Infiltration efficiency and subsurface water processes of a sustainable drainage system and consequences to flood management

With increased intensity rainfall events globally and urban expansion decreasing permeable surfaces, there is an increasing problem of urban flooding. This study aims to better understand rainfall infiltration into a Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) permeable pavement, compared with an adjacent Green Area of made ground, in relationship to groundwater levels below both areas. Both areas were instrumented with soil water content and matric potential sensors and four shallow boreholes were instrumented with groundwater level sensors. Surface infiltration rates were measured using a double‐ring infiltrometer. Results showed that average infiltration rates of the SuDS (1,925 mm/hr) were significantly higher than the Green Area (56 mm/hr). The SuDS was well designed to transfer rainfall rapidly to the aquifer below, where groundwater levels rapidly rose within 1 hr of a 1 in 30 year event (32.8 mm/hr). In comparison, soil compaction of the made ground Green Area decreased infiltration rates, but still enabled the majority of rainfall events to infiltrate. The aquifer below the Green Area responded more slowly, as lower matrix potentials facilitated water retention in the soil profile, slowing water draining to the aquifer. This work reiterates the importance of ensuring a 1 m separation depth between the base of the SuDS infiltration zone and aquifer depth

Report of the ACBS Task Force on the Strategies and Tactics of Contextual Behavioral Science Research

Throughout its history the strategy and tactics of contextual behavioral science (CBS) research have had distinctive features as compared to traditional behavioral science approaches. Continued progress in CBS research can be facilitated by greater clarity about how its strategy and tactics can be brought to bear on current challenges. The present white paper is the result of a 2 1/2-year long process designed to foster consensus among representative producers and consumers of CBS research about the best strategic pathway forward. The Task Force agreed that CBS research should be multilevel, process-based, multidimensional, prosocial, and pragmatic, and provided 33 recommendations to the CBS community arranged across these characteristics. In effect, this report provides a detailed research agenda designed to maximize the impact of CBS as a field. Scientists and practitioners are encouraged to mount this ambitious agenda

Zeroing the Stellar Isochrone Scale: The Red Giant Clump Luminosity at Intermediate Metallicity

The color-magnitude diagrams of the open clusters NGC 2420 and NGC 2506 have been investigated as intermediate links between the solar neighborhood and the Magellanic Clouds. Two sets of theoretical isochrones which include convective overshoot are zeroed to the sun at solar abundance and to the unevolved main sequence dwarfs of the Hipparcos catalog at [Fe/H] = -0.4, requiring a differential of 0.4 mag between the unevolved main sequences at a given color. Adopting E(B-V) = 0.04 and [Fe/H] = -0.39 for NGC 2506 and 0.04 and -0.29 for NGC 2420,the respective apparent moduli are 12.70 and 12.15, while the ages of both clusters are approximately 1.9 +/- 0.2 or 2.2 +/- 0.2 Gyr, depending on the choice of isochrones. From the composite giant branch of the two clusters, the mean clump magnitudes in V and I are found to be 0.47 and -0.48 (-0.17,+0.14). Applying a metallicity correction to the M_I values, the cluster sample of Udalski (1998) leads to (m-M)_0 = 18.42 (+0.17,--0.15) and 18.91 (+0.18,--0.16) for the LMC and SMC, respectively. A caveat to this discussion and to the claim that clusters of the same abundance and age are identical is the observation that the (V-I) colors of the red giants in NGC 2506 are significantly redder at a given (B-V) than the giants in clusters of comparable age and/or metallicity. If the CCD photometry for NGC 2506 is tied to the standard system rather than using a general cluster relation between (B-V) and (V-I), the M_I for the clump will decrease by 0.1 mag.Comment: 1 table, 12 figures. Replaced 20-jan-99 by version with all figures. Accepted for April 1999 Astronomical Journa

A Novel Ecdysone Receptor Mediates Steroid-Regulated Developmental Events during the Mid-Third Instar of Drosophila

The larval salivary gland of Drosophila melanogaster synthesizes and secretes glue glycoproteins that cement developing animals to a solid surface during metamorphosis. The steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) is an essential signaling molecule that modulates most of the physiological functions of the larval gland. At the end of larval development, it is known that 20E—signaling through a nuclear receptor heterodimer consisting of EcR and USP—induces the early and late puffing cascade of the polytene chromosomes and causes the exocytosis of stored glue granules into the lumen of the gland. It has also been reported that an earlier pulse of hormone induces the temporally and spatially specific transcriptional activation of the glue genes; however, the receptor responsible for triggering this response has not been characterized. Here we show that the coordinated expression of the glue genes midway through the third instar is mediated by 20E acting to induce genes of the Broad Complex (BRC) through a receptor that is not an EcR/USP heterodimer. This result is novel because it demonstrates for the first time that at least some 20E-mediated, mid-larval, developmental responses are controlled by an uncharacterized receptor that does not contain an RXR-like component

Can sustainable development be achieved if geology is ignored?

“Sustainable development” implies that a stable relationship between human activities and the natural world is possible such that the prospects of future generations do not diminish. Can this really be achieved in our urban centres where social and economic issues are often the driving force behind development? Geoscience information has traditionally been under-utilised in planning and development, because all too often its relevance and significance is misunderstood or underappreciated. However, this is starting to change. Using case studies from London and the Thames Gateway Development Zone, this paper discusses how technological developments, such as improvements in GIS technologies and 3D modelling software, are driving this turnaround. The paper also considers the impact of organisations not sharing ground investigation geodata and know-ledge about anomalous ground conditions across London, the huge benefits that data sharing can offer and how lessons learned in this study can be applied to other urban centres. The paper will show that within the environmental ecosystem, if one component part is misunderstood, then developing sustainably without compromising future needs will be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. In London, difficult ground conditions cost developer's time and money through project overruns and expensive engineering solutions. A more sustainable solution is in improving our understanding of the relationship between the geology (lithology) and its properties (physical, chemical or hydrological characteristics). We will show that for the urban underground to be fully utilised throughout Europe, the lack of development policies for the subsurface needs to be addressed. For a subsurface development policy to be written, stakeholders will need to regard the urban underground as environmentally sensitive, just as it does for the surface

Development and initial testing of mindful journey: a digital mindfulness-based intervention for promoting recovery from Substance use disorder

AbstractBackground/Objectives There is a great unmet need for accessible adjunctive interventions to promote long-term recovery from substance use disorder (SUD). This study aimed to iteratively develop and test the initial feasibility and acceptability of Mindful Journey, a novel digital mindfulness-based intervention for promoting recovery among individuals with SUD.Patients/Materials Ten adults receiving outpatient treatment for SUD.Methods Phase 1 (n = 5) involved developing and testing a single introductory digital lesson. Phase 2 included a separate sample (n = 5) and involved testing all 15 digital lessons (each 30- to 45-minutes) over a 6-week period, while also receiving weekly brief phone coaching for motivational/technical support.Results Across both phases, quantitative ratings (rated on a 5-point scale) were all at or above a 4 (corresponding with ‘agree’) for key acceptability dimensions, such as usability, understandability, appeal of visual content, how engaging the content was, and helpfulness for recovery. Additionally, in both phases, qualitative feedback indicated that participants particularly appreciated the BOAT (Breath, Observe, Accept, Take a Moment) tool for breaking down mindfulness into steps. Qualitative feedback was used to iteratively refine the intervention. For example, based on feedback, we added a second core mindfulness tool, the SOAK (Stop, Observe, Appreciate, Keep Curious), and we added more example clients and group therapy videos. In Phase 2, 4 out of 5 participants completed all 15 lessons, providing initial evidence of feasibility. Participants reported that the phone coaching motivated them to use the app. The final version of Mindful Journey was a smartphone app with additional features, including brief on-the-go audio exercises and a library of mindfulness practices. Although, participants used these additional features infrequently.Conclusions Based on promising initial findings, future acceptability and feasibility testing in a larger sample is warranted. Future versions might include push notifications to facilitate engagement in the additional app features

Glue Genes are Induced by 20E in Cultured Glands.

<p>Mid-L3 animals were torn in half and incubated with ethanol as a control (A), or with 20E at a final concentration of 10⁻⁸ M (B). The induction of glue proteins in the salivary glands was detected by the expression of a <i>GFP</i>-tagged <i>Sgs3</i> gene (<i>glueGRN</i>). Note that the positions of the salivary glands in (A) are outlined with dashed lines. The fluorescence detected in the pharynx (arrowheads) is non-specific and was used to standardize photographic exposures. Both photographs were taken at the same magnification indicated by the bar in A.</p