Use of water from small alluvial aquifers for irrigation in semi-arid regions.

Water from small alluvial aquifers constitutes an attractive and low-cost option for irrigation and rural development in Northeastern Brazil. Based on piezometric measurements, geochemical analyses and electrical conductivity estimates, the present case study identified the main processes determining the hydrosaline dynamics of an alluvial aquifer in a small watershed inserted in the crystalline bedrock of a semi-arid region in Ceará and evaluated the availability of water for irrigation. Accumulation of salts in soil are related to evaporative flux from the aquifer and is increased by irrigation from the groundwater of the alluvial aquifer. The water in these aquifers may be used for irrigation, but represents a risk of soil salinization and alkalinization. Integrated management of surface and underground water resources in the Forquilha watershed may help control irrigation water quality (salinity and residual alkalinity), thereby rationalizing the use of local reservoirs and minimizing losses from evaporation. It has to take into account the complex dynamic of salts and water between the reservoirs, release of water into the river, floods and irrigations

Technology Transition-Opportunities and Progress

Don Thompson in his introductory remarks, and many other speakers since then, have talked to the needs for NDE. These fall into three major categories: reliability of the complex constructs that seem increasingly to pervade our civilization; the role of NDE as an important factor in what I might call a rational approach to a conservation ethic or a total life cycle cost approach to systems;and the use of NDE as a tool for lower cost production. If we accept the validity of these and other needs let us consider the challenge posed by our keynote speaker

Comparative Study of Phenomenology and Sankhya

Phenomenology, as propounded by Edmond Husserl, is an important movements in the modern western philosophy, while sÅÙkhya and its application yoga are the ancient Indian philosophical disciplines or dar±ana. This is a comparative study of phenomenology with sÅÙkhya and yoga. As per my present understanding this project is now completed. I have organized the outcome of my study in the following four papers preceded by prolegomena: Prolegomena to the comparative study of Phenomenology and SaÙkhya 1, Consciousness in Phenomenology and SÅÙkhya 2. ‘Nature’ (ontology) in Phenomenology and SÅÙkhya 3. Structures (cosmology) in Phenomenology and SÅÙkhya 4. ‘Terminal Transcendental Teleological Cause’ in Phenomenology and SÅÙkhya The parallelism between the philosophical disciplines, so far removed historically, geographically and culturally from each other, which this study brought out, was not only fascinating but also extensive. Certain differences also have been critically brought out. Viewing phenomenology through the grid of sÅÙkhya, I found, elucidates phenomenology. In being viewed from the perspective of a philosophical school, as modern as that of phenomenology, the ancient Indian disciplines also stand to benefit. The comparative study can hope to introduce sÅÙkhya to those acquainted with phenomenology and vice versa. This presentation is an attempt to share the flavor of my findings

New Technology from ARPA/AFML

My purpose in this talk is to introduce the Poster Session that follows. We believe that most of the work presented in that session is ready for the next step of development. One of the key elements in this step is to find the window which can make use of these ·new pieces of technology. I truly appreciate the opportunity to hear the talks from the Air Force, Navy, and the Army which will help to identify some of these slots. I\u27d like to give a bit of our program philosophy that is important in this regard. On Wednesday, you heard so.e of the fundamentals of the ultrasonic work that we have been doing; work that has resulted in procedures which now are capable of producing .numbers that characterize a defect. In achieving this capability, there are a number of improvements in various elements of the ultrasonic apparatus that have a .useful identity of their own, i.e., they have a spinoff capability. Those are the elements that we wish to talk about this morning and to identify as having reached a proof-of-principle plateau, and, if you will, are ready now for the next question. In the context of Dr. Frank Kelley\u27s remarks and the needs identified by the Tri-Services, we must now seek to put them into specific problems for evaluation. As indicated also by Dr. Kelley, this is a very important step in developing a technology flow within the DoD. However, research must continue in order that future results may also be harvested. With this background in mind, I\u27d like to introduce some of the topics that you\u27ll see in the Poster Session that have been developed under ARPA/AFML sponsorship

Les bas-fonds de la plaine de Kairouan : de terres marginalisées à lieux d'expérimentation agricole

Depuis les années 1970, la plaine de Kairouan a connu un important développement de l'agriculture irriguée par les eaux souterraines et donc une augmentation de la pression foncière. Dans ce contexte, les terres de bas-fonds, longtemps marginalisées, ont été progressivement mises en valeur, et de façon différente des autres terres de plaine. À partir d'une approche systémique et diachronique, nous analysons les différentes formes de mise en valeur des bas-fonds et leurs déterminants dans le territoire d'Abida Ouest, depuis les années 1960. Avec la construction de barrages en amont et la régulation des crues qu'ils ont permise, les bas-fonds, qui étaient autrefois perçus comme impropres aux cultures à cause du risque d'inondation, sont mis en valeur, particulièrement par des jeunes. Leur exploitation est une alternative à la pression croissante sur les autres ressources foncières et aux inégalités d'accès aux eaux souterraines. Ces terres sont des lieux d'installation qui permettent à des jeunes ruraux pluriactifs d'expérimenter de nouvelles formes d'agriculture et d'accéder à de nouvelles opportunités. (Résumé d'auteur