Crop-based irrigation operations in the North West Frontier Province of Pakisatn. Vol.I: Synthesis of findings and recommendataions. Final Report

Irrigation management / Crop-based irrigation / Pakistan / North West Frontier Province

The Effects of a Reduced Force Aerial Bucket Control on Upper Extremity Muscular Demands as Assessed with Surface Electromyography

A common control for operating aerial bucket trucks for utility companies in North America is called a pistol grip control. Based upon many anecdotal reports of forearm muscle fatigue from workers using this control, Prof. Richard Marklin began an EPRI-sponsored study in 2016 using EMG to determine muscle fatigue of workers while they used the pistol grip. Muscle activity recorded by EMG is a measure of the magnitude of muscle force under controlled conditions. This study confirmed the reports of muscle fatigue in extensor digitorum communis (EDC) muscle in the right forearm. The next phase of the study was to design and build a self-contained, battery-powered replacement for the pistol grip that could reduce the required input force and therefore muscle fatigue in the EDC. This new design is called the reduced-force pistol grip. The reduced-force pistol grip was then tested in a 20-participant laboratory study using EMG to quantify the reduction in muscle fatigue of the right arm. This laboratory study showed that there was a decrease in muscle activity of the right EDC while using the reduced force (50% reduced force) pistol grip as compared to a conventional force pistol grip currently used on utility trucks. The results of the truck to line full trials, which are the most representative of actual movements of the pistol grip in the field, showed that the reduction of 50% required input force produced a meaningful reduction in muscle activity of 5.6%. EMG results provide evidence that the reduced force pistol grip decreases the risk of muscle fatigue of line workers who operate the pistol grip. EMG results also corroborate reports of muscle fatigue from utility line workers who operate the pistol grip with conventional force levels. This study was the first to quantify muscular loading of an aerial bucket pistol grip control and results of the redesigned pistol grip show promise for improving the occupational health of electric utility line workers

Towards Sustainable Development of Small-Scale Fisheries in the Philippines: Experiences and Lessons Learned from Eight Regional Sites

The focus of this paper is on the governance of small-scale or municipal fisheries in the Philippines in light of the critical role they play in the livelihoods of coastal communities and in the nation as a whole. The information and insights presented in this lessons learned brief derive from the project entitled Strengthening Governance and Sustainability of Small-Scale Fisheries Management in the Philippines: An Ecosystem Approach. The project was funded principally by the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR), and implemented from 2008 to 2011 by WorldFish in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and selected partners. The underlying project's goal was to 'strengthen governance and sustainability of small-scale fisheries management in the Philippines.' There were a variety of objectives spread across two project phases but the primary objectives relevant to this brief include: (1) identifying issues at project sites and assessing potential for an ecosystem based approach to fisheries management, and (2) assessing current fisheries management practices at different levels of governance and identifying best practices. The purposes of this paper are twofold. First, it aims to provide brief highlights of the project findings; second, it aims to present the lessons learned in project implementation covering substantive sectoral concerns as well as methodological issues. It wraps up with some strategic directions that need to be undertaken to reverse the deteriorating conditions of small-scale fisheries (SSF) while at the same time promoting their sustainable development

A framework for future training in marine and coastal protected area management

Training, Protected areas, Marine environment, Coastal zone management

Fisheries rehabilitation in post-tsunami Aceh: Status and needs from participatory appraisals

The widespread and long-term nature of the tsunami damage in Aceh province, Indonesia has threatened the continued use of coastal and fisheries resources. This article describes the application of the Rapid Appraisal of Fisheries Management System (RAFMS) methodology and presents key findings from the participatory appraisals in 15 study sites. The focus is on changes in the number and types of fishing boats and fishing effort, consumption and marketing flow patterns and community perspectives on livelihood options. The level of aid (for new boats), mainly from international organizations, has been unevenly distributed with the number of boats in 13 of 15 villages still being well below the pre-tsunami levels. A focus on supplying small vessels may put increased fishing pressure on the near-shore zone. Consumption data and marketing flows suggest that most fishing villages are supplying outside markets and adding considerably to the wider food security of the province. Despite the tsunami, marine fisheries-related livelihoods are still preferred, although there are indications for the potential expansion of livelihoods into the culture of new species. Alternative resource-based livelihoods need to be tested and refined to fit the needs of the current conditions in Aceh to provide viable options for eliminating hunger and reducing poverty

Fisheries rehabilitation in post-tsunami Aceh: Status and needs from participatory appraisals

The widespread and long-term nature of the tsunami damage in Aceh province, Indonesia has threatened the continued use of coastal and fisheries resources. This article describes the application of the Rapid Appraisal of Fisheries Management System (RAFMS) methodology and presents key findings from the participatory appraisals in 15 study sites. The focus is on changes in the number and types of fishing boats and fishing effort, consumption and marketing flow patterns and community perspectives on livelihood options. The level of aid (for new boats), mainly from international organizations, has been unevenly distributed with the number of boats in 13 of 15 villages still being well below the pre-tsunami levels. A focus on supplying small vessels may put increased fishing pressure on the near-shore zone. Consumption data and marketing flows suggest that most fishing villages are supplying outside markets and adding considerably to the wider food security of the province. Despite the tsunami, marine fisheries-related livelihoods are still preferred, although there are indications for the potential expansion of livelihoods into the culture of new species. Alternative resource-based livelihoods need to be tested and refined to fit the needs of the current conditions in Aceh to provide viable options for eliminating hunger and reducing poverty.Disaster, Tsunami

Applied Force and sEMG Muscle Activity Required To Operate Pistol Grip Control in an Electric Utility Aerial Bucket

Electric utility line workers report high levels of fatigue in forearm muscles when operating a conventional pistol grip control in aerial buckets. This study measured the applied force and surface electromyographic (sEMG) signals from four upper extremity muscles required to operate the pistol grip control in two tasks. The first task was movement of the pistol grip in six directions (up/down, forward/rearward, clockwise/counter-clockwise), and the second task was movement of the bucket from its resting position on the truck bed to an overhead conductor on top of a 40 ft tall pole. The force applied to the pistol grip was measured in 14 aerial bucket trucks, and sEMG activity was measured on eight apprentice line workers. The applied force required to move the pistol grip control in the six directions ranged from 12 to 15 lb. The sEMG activity in the extensor digitorum communis (EDC) forearm muscle was approximately twice as great or more than the other three muscles (flexor digitorum superficialis, triceps, and biceps). Line workers exerted 14 to 30% MVCEMG to move the pistol grip in the six directions. Average %MVCEMG of the EDC to move the bucket from the truck platform to an overhead line ranged from 26 to 30% across the four phases of the task. The sEMG findings from this study provide physiologic evidence to support the anecdotal reports of muscle fatigue from line workers after using the pistol grip control for repeated, long durations

Crop-based irrigation operations in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. Vol.II: Research approach and interpretation. Final Report

Irrigation management / Crop-based irrigation / Research / Irrigation canals / Water demand / Performance evaluation / Agricultural production / Pakistan / North West Frontier Province

Stability Analysis of Single-Phase Low-Voltage AC Microgrids With Constant Power Terminals

This express brief presents the stability analysis of single-phase microgrids (SP-MG) operating under master-slave connection with constant power terminals. The SP-MG is composed of linear elements, nonlinear loads and distributed generators modeled as P Q constant terminals interconnected through power electronic converters. A Lyapunov?s direct method through a Hamiltonian representation of the grid is used to demonstrate stability. The non-autonomous model of the SP-MG is transformed into an autonomous equivalent model based on the dynamics of the error. The proposed analysis shows that if there exists an admissible trajectory x * solution of the power flow equations then the SP-MG is stable in the sense of Lyapunov.Fil: Montoya, O. D.. Universidad Tecnologica de Bolivar; ColombiaFil: Garces, A.. Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira; ColombiaFil: Avila Becerril, S.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Espinosa Pérez, G.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Serra, Federico Martin. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Agropecuarias. Laboratorio de Control Automático; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química; Argentin