Measured Water Temperature Characteristics in a Pipeline Distribution System

YesThis paper describes the design, development, deployment and performance assessment of a prototype system for monitoring the 'health' of a water distribution network based on the temperature distribution and time-dependent variations in temperature across the network. It has been found that the water temperature can reveal unusual events in a water distribution network, indicated by dynamic variations in spatial temperature differential. Based on this indication it is shown how patterns of changes in the water temperature can be analysed using AQUIS pipeline distribution software and used in conjunction with hydraulic (e.g. flow and pressure) sensors to indicate the state of ¿health¿ of the network during operation

Artificial Neural Network Model for a Low Cost Failure Sensor: Performance Assessment in Pipeline Distribution

YesThis paper describes an automated event detection and location system for water distribution pipelines which is based upon low-cost sensor technology and signature analysis by an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The development of a low cost failure sensor which measures the opacity or cloudiness of the local water flow has been designed, developed and validated, and an ANN based system is then described which uses time series data produced by sensors to construct an empirical model for time series prediction and classification of events. These two components have been installed, tested and verified in an experimental site in a UK water distribution system. Verification of the system has been achieved from a series of simulated burst trials which have provided real data sets. It is concluded that the system has potential in water distribution network management

Recent developments in scholarly publishing to improve research practices in the life sciences

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Portland Press via the DOI in this record.We outline recent developments in scholarly publishing that we think will improve the working environment and career prospects for life scientists. Most prominently, we discuss two key developments. (1) Life scientists are now embracing a preprint culture leading to rapid dissemination of research findings. (2) We outline steps to overcome the reproducibility crisis. We also briefly describe other innovations in scholarly publishing, along with changes to open access mandates from funding agencies.John Templeton Foundatio

Transition to parenthood after successful non-donor in vitro fertilisation: The effects of infertility and in vitro fertilisation on previously infertile couples' experiences of early parenthood

Recent social science research in the field of parenting following assisted conception has focused on the experiences of donor assisted conception and surrogacy. This paper draws from a study which explored the experiences of the transition to early parenthood in 16 heterosexual non-donor couples and includes a specific consideration of the experiences of men as they navigate this journey. We argue that these couples’ transition to early parenthood can be as complex and provisional as in other newer forms of family making as they struggle with an emerging identity as a parent after successful non-donor IVF following their experiences of infertility. Their family making is contingent upon their ability to work at integrating their experiences of infertility and IVF into their emerging identity as a parent. This struggle is prominent when they contemplate a further pregnancy. Considering a sibling causes them further uncertainty and anxiety because it reminds them of their infertile identify and the possibility of further IVF. We report novel findings about the experiences of this transition to parenthood: how couples’ identity as parents is shaped by the losses and grief of infertility and the anxiety of IVF. We argue that their struggle with an emerging parenthood identity challenges the normative, naturalised view of non-donor heterosexual IVF parenthood. Our work contributes to the work on identity in parenthood after IVF in an ongoing effort to understand how assisted technologies shape infertile parents’ lives. This paper reports a small study with a relatively homogenous sample recruited from one fertility clinic. Nevertheless as an exploratory study of an under researched topic, we discuss useful insights and ideas for further research with larger and more diverse samples

Self-Organizing Maps For Knowledge Discovery From Corporate Databases To Develop Risk Based Prioritization For Stagnation 

Stagnation or low turnover of water within water distribution systems may result in water quality issues, even for relatively short durations of stagnation / low turnover if other factors such as deteriorated aging pipe infrastructure are present. As leakage management strategies, including the creation of smaller pressure management zones, are implemented increasingly more dead ends are being created within networks and hence potentially there is an increasing risk to water quality due to stagnation / low turnover. This paper presents results of applying data driven tools to the large corporate databases maintained by UK water companies. These databases include multiple information sources such as asset data, regulatory water quality sampling, customer complaints etc. A range of techniques exist for exploring the interrelationships between various types of variables, with a number of studies successfully using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) to probe complex data sets. Self Organising Maps (SOMs), are a class of unsupervised ANN that perform dimensionality reduction of the feature space to yield topologically ordered maps, have been used successfully for similar problems to that posed here. Notably for this application, SOM are trained without classes attached in an unsupervised fashion. Training combines competitive learning (learning the position of a data cloud) and co-operative learning (self-organising of neighbourhoods). Specifically, in this application SOMs performed multidimensional data analysis of a case study area (covering a town for an eight year period). The visual output of the SOM analysis provides a rapid and intuitive means of examining covariance between variables and exploring hypotheses for increased understanding. For example, water age (time from system entry, from hydraulic modelling) in combination with high pipe specific residence time and old cast iron pipe were found to be strong explanatory variables. This derived understanding could ultimately be captured in a tool providing risk based prioritisation scores

Guidelines for Signing and Marking of Low-Volume Rural Roads

Existing standards and guidelines for the application of signs and markings are unsuited and inefficient for use on low-volume rural roads (less than 400 A D T ) . T o alleviate this inadequacy, several potentially hazardous situations were evaluated to ascertain actual needs for signs and markings as they relate to economy and safety. These evaluations were based on recent research and on probability of conflict analyses regarding the needs for signing and marking of intersections, horizontal curves, and sections of inadequate passing sight distance.The research revealed that more efficient intersection control can be attained from the careful application of S T O P signs and CROSS R O A D warning signs based on approach speed, sight distance, and combined intersecting volumes. It was found that the treatment of horizontal curves can be made more efficient through the application of more stringent guidelines without adversely affecting safety. Striping of no-passing zones was found to be very inefficient in most instances, as the probability of conflict in these situations is virtually n il; guidelines for alternative treatments are presented. Overall, it was the opinion of the authors that application of guidelines suited to the rural con­text would result in savings in time, money, and frustration on the part of responsible agencies

Modelling both the continual erosion and regeneration of discolouration material in drinking water distribution systems

The erosion of the cohesive layers of particulate matter that causes discolouration in water distribution system mains has previously been modelled using the Prediction of Discolouration in Distribution Systems (PODDS) model. When first proposed, PODDS featured an unvalidated means by which material regeneration on pipe walls could be simulated. Field and laboratory studies of material regeneration have yielded data that suggest that the PODDS formulations incorrectly model these processes. A new model is proposed to overcome this shortcoming. It tracks the relative amount of discolouration material that is bound to the pipe wall over time at each of a number of shear strengths. The model formulations and a mass transport model have been encoded as software, which has been used to verify the model’s constructs and undertake sensitivity analyses. The new formulations for regeneration are conceptually consistent with field and laboratory observed data and has potential value in the proactive management of water distribution systems, such as evaluating change in discolouration risk and planning timely interventions