Puzzling It Out: The Current State of Scientific Knowledge on Pre-Kindergarten Effects - A Consensus Statement

Scientific research has established that if all children are to achieve their developmental potential, it is important to lay the foundation during the earliest years for lifelong health, learning, and positive behavior. A central question is how well our public pre-kindergarten (pre-K) programs are doing to build this foundation.Forty-two states and the District of Columbia, through 57 pre-K programs, have introduced substantial innovations in their early education systems by developing the infrastructure, program sites, and workforce required to accommodate pre-K education. These programs now serve nearly 30 percent of the nation's 4-year-olds and 5 percent of 3-year-olds

Light-Emitting Tag Testing in Conjunction with Testing of the Minimum Gap Runner Turbine Design at Bonneville Dam Powerhouse 1

This report describes a pilot study conducted by Tom Carlson of PNNL and Mark Weiland of MEVATEC Corp to test the feasibility of using light-emitting tags to visually track objects passing through the turbine environment of a hydroelectric dam. Light sticks were released at the blade tip, mid-blade, and hub in the MGR turbine and a Kaplan turbine at Bonneville Dam and videotaped passing thru the dam to determine visibility and object trajectories

Systems design of a high resolution retinal prosthesis

Simulations of artificial vision suggest that 1000 electrodes may be required to restore vision to individuals with diseases of the outer retina. In order to achieve such an implant, new technology is needed, since the state-of-the-art implantable neural stimulator has at most 22 contacts with neural tissue. Considerable progress has been made towards that goal with the development of image processing, microelectronics, and polymer based MEMS. An image processing system has been realized that is capable of real-time implementation of image decimation and filtering (for example, edge detection). Application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) have been designed and tested to demonstrate closed loop power control and efficient microstimulation. A novel packaging process has been developed that is capable of simultaneously forming communication coils, interconnects, and stimulating electrodes

Monitoring of Subyearling Chinook Salmon Survival and Passage at Bonneville Dam, Summer 2010

The purpose of this study was to estimate dam passage and route specific survival rates for subyearling Chinook salmon smolts to a primary survival-detection array located 81 km downstream of the dam, evaluate a BGS located in the B2 forebay, and evaluate effects of two spill treatments. The 2010 study also provided estimates of forebay residence time, tailrace egress time, spill passage efficiency (SPE), and spill + B2 Corner Collector (B2CC) efficiency, as required in the Columbia Basin Fish Accords. In addition, the study estimated forebay passage survival and survival of fish traveling from the forebay entrance array, through the dam and downstream through 81 km of tailwater

Monitoring of Subyearling Chinook Salmon Survival and Passage at Bonneville Dam, Summer 2010

The purpose of this study was to estimate dam passage and route specific survival rates for subyearling Chinook salmon smolts to a primary survival-detection array located 81 km downstream of the dam, evaluate a BGS located in the B2 forebay, and evaluate effects of two spill treatments. The 2010 study also provided estimates of forebay residence time, tailrace egress time, spill passage efficiency (SPE), and spill + B2 Corner Collector (B2CC) efficiency, as required in the Columbia Basin Fish Accords. In addition, the study estimated forebay passage survival and survival of fish traveling from the forebay entrance array, through the dam and downstream through 81 km of tailwater

JSATS Decoder Software Manual

The Juvenile Salmon Acoustic Telemetry System (JSATS) Decoder is a software application that converts a digitized acoustic signal (a waveform stored in the .bwm file format) into a list of potential JSATS Acoustic MicroTransmitter (AMT) tagcodes along with other data about the signal including time of arrival and signal to noise ratios (SNR). This software is capable of decoding single files, directories, and viewing raw acoustic waveforms. When coupled with the JSATS Detector, the Decoder is capable of decoding in ‘real-time’ and can also provide statistical information about acoustic beacons placed within receive range of hydrophones within a JSATS array. This document details the features and functionality of the software. The document begins with software installation instructions (section 2), followed in order by instructions for decoder setup (section 3), decoding process initiation (section 4), then monitoring of beacons (section 5) using real-time decoding features. The last section in the manual describes the beacon, beacon statistics, and the results file formats. This document does not consider the raw binary waveform file format

Route-Specific Passage Proportions and Survival Rates for Fish Passing through John Day Dam, The Dalles Dam, and Bonneville Dam in 2010 and 2011

This report fulfills a request of the U.S. Army Engineer District, Portland, Oregon, to produce an interim report of estimates of route-specific fish passage proportions and survival rates for lower Columbia River dams in 2010 and 2011. The estimates are needed to update the Compass Model for the Columbia River Treaty and the new Biological Opinion before detail technical reports are published in late 2012. This report tabulates route-specific fish-passage proportions and survival rates for steelhead and Chinook salmon smolts passing through various sampled routes at John Day Dam, The Dalles Dam, and Bonneville Dam in 2010 and 2011. Results were compiled from analyses of data acquired in spring 2010 and 2011 studies that were specifically designed to estimate dam-passage and forebay-to-tailrace survival rates, travel time metrics, and spill passage efficiency, as stipulated by the 2008 Federal Columbia River Power System Biological Opinion and the Columbia Basin Fish Accords. The study designs allowed for estimation of route-specific fish passage proportions and survival rates as well as estimation of forebay-passage survival, all of which are summarized herein

Evaluation of Steelhead Kelt Passage into the Bonneville Dam Second Powerhouse Corner Collector Prior to the Juvenile Migration Seasons, 2007 and 2008

This report documents the results of a steelhead kelt passage study conducted by the PNNL for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Bonneville Dam in early spring 2007 and 2008. At the Second Powerhouse, a surface flow outlet called the corner collector (B2CC) may be an effective non-turbine passage route for steelhead kelt moving downstream in early spring before the main juvenile emigration season. The goal of this project was to inform management decisions regarding B2CC operations by estimating the number of kelt using the B2CC for downstream passage at Bonneville Dam prior to the juvenile spring migration season. We performed a hydroacoustic study from March 2 to April 10, 2007 and from March 13 to April 15, 2008

A Cabled Acoustic Telemetry System for Detecting and Tracking Juvenile Salmon: Part 2. Three-Dimensional Tracking and Passage Outcomes

In Part 1 of this paper, we presented the engineering design and instrumentation of the Juvenile Salmon Acoustic Telemetry System (JSATS) cabled system, a nonproprietary sensing technology developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (Oregon, USA) to meet the needs for monitoring the survival of juvenile salmonids through the hydroelectric facilities within the Federal Columbia River Power System. Here in Part 2, we describe how the JSATS cabled system was employed as a reference sensor network for detecting and tracking juvenile salmon. Time-of-arrival data for valid detections on four hydrophones were used to solve for the three-dimensional (3D) position of fish surgically implanted with JSATS acoustic transmitters. Validation tests demonstrated high accuracy of 3D tracking up to 100 m upstream from the John Day Dam spillway. The along-dam component, used for assigning the route of fish passage, had the highest accuracy; the median errors ranged from 0.02 to 0.22 m, and root mean square errors ranged from 0.07 to 0.56 m at distances up to 100 m. For the 2008 case study at John Day Dam, the range for 3D tracking was more than 100 m upstream of the dam face where hydrophones were deployed, and detection and tracking probabilities of fish tagged with JSATS acoustic transmitters were higher than 98%. JSATS cabled systems have been successfully deployed on several major dams to acquire information for salmon protection and for development of more “fish-friendly” hydroelectric facilities

Monitoring of Juvenile Yearling Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Survival and Passage at Bonneville Dam, Spring 2010

The purpose of this study was to estimate the survival for yearling Chinook salmon and steelhead smolts during spring 2010 in a portion of the Columbia River that includes Bonneville Dam. The study estimated smolt survival from a virtual release at Bonneville Dam to a survival array 81 km downstream of Bonneville Dam. We also estimated median forebay residence time, median tailrace egress time, and spill passage efficiency (SPE), as required in the Columbia Basin Fish Accords. A single release design was used to estimate survival from Bonneville Dam to a primary array located 81 km downstream of Bonneville. The approach did not include a reference tailrace release. Releases of acoustic-tagged smolts above John Day Dam to Hood River contributed to the formation of virtual releases at a Bonneville Dam forebay entrance array and at the face of the dam. A total of 3,880 yearling Chinook salmon and 3,885 steelhead smolts were tagged and released in the investigation. The Juvenile Salmon Acoustic Telemetry System (JSATS) tag model number ATS-156dB, weighing 0.438 g in air, was used in this investigation