U.S.-Canadian Relations Regarding Diversions from an International Basin: An Analysis of Article II of the Boundary Waters Treaty

This Note argues that article II of the Boundary Waters Treaty, when applied, has failed to resolve international water disputes between the United States and Canada. Part I of this Note examines the history of the negotiations and the text of the Treaty. Part II reviews the subsequent application of article II to international water disputes. Part III analyzes recent U.S. proposals to divert water from Lake Michigan to drought-stricken areas in the context of the Treaty and customary international water law. This Note concludes that article II of the Boundary Waters Treaty is inadequate to resolve water disputes between the U.S. and Canada and should be renegotiated to reflect customary principles of international water law

U.S.-Canadian Relations Regarding Diversions from an International Basin: An Analysis of Article II of the Boundary Waters Treaty

This Note argues that article II of the Boundary Waters Treaty, when applied, has failed to resolve international water disputes between the United States and Canada. Part I of this Note examines the history of the negotiations and the text of the Treaty. Part II reviews the subsequent application of article II to international water disputes. Part III analyzes recent U.S. proposals to divert water from Lake Michigan to drought-stricken areas in the context of the Treaty and customary international water law. This Note concludes that article II of the Boundary Waters Treaty is inadequate to resolve water disputes between the U.S. and Canada and should be renegotiated to reflect customary principles of international water law

Photonic integration enabling new multiplexing concepts in optical board-to-board and rack-to-rack interconnects

New broadband applications are causing the datacenters to proliferate, raising the bar for higher interconnection speeds. So far, optical board-to-board and rack-to-rack interconnects relied primarily on low-cost commodity optical components assembled in a single package. Although this concept proved successful in the first generations of optical-interconnect modules, scalability is a daunting issue as signaling rates extend beyond 25 Gb/s. In this paper we present our work towards the development of two technology platforms for migration beyond Infiniband enhanced data rate (EDR), introducing new concepts in board-to-board and rack-to-rack interconnects. The first platform is developed in the framework of MIRAGE European project and relies on proven VCSEL technology, exploiting the inherent cost, yield, reliability and power consumption advantages of VCSELs. Wavelength multiplexing, PAM-4 modulation and multi-core fiber (MCF) multiplexing are introduced by combining VCSELs with integrated Si and glass photonics as well as BiCMOS electronics. An in-plane MCF-to-SOI interface is demonstrated, allowing coupling from the MCF cores to 340x400 nm Si waveguides. Development of a low-power VCSEL driver with integrated feed-forward equalizer is reported, allowing PAM-4 modulation of a bandwidth-limited VCSEL beyond 25 Gbaud. The second platform, developed within the frames of the European project PHOXTROT, considers the use of modulation formats of increased complexity in the context of optical interconnects. Powered by the evolution of DSP technology and towards an integration path between inter and intra datacenter traffic, this platform investigates optical interconnection system concepts capable to support 16QAM 40GBd data traffic, exploiting the advancements of silicon and polymer technologies

SECONDARY EDUCATION TEACHERS' VIEWS ON ISSUES RELATED TO WASTEWATER AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

This research investigated the views of secondary education teachers in Greece regarding waste management. A questionnaire was administered to 332 in-service secondary education teachers from various specialties to collect data on their views related to their ability and willingness to implement waste management topics, knowledge of waste management terms, and prioritization of waste management actions. The findings revealed that secondary education teachers expressed a moderate to low level of ability to implement educational activities related to waste management, with a wide distribution of views. They express that they felt more confident in implementing Environmental Education Programs (EEP) related to solid waste management than wastewater management. Teachers showed interest in participating in and organizing environmental programs, particularly for solid waste management. While teachers demonstrated a moderate level of basic knowledge of waste management, their understanding varied across different topics. Some terms were well-known, while others were less familiar. Teachers had a limited understanding of waste management principles and struggled to correctly prioritize waste management actions, with a significant percentage prioritizing recycling over waste minimization. These findings highlight the need for further education and training for secondary education teachers in Greece regarding waste management and environmental education. Improvements are necessary to bridge the gap between teachers' knowledge and understanding of waste management principles. This study emphasizes the importance of integrating waste management topics into teacher education programs and providing ongoing professional development opportunities. This research contributes to the literature by identifying areas for improvement in environmental education practices among secondary education teachers in Greece. The findings provide insights for curriculum development and teacher training programs. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of environmental education initiatives aimed at enhancing teachers' knowledge and understanding of waste management principles.  Article visualizations

Water Collection and Distribution Systems in the Palermo Plain During the Middle Ages

It has been said that Palermo is short of available water. However, nothing could be more wrong. Well-documented Arab sources and narrative chronicles reported an abundance of groundwater resources in Palermo Plain since the Middle Ages. The scarcity of sources and surface water in the Palermo Plain, compared to the groundwater abundance, led the inhabitants to use groundwater both for irrigation and domestic usage through a complex and sustainable hydraulic system. Vertical and horizontal (qanāts) wells, conveyed water towards gardens and public fountains making the Arabic Bal’harm (Palermo) a flourishing town. When visitors walk through the streets of Palermo’s historical center, among Arab ruins and Baroque architecture, they hardly imagine that there is a wide and varied cultural heritage of underground cavities hidden in the basements where water flows in intricate networks fed from a numerous springs. Only in recent years was a part of this system brought to light. Moreover, the city still has a wide and fascinating water distribution system consisting of irrigation basin (gebbie), ingenious hydraulic machines named senie, and distribution chessboard of irrigation (saje) and drinking water (catusi) canals. The medieval water collection and distribution systems and their various components in the Palermo Plain are reviewed together with the influence of the Arab water management on environment

Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (SOA)–Based Amplification of Intensity-Modulated Optical Pulses — Deterministic Timing Jitter and Pulse Peak Power Equalization Analysis

During the last few years, large-scale efforts towards realizing high-photonic integration densities have put SOAs in the spotlight once again. Hence, the need to develop a complete framework for SOA-induced signal distortion to accurately evaluate a system’s performance has now become evident. To cope with this demand, we present a detailed theoretical and experimental investigation of the deterministic timing jitter and the pulse peak power equalization of SOA-amplified intensity-modulated optical pulses. The deterministic timing jitter model relies on the pulse mean arrival time estimation and its analytic formula reveals an approximate linear relationship between the deterministic timing jitter and the logarithmic values of intensity modulation when the SOA gain recovery time is faster than the pulse period. The theoretical analysis also arrives at an analytic expression for the intensity modulation reduction (IMR), which clearly elucidates the pulse peak power equalization mechanism of SOA. The IMR analysis shows that the output intensity modulation depth is linearly related to the respective input modulation depth of the optical pulses when the gain recovery time is faster than the pulse period. This novel theoretical platform provides a qualitative and quantitative insight into the SOA performance in case of intensity-modulated optical pulses

Photonic Provisioning Using a Packaged SOI Hybrid All-Optical Wavelength Converter in a Meshed Optical Network Testbed

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Chapter Merging Plasmonics and Silicon Photonics Towards Greener and Faster “Network-on-Chip” Solutions for Data Centers and High-Performance Computing Systems

Endocrinolog

Merging Plasmonics and Silicon Photonics Towards Greener and Faster “Network-on-Chip” Solutions for Data Centers and High-Performance Computing Systems

Endocrinolog