Real-time data assimilation in urban rainfall-runoff models

Open Access journalCopyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.12th International Conference on Computing and Control for the Water Industry, CCWI2013Real-time control of urban rainfall-runoff systems can help limit flooding, and minimise combined sewerage overflow. To improve the ability of runoff models to inform this control decision, a data assimilation methodology is presented where downstream prediction errors are used to update upstream model states at an earlier time step. The methodology led to improved, ‘corrected’ predictions after model re-propagation to the current time, and improved discharge forecasts. Assimilation performance was sensitive to the update lag time, and the presence of control structures in the model, which affect the ability of assimilation procedures to map observation information to state space.European Commission Seventh Framewor

Density matrix theory of transport and gain in quantum cascade lasers in a magnetic field

A density matrix theory of electron transport and optical gain in quantum cascade lasers in an external magnetic field is formulated. Starting from a general quantum kinetic treatment, we describe the intraperiod and interperiod electron dynamics at the non-Markovian, Markovian, and Boltzmann approximation levels. Interactions of electrons with longitudinal optical phonons and classical light fields are included in the present description. The non-Markovian calculation for a prototype structure reveals a significantly different gain spectra in terms of linewidth and additional polaronic features in comparison to the Markovian and Boltzmann ones. Despite strongly controversial interpretations of the origin of the transport processes in the non- Markovian or Markovian and the Boltzmann approaches, they yield comparable values of the current densities

Spectroscopy and polarimetry of the gravitationally lensed quasar Q0957+561

We present new spectroscopic and polarimetric observations of the first discovered gravitational lens Q0957+561 obtained with the 6m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory (SAO, Russia). We explore spectropolarimetric parameters of Q0957+561 A,B components to investigate the innermost structure of the quasar, and explore the nature of polarization in lensed quasars. Additionally, we compare their present-day spectral characteristics with previous observations in order to study long-term spectral changes. We analyze spectral characteristics of lensed quasar comparing spectra of A and B images, as well as comparing previously observed image spectra with present-day ones. The polarization parameters of A-B images are compared. We also model the macro-lens influence on the polarization of the images representing the gravitational lens with a singular isothermal elliptical potential. We find that the brightness and SED ratio of components A and B changed during a long period. Polarization in broad lines of components A and B showed that the equatorial scattering cannot be detected in this quasar. We find wavelength-dependent polarization that may be explained as a combination of the polarization from the disc and outflowing material. There is a significant difference between polarization parameters of the A and B images: the B component shows a higher polarization degree and polarization angle. However, both polarization vectors are nearly perpendicular to the observed radio jet projection. It indicates that the polarization in the continuum is coming from the accretion disc. Our simple lensing model of a polarized source showed that macro-lens can cause the observed differences in polarization parameters of Q0957+561 A,B images. Using Mg II broad line and luminosity of component A we estimated that the Q0957+561 black hole mass is M~(4.8-6.1) $10^8$ M$\odot$Comment: accepted in A

Koncentracija laktoferina u mlijeku krava tijekom involucije mliječne žlijezde s različitim bakteriološkim nalazima.

Lactoferrin is an iron-binding glycoprotein of the transferrin family, present in high concentrations in secretions from the mammary glands during the involution period, and has antimicrobial ability. To determine lactoferrin concentrations in bovine milk with different bacteriological findings, 151 quarter milk samples were collected on a dairy farm of the Holstein-Friesian breed in Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia. Classical microbiological methods were used for bacteria isolation, and ELISA analysis was used for lactoferrin concentration quantification. The most common isolated bacteria in bovine milk samples were Corynebacterium spp. (32.45%) and coagulase-negative staphylococci (4.64%) with lactoferrin concentrations of 6.0497 ± 1.6774 mg/mL and 5.2961 ± 1.3633 mg/mL, respectively. The lowest mean value of lactoferrin concentration was observed in uninfected quarters and quarters infected with environmental pathogens, while the highest concentration of lactoferrin was in udder quarters infected with Streptococcus agalactiae. One in four milk samples where Staphylococcus aureus was isolated had much lower lactoferrin concentrations (1.1736 mg/mL) than the other three samples (6.2089 ± 0.5016 mg/mL), which requires further research.Laktoferin, glikoprotein koji veže željezo, pripadnik porodice bjelančevina transferin, prisutan je u visokoj koncentraciji u sekretu mliječne žlijezde tijekom involucije i posjeduje antimikrobnu sposobnost. Radi utvrđivanja koncentracije laktoferina u mlijeku krava s različitim bakteriološkim nalazima, prikupljen je 151 pojedinačni uzorak mlijeka na farmi holštajn-frizijske pasmine na području Autonomne pokrajine Vojvodine Republike Srbije. Za identifikaciju bakterija korištene su klasične mikrobiološke metode i ELISA za određivanje koncentracije laktoferina. Najčešće izdvojene bakterije u uzorcima mlijeka krava bile su Corynebacterium spp. (32,45%) s koncentracijom laktoferina 6,0497 ± 1,6774 mg/mL i koagulaza negativni stafilokoki (4,64%) s koncentracijom laktoferina 5,2961 ± 1,3633 mg/mL. Najniža srednja vrijednost koncentracije laktoferina zabilježena je u negativnim četvrtima vimena i četvrtima inficiranim bakterijama iz okoliša, dok je najviša koncentracija laktoferina bila u četvrtima vimena inficiranima vrstom Streptococcus agalactiae. Jedan od četiriju uzoraka mlijeka gdje je bio izdvojen Staphylococcus aureus imao je znatno nižu vrijednost laktoferina (1,1736 mg/mL) od ostala tri uzorka (6,2089 ± 0,5016 mg/mL), što zahtijeva daljnja istraživanja

Multi-stakeholder development of a serious game to explore the water-energy-food-land-climate nexus: The SIM4NEXUS approach

This is the final version of the article. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.Water, energy, food, land and climate form a tightly-connected nexus in which actions on one sector impact other sectors, creating feedbacks and unanticipated consequences. This is especially because at present, much scientific research and many policies are constrained to single discipline/sector silos that are often not interacting (e.g., water-related research/policy). However, experimenting with the interaction and determining how a change in one sector could impact another may require unreasonable time frames, be very difficult in practice and may be potentially dangerous, triggering any one of a number of unanticipated side-effects. Current modelling often neglects knowledge from practice. Therefore, a safe environment is required to test the potential cross-sectoral implications of policy decisions in one sector on other sectors. Serious games offer such an environment by creating realistic 'simulations', where long-term impacts of policies may be tested and rated. This paper describes how the ongoing (2016-2020) Horizon2020 project SIM4NEXUS will develop serious games investigating potential plausible cross-nexus implications and synergies due to policy interventions for 12 multi-scale case studies ranging from regional to global. What sets these games apart is that stakeholders and partners are involved in all aspects of the modelling definition and process, from case study conceptualisation, quantitative model development including the implementation and validation of each serious game. Learning from playing a serious game is justified by adopting a proof-of-concept for a specific regional case study in Sardinia (Italy). The value of multi-stakeholder involvement is demonstrated, and critical lessons learned for serious game development in general are presented.The work described in this paper has been conducted within the project SIM4NEXUS. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 689150 SIM4NEXUS

A participatory hybrid decision support modelling framework for industrial symbiosis

This is the final version