Perdido Key Beach nourishment project: Gulf Islands National Seashore 1991 annual report

This report is the second annual report in a continuing series documenting a field project within the Gulf Islands National Seashore at Perdido Key, Florida. The field project includes the monitoring of a number of physical parameters related to the evolution of the Perdido Key beach nourishment project. Approximately 4.1 million m3 of dredge spoil from Pensacola Pass were placed upon approximately 7 km of the Gulf of Mexico beaches of Perdido Key between November, 1989, and September, 1990. Beach profile data describing the evolution of the nourished beach are included, as well as wave, current, tide, wind, temperature, and rainfall data to describe the forces influencing the evolution. Data describing the sediment sizes throughout the project area are also included. A brief discussion of the data is included; a more detailed analysis and interpretation will be presented in the lead author's Ph.D. dissertation. (313 pp.

Cross-Shore Variation of Wind-Driven Flows on the Inner Shelf in Long Bay, South Carolina, United States

The cross-shore structure of subtidal flows on the inner shelf (7 to 12 m water depth) of Long Bay, South Carolina, a concave-shaped bay, is examined through the analysis of nearly 80 days of near-bed (1.7–2.2 m above bottom) current observations acquired during the spring and fall of 2001. In the spring and under northeastward winds (upwelling favorable) a two-layered flow was observed at depths greater than 10 m, while closer to the shore the currents were aligned with the wind. The two-layered flow is attributed to the presence of stratification, which has been observed under similar conditions in the South Atlantic Bight. When the wind stress was southwestward (downwelling favorable) and exceeded 0.1 N/m2, vertical mixing occurred, the two-layered flow pattern disappeared, and currents were directed alongshore with the wind at all sites and throughout the water column. In the fall, near-bed flows close to the shore (water depth \u3c7 m) were often reduced compared to or opposed those measured farther offshore under southwestward winds. A simplified analysis of the depth-averaged, alongshore momentum balance illustrates that the alongshore pressure gradient approached or exceeded the magnitude of the alongshore wind stress at the same time that the nearshore alongshore current opposed the wind stress and alongshore currents farther offshore. In addition, the analysis suggests that the wind stress is reduced closer to shore so that the alongshore pressure gradient is large enough to drive the flow against the wind

Wind Speed Dependence of Single-Site Wave-Height Retrievals from High-Frequency Radars

Wave-height observations derived from single-site high-frequency (HF) radar backscattered Doppler spectra are generally recognized to be less accurate than overlapping radar techniques but can provide significantly larger sampling regions. The larger available wave-sampling region may have important implications for observing system design. Comparison of HF radar–derived wave heights with acoustic Doppler profiler and buoy data revealed that the scale separation between the Bragg scattering waves and the peak energy-containing waves may contribute to errors in the single-site estimates in light-to-moderate winds. A wave-height correction factor was developed that explicitly considers this scale separation and eliminates the trend of increasing errors with increasing wind speed

The impact of the direct payment of housing benefit: evidence from Great Britain

In recent years, a number of welfare reforms have been introduced in the UK by Conservative-led governments. The most high profile of these is Universal Credit (UC), which is currently being rolled out across the country. A key feature of UC is a change in the way the income-related housing allowance for social housing tenants (Housing Benefit) is administered, as under UC, it is paid directly to tenants (direct payment), who are responsible for paying their rent. This represents a step change for them as for more than 30 years landlord payment has been the norm in the UK. There has been little research into direct payment. This paper seeks to address this gap in knowledge by presenting the key findings of an initiative designed to trial direct payment. It finds that many tenants experienced difficulties on direct payment. Reflecting this, landlords' arrears rose markedly

Revisiting the 'Missing Middle' in English Sub-National Governance

In the light of the new Coalition Government’s proposed ‘rescaling’ of sub-national governance away from the regional level, it is an opportune time to re-consider the strength and weaknesses of the city or sub-regional approach to economic development and to search, once more, for the ‘missing middle’ in English Governance. In this context, the article initially assesses the case for city or sub regions as tiers of economic governance, before examining the lessons to be learnt from the experiences of the existing city regions in the North East of England. It argues that while contemporary plans to develop Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) can be usefully considered within the context of the emerging city regional developments under the previous Labour Governments, a number of important challenges remain, particularly in relation to ensuring accountable structures of governance, a range of appropriate functions, adequate funding, and comprehensive coverage across a variety of sub-regional contexts. While the proposals of the new Government create the necessary ‘space’ to develop sub-regional bodies and offer genuine opportunities for both city and county LEPs, the scale of the sub-regional challenge should not be underestimated, particularly given the context of economic recession and major reductions in the public sector

1994 CSRS Research Reports/1994 Blueberry Tax Reports

The 1994 edition of the CSRS Research Reports/Blueberry Tax Reports was prepared for the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include: CSRS Research Reports 1. Potential Uses for Green and Red Cull Blueberries 2. Preventing the Bleeding of Blueberry Fruit in Bakery Products 3. The Effect of Fertilization and Irrigation on Blueberry Fruit Quality 4. Determination of Pesticide Residue Levels in Freshly Harvested and Processed Lowbush Blueberries 5. The Effect of Mechanical Harvesting on Blueberry Fruit Quality 6. Removing Water from Blueberries Before Freezing 7. Application of Heat as a Method of Controlling Secondary Pest Insects in Lowbush Blueberries 8. Evaluation of Effectiveness of Eumenid Wasps for Biocontrol of Blueberry Pests 9. Pollination Ecology of Lowbush Blueberry in Maine 10. Fungicide Treatment for Control of Monilinia Blight 11. Field Sanitation for Control of Monilinia Blight 12. Cold-hardiness of Native Lowbush Blueberry 13. Phosphorus Dose/Response Curve 14. Multiple Cropping of Wild Blueberry Stands 15. Effect of Soil pH on Nutrient Uptake 16. Effect of Boron and Calcium on Lowbush Blueberry Fruit Set and Yield 17. Effect of Time of Fall Pruning on Growth and Productivity of Lowbush Blueberries 18. A Reinvestigation of the Economics of Mechanical Harvesting 19. Thresholds of Mechanical and Chemical Weed Controls in Wild Blueberries 20. Evaluation of Pressurized Rope Wick Master Wiper for Treating Weeds Growing Above Lowbush Blueberries 21. Evaluation of Infrared Burner for Selective Weed Control Blueberry Tax Reports 22. Control of Blueberry Pest Insects 23. Biology and Action Thresholds of Secondary Blueberry Pest Insects 24. Pollination Ecology of Low bush Blueberry in Maine 25. Nitrogen-Phosphorus Study 26. Evaluation of Pronone 10G for Control of Weeds in Lowbush Blueberries 27. Evaluation of Tribenuron Methyl for Bunchberry Control 28. Evaluation of Pendimethalin for Control of Annual Grasses in Lowbush Blueberries 29. Evaluation of Time of Application of Clopyralid for Control of Vetch, and Effect on Flowering of Lowbush Blueberries 30. Hexazinone Ground Water survey 31. Blueberry Extension Program Base 32. Blueberry ICM Program for Hancock Count

Tidal stream energy site assessment via three-dimensional model and measurements

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2012. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Applied Energy 102 (2013): 510-519, doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2012.08.040.A methodology for assessment of the potential impacts of extraction of energy associated with astronomical tides is described and applied to a site on the Beaufort River in coastal South Carolina, U.S.A. Despite its name, the site features negligible freshwater inputs; like many in the region, it is a tidal estuary that resembles a river. A three-dimensional, numerical, hydrodynamic model was applied for a period exceeding a lunar month, allowing quantification of harmonic constituents of water level and velocity, and comparison to values derived from measurements, recorded at a location within the model domain. The measurement campaign included surveys of bathymetry and velocity fields during ebb and flood portions of a tidal cycle for model validation. Potential far-field impacts of a generic tidal energy conversion device were simulated by introducing an additional drag force in the model to enhance dissipation, resulting in 10-60% dissipation of the pre-existing kinetic power within a flow cross-section. The model reveals e ffects of the dissipation on water levels and velocities in adjacent areas, which are relatively small even at the 60% dissipation level. A method is presented to estimate the optimal vertical location for the energy conversion device and the potential power sacrificed by moving to a di fferent altitude.This work was supported by the U.S.Marine Corps, whose support is gratefully acknowledged

1996 Wild Blueberry CSREES Progress Reports/1996 Wild Blueberry Tax Reports

The 1996 edition of the Wild Blueberry CSREES Progress Reports/Wild Blueberry Tax Reports was prepared for the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include: Wild Blueberry CSREES Progress Reports: 1. Factors affecting the quality of Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) wild blueberries 2. Factors affecting the physical and chemical properties of IQF wild blueberries 3. Preventing the bleeding of blueberry fruit in bakery products 4. Amylase test development 5. Determination of pesticide residue levels in freshly harvested and processed wild blueberries 6. Sustainable pollination of wild blueberry 7. Potential for biological control of insect pests of wild blueberry 8. Effect of desiccation on wild blueberry winter survival and cold temperature tolerance 9. Population variation in low-temperature tolerance of wild blueberry 10. Influence of flower delaying sprays on seasonal variation of low temperature tolerance in wild blueberry 11. Effect of various levels of disbudding on yield of wild blueberry 12. Effect of boron and the polyamine putrescine on wild blueberry fruit set and yield 13. Effect of soil pH on nutrient uptake 14. Phosphorus uptake 15. Correcting boron deficiency 16. Hexazinone groundwater survey 17. Effect of time of fall pruning on growth and productivity of wild blueberries 18. Evaluation of Pronone® spot treatments for control of St. Johnswort, dogbane, bracken fern, witch grass/fall panicum and bunchberry 19. Effect of hexazinone formulation on movement through the soil profile 20. Effect of plant source and density on spread of wild blueberry Wild Blueberry Tax Reports: 21. Control of wild blueberry diseases 22. Control of wild blueberry pest insects 23. Biology and action thresholds of secondary blueberry pest insects 24. Phosphorus/nitrogen fertilizer ratio 25. Effect of surfactant and ammonium sulfate on glyphosate activity 26. Blueberry Extension Education Program Bas

Recommendations to facilitate the ideal fit note: are they achievable in practice?

Background: Although the UK fit note has been broadly welcomed as a tool to facilitate return to work, difficulties and uncertainties have resulted in wide variation in its use. Agreement on what constitutes the ‘ideal’ fit note from the perspective of all stakeholders is needed to inform best practice. A recent Delphi study conducted by the authors reached consensus on 67 recommendations for best practice in fit note use for employed patients. However, such recommendations are not necessarily followed in practice. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate the perceived achievability of implementing these Delphi recommendations with a further reference panel of stakeholders. Methods: Potential participants were identified by the research team and study steering group. These included representatives of employers, government departments, trades unions, patient organisations, general and medical practitioners and occupational health organisations who were believed to have the knowledge and experience to comment on the recommendations. The consensus Delphi statements were presented to the participants on-line. Participants were invited to comment on whether the recommendations were achievable, and what might hinder or facilitate their use in practice. Free text comments were combined with comments made in the Delphi study that referred to issues of feasibility or practicality. These were synthesised and analysed thematically. Results: Twelve individuals representing a range of stakeholder groups participated. Many of the recommendations were considered achievable, such as improved format and use of the electronic fit note, completion of all fields, better application and revision of guidance and education in fit note use. However a number of obstacles to implementation were identified. These included: legislation governing the fit note and GP contracts; the costs and complexity of IT systems and software; the limitations of the GP consultation; unclear roles and responsibilities for the funding and delivery of education, guidance and training for all stakeholders, and the evaluation of practice. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that although many recommendations for the ideal fit note are considered achievable, there are considerable financial, legal, organisational and professional obstacles to be overcome in order for the recommendations to be implemented successfully