The changing face of irrigation in Kenya: opportunities for anticipating changes in Eastern and Southern Africa

Small scale systems / Environmental effects / Government managed irrigation systems / Farmer managed irrigation systems / Health / Waterborne diseases / River basins / Pest control / Social impact / Water policy / Water law / Institutional development / Water allocation / Drip irrigation / Pumps / Technology / GIS / Databases / Irrigation programs / Drainage / Water resource management / Economic aspects / Social aspects / Water scarcity / Conflict / Case studies / Land management / Sedimentation / Flood control / Wetlands / Water quality / Erosion / Grassland management / Livestock / Rain / Drought / Participatory management / Design / Credit / Horticulture / Farmers’ associations / Farmers’ attitudes / Gender / Rice / Legislation / Land tenure / Cooperatives / Income / Southern Africa / Eastern Africa / Kenya / Upper Ewaso Ng’iro North Basin / Lake Victoria Basin / Tana River Basin / Mwea Irrigation Scheme

Modeling scenarios for water allocation in the Gediz Basin, Turkey

Water management / Water allocation / Models / River basin development / Hydrology / Decision making / Environmental effects / Water use efficiency / Climate / Irrigation water / Irrigated farming / Stream flow / Surface water / Salt water intrusion / Turkey / Gediz Basin

Ratio control in a cascade model of cell differentiation

We propose a kind of reaction-diffusion equations for cell differentiation, which exhibits the Turing instability. If the diffusivity of some variables is set to be infinity, we get coupled competitive reaction-diffusion equations with a global feedback term. The size ratio of each cell type is controlled by a system parameter in the model. Finally, we extend the model to a cascade model of cell differentiation. A hierarchical spatial structure appears as a result of the cell differentiation. The size ratio of each cell type is also controlled by the system parameter.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figure

Influence of environmental factors during seed development and after full-ripeness on pre-harvest sprouting in wheat

Results on environmental and genotypic factors influencing preharvest sprouting of wheat are summarized. Other possible areas where additional research is needed is suggested

Thermal gravity, black holes and cosmological entropy

Taking seriously the interpretation of black hole entropy as the logarithm of the number of microstates, we argue that thermal gravitons may undergo a phase transition to a kind of black hole condensate. The phase transition proceeds via nucleation of black holes at a rate governed by a saddlepoint configuration whose free energy is of order the inverse temperature in Planck units. Whether the universe remains in a low entropy state as opposed to the high entropy black hole condensate depends sensitively on its thermal history. Our results may clarify an old observation of Penrose regarding the very low entropy state of the universe.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, RevTex. v4: to appear in Phys. Rev.

Moon-tracking orbits using motorized tethers for continuous earth–moon payload exchanges

For human colonization of the moon to become reality, an efficient and regular means of exchanging resources between the Earth and the moon must be established. One possibility is to pass and receive payloads at regular intervals between a symmetrically laden motorized momentum-exchange tether orbiting about Earth and a second orbiting about the moon. There are significant challenges associated with this method, among the greatest of which is the development of a system that incorporates the complex motion of the moon into its operational architecture in addition to conducting these exchanges on a per-lunar-orbit basis. One way of achieving this is to use a motorized tether orbiting Earth and tracking the nodes of the moon’s orbit to allow payload exchanges to be undertaken periodically with the arrival of the moon at either of these nodes. Tracking these nodes is achieved by arranging the tether to orbit Earth with a critical inclination, thus rendering its argument of perigee stationary in addition to using the precession effects resulting from an oblate Earth. Using this in conjunction with pre-emptive adjustments to its angle of right ascension, the tether will periodically realign itself with these nodes simultaneously with the arrival of the moon

Modelling spatially regulated B-catenin dynamics & invasion in intestinal crypts

Experimental data (e.g., genetic lineage and cell population studies) on intestinal crypts reveal that regulatory features of crypt behavior, such as control via morphogen gradients, are remarkably well conserved among numerous organisms (e.g., from mouse and rat to human) and throughout the different regions of the small and large intestines. In this article, we construct a partial differential equation model of a single colonic crypt that describes the spatial distribution of Wnt pathway proteins along the crypt axis. The novelty of our continuum model is that it is based upon assumptions that can be directly related to processes at the cellular and subcellular scales. We use the model to predict how the distributions of Wnt pathway proteins are affected by mutations. The model is then extended to investigate how mutant cell populations can invade neighboring crypts. The model simulations suggest that cell crowding caused by increased proliferation and decreased cell loss may be sufficient for a mutant cell population to colonize a neighboring healthy crypt

Natural resources inventory and monitoring in Oregon with ERTS imagery

Multidiscipline team interpretation of ERTS satellite and highflight imagery is providing resource and land use information needed for land use planning in Oregon. A coordinated inventory of geology, soil-landscapes, forest and range vegetation, and land use for Crook County, illustrates the value of this approach for broad area and state planning. Other applications include mapping fault zones, inventory of forest clearcut areas, location of forest insect damage, and monitoring irrigation development. Computer classification is being developed for use in conjunction with visual interpretation

Density Matrix Renormalization for Model Reduction in Nonlinear Dynamics

We present a novel approach for model reduction of nonlinear dynamical systems based on proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). Our method, derived from Density Matrix Renormalization Group (DMRG), provides a significant reduction in computational effort for the calculation of the reduced system, compared to a POD. The efficiency of the algorithm is tested on the one dimensional Burgers equations and a one dimensional equation of the Fisher type as nonlinear model systems.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figure