emission of one GHG often intensify the emission of the other GHG.

Modeling a magnetic Moon

Using an innovative computer model, Dave Stegman and his coauthors might have solved a decades-old mystery about the Moon's geology. A giant plume of hot rock, they say, might have burst out from the lunar core four billion years ago, kicking off a series of events that endowed the moon with a temporary magnetic field. Stegman's model is prompting scientists to re-examine studies of magnetic lunar rocks collected during the early Apollo missions. The research has even caught the attention of the world media, who have dubbed his lunar hypothesis the Big Burp Theory. Notoriety aside, Stegman's work is advancing the application of a popular and versatile analysis method that's been around since the 1950s: finite-element analysis. With FEA, a computer breaks a complex problem into small pieces that are easier to process.

Wall effects on DNA stretch and relaxation

Hydrodynamic wall effects are treated with an image or reflection method. This method uses a mirror image of the molecule, with the opposite velocity, to satisfy the non-slip boundary condition of zero velocity of the liquid at the wall. Molecules moving inside a slit require an infinite series of images, or reflections from both walls, whose effects converge slower for thinner slits. It is shown that, with the same external field, wall effects increase the electrophoretic stretch of DNA, more so for thinner slits. The theory is in fairly good agreement with stretch experiments on T4 DNA in slits of width 5, 0.3, and 0.09 μm by Bakajin et al. (Phys. Rev. Let. 80 (1998) 2737). For the same slits relaxation data are available for T4 DNA first hooked around an obstacle, stretched in a U-shape in an external electric field, and sliding off until the stretched molecule moves away in free electrophoresis. The theory approximates the relaxation of the molecule, after detachment from the obstacle, as the relaxation of tethered DNA stretched in a temporary electric field. The theory agrees fairly well with the experiments. The significance of electroosmotic flow is discussed for electrophoretic experiments. An Appendix gives numerical data on the free electrophoresis of unstained and stained DNA, and discusses problems of the kinetic diameter of DNA.

Somatic embryogenesis of the banana hybrid cultivar FHIA-18 (AAAB) in liquid medium and scaled-up in a bioreactor

The development of somatic embryos in liquid culture medium has a number of advantages for large-scale propagation of plants. This paper describes an improved system for the mass propagation via somatic embryogenesis of the banana hybrid cultivar FHIA-18 (AAAB). Explants from immature male flowers were used to form high frequency embryogenic tissue, this tissue was then used to establish embryogenic cell suspensions in a basic MS medium plus 1.0 mg l−1 biotin, 100 mg l−1 glutamine, 100 mg l−1 malt extract (Sigma), 1.0 mg l−1 2,4-D and 45 g l−1 sucrose. Secondary multiplication of somatic embryos was achieved in liquid media in rotary shaker and in bioreactors. The number of embryos per litre obtained with 80.0% DO2 and effects of pH were also studied. A high regeneration percentage of plants were obtained (89.3%) in only 1 month of culture, somatic embryos were then placed to germinate in temporary immersion systems and field testing of somaclonal variation.

Reconnaissance for noble metals in Precambrian and Palaeogene rocks, Amdrup Fjord, southern East Greenland

A zone of hydrothermal veins in the Kangerlussuaq region, southern East Greenland, is the focus of a one year project by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS). The project aims to localise, map, sample and analyse silver-gold-bearing veins in a selected area of Precambrian and Palaeogene rocks north of Amdrup Fjord (Figs 1, 2). This report describes the field work and presents some preliminary results. The study area comprises a c. 3 km wide and 10 km long ridge between Amdrup Fjord and Søndre Syenitgletscher, centred on the 938 m high mountain Flammefjeld (Figs 2, 3). The area is of alpine character with small glaciers and with extensive snow cover most of the year. The field programme was chosen to coincide with the time of minimum snow cover, from 25 July – 23 August. During this period, the major part of the area was investigated on daily foot traverses from four fly camps, helped by helicopter lifts on two occasions. Logistically, the work was part of a larger expedition to East Greenland – EG 2000 – organised by the Danish Lithosphere Centre and GEUS, which is reported on elsewhere (Nielsen et al. 2001, this volume). A temporary field base in Sødalen, some 50 km east of Amdrup Fjord, supported the expedition’s Ecureuil AS 350 helicopter and provided services for the field teams of the various activities attached to EG 2000. Air connections with Iceland were maintained by Twin Otter aircraft operating from a gravel landing strip in Sødalen (Fig. 1).

Effect of the applied electric field on the steady state and temporary state space-charge field in photorefractive polymers

Abstract In this paper, after considering the dependence of quantum efficiency of charge generation, carrier mobility, and trapping rate on the applied electric field, the relations of steady state space-charge field and response rates of space-charge field are discussed with respect to the applied electric field in photorefractive polymers. It is found that the steady state properties of the space-charge field with respect to the applied electric field are in agreement with those of inorganic photorefractive crystals. However, for the transient processes, there are different function forms between the response rates and the applied electric field, such as superlinear functions and sublinear functions. Also, the response rates are determined by the properties of traps.

Effect of the applied electric field on the steady state and temporary state space-charge field in photorefractive polymers

In this paper, after considering the dependence of quantum efficiency of charge generation, carrier mobility, and trapping rate on the applied electric field, the relations of steady state space-charge field and response rates of space-charge field are discussed with respect to the applied electric field in photorefractive polymers. It is found that the steady state properties of the space-charge field with respect to the applied electric field are in agreement with those of inorganic photorefractive crystals. However, for the transient processes, there are different function forms between the response rates and the applied electric field, such as superlinear functions and sublinear functions. Also, the response rates are determined by the properties of traps.

Modelling of thunderclouds and lightning generation on Titan

The likelihood of lightning generation in Titan's troposphere is investigated by theoretical consideration and a numerical one-dimensional time-dependent thundercloud model. The main cloud electrification hypotheses proposed for terrestrial thunderstorms are examined taking into account recent knowledge concerning Titan's atmospheric state, especially condensation, and the lower ionosphere. Titan's thunderclouds may be quite rare because of the difficult methane nucleation and low convection energy, but once moist convection is triggered, a massive cloud containing slowly falling solid and liquid methane particles may be expected. In this case the cloud rapidly attaches a large amount of free electrons, which are abundant in Titan's troposphere due to the low abundance of electrophilic species. The entirely negative space charge in the cloud causes within a few minutes a temporary maximum electric field of 2×10 6 V m −1 which is sufficient to initiate 20 km long negative cloud-to-ground lightning strokes in Titan's lower troposphere. The collisional charging, on the other hand, appears to be less efficient since the charge transfer itself may be limited at Titan's cold temperatures and no substantial charge redistribution takes place in the cloud due to the weak updraft and gravitation.

Trauma Patient Outcome in an Army Deployable Medical Systems Environment Compared with a Medical Center

William Beaumont Army Medical Center is the second busiest trauma center in the Army. Recent facility renovations there necessitated the use of a temporary field hospital to serve as the Emergency Department, which included the initial evaluation and resuscitation of trauma patients by the trauma team. Although designed for the battlefield, the use of field medical equipment during renovation of military medical facilities is not a new concept. The MUST (Medical Unit Self-contained Transportable) and DEPMEDS (Deployable Medical Systems) have been used successfully during fixed-facility renovations. Previously described functions included inpatient services, outpatient care, and operating room facilities. However, no published information directly compares the use of these temporary structures with standard fixed facilities in the initial management of trauma patients. Trauma patients often present with complex concerns, are highly resource intensive, and their survival is dependent on efficient, timely care. We compared several aspects of patient outcome in the DEPMEDS versus the medical center.

FOREST BIOMASS OF CHINA: AN ESTIMATE BASED ON THE BIOMASS–VOLUME RELATIONSHIP

In this study, a method was developed to estimate the forest biomass of China based on the relationship between stand biomass and volume. Biomass–volume relationships were quantified for all the main forest types in China using 758 sets of data obtained from direct field measurements. These relationships were used to convert volume measurements into total biomass values (above- and belowground dry masses) based on 1984–1988 forest inventory data for China. The latter had been compiled from more than 250000 permanent and temporary field plots across the country. This data contained information on forest area and timber volume for each age class and site class for all forest types at the provincial level. As a result, the total forest biomass of China was estimated as 9103 Tg (1 Tg = 1012 g), with 8592, 326, and 185 Tg from forests, special product plantations, and bamboo forests, respectively. The area-weighted mean biomass density was 84 Mg/ha (1 Mg = 106 g). For comparison, two additional estimates, one based on the mean biomass density method and another based on the mean ratio of biomass to stem volume, were also derived. Compared to the biomass–volume relationship method, the mean biomass density method considerably overestimated the forest biomass of China (by 59.6%), while the mean ratio of biomass to stem volume method slightly underestimated it (by 12.1%). Despite the small forest biomass value due to a low forest cover, the area-weighted mean biomass density was comparable to those of other regions in the middle and high latitudes except in the United States. We believe that our study provided not only an appropriate estimate of forest biomass for China, but also an improved methodology for estimating forest biomass at the regional, national, and global level.

A study of losses from field channels under arid region conditions

In arid regions, water losses from unlined small field channels are usually high due to seepage and evaporation from open surfaces. These losses are often neglected by many project planners and engineers. A theoretical analysis has been developed to modify the equation usually used to determine the water losses based on the ponding method, where the channel longitudinal slope was considered in the analysis. A field investigation has been carried out in sandy soil to determine and evaluate the water losses for three different types of channels. They are: earthen-uncompacted channel, compacted channel bed and channel lined by jute mats coated with bitumen emulsion on both faces. The last two cases are relatively low-cost, need less skillful labour than lining by cement and are more suitable for temporary field channels. Manning's coefficient was determined for each case. The results show that the process of compating the channel bed reduced the rate of seepage by a considerable value and that lining of field channels by prefabricated bitumen jute mats caused a significant reduction in the seepage rate. The results also show that the evaporation from open surfaces caused a considerable loss and should be considered when studying water losses from irrigation channels in arid regions. Abbreviations A = channel surface area ⋅ Ac = channel cross section-area ⋅ b = channel bed width ⋅ d = observed difference in Class-A pan ⋅ h1 = original water depth in the canal ⋅ h2 = canal water depth after a certain time ⋅ k = constant ⋅ L = canal length ⋅ n = Manning's coefficient ⋅ p = average wetted perimeter ⋅ qevap = evaporation losses rate ⋅ qs = canal seepage losses rate ⋅ qt = total losses from the canal ⋅ Q = canal discharge ⋅ R = penetration resistance ⋅ Rh = hydraulic radius of the channel ⋅ s = channel longitudinal slope ⋅ t = time ⋅ Ve = volume of water lost by evaporation ⋅ vm = channel mean velocity ⋅ vs = channel surface velocity ⋅ Vs = volume of water lost by seepage ⋅ Vt = total volume of water lost ⋅ w = water surface width of the canal ⋅ y1 = downstream water depth at time zero ⋅ y2 = downstream water depth after a time t ⋅ z = canal side slope