Water Quality Impacts from Agricultural Land Use in Karst Drainage Basins of SW Kentucky and SW China

Karst regions are composed of soluble rock, often limestone, which leads to the formation of fissures, sinkholes, and water flow conduits such as caves. Pollutants in karst waters tend to be quickly directed and concentrated into these subsurface conduits. As a result of this and other factors, water resources are especially sensitive to contamination and pollution in karst areas. Pollutant concentrations going into karst subsurface fluvial systems are often very similar to the concentrations surfacing at outlets such as springs. Areas connected by karst conduit flows must be distinctly determined and special attention should be given to water quality impacts from land-use practices near conduit inputs. The climate which affects a certain karst area can also have different impacts on water resources considerations. In the temperate climate of southwest Kentucky precipitation is mostly evenly distributed throughout the year. Southwest China is affected by a monsoon climate with high precipitation in the spring to summer and drier conditions in other seasons. In the wet season large storm pulses can effectively transport contaminants to water sources resulting in unhealthy loads, while the dry seasons can be particularly severe in karst areas as water quickly drains to the subsurface, making water access a major hardship. Our research focuses on the seasonal differences that the climate of southwest China poses for water quality, including differences in pesticide concentrations between agricultural and residential areas hydrologically linked by karst conduits. In late 2007 the fluvial connections in a simple karst system near Chongqing were confirmed using dye tracing techniques. The concentration of pesticides in agricultural runoff going into and coming out of the subterranean stream studied were within safe limits. Results supported that there was a close relationship among concentrations of the pesticides glyphosate, chlorothalonil, and atrazine in the input and the output of the system. Taking into account the rapid and direct flows in the karst system, the concentrations of the pesticides found in the output was more similar to the input than would be expected in a surface stream. Analysis of hydrology data of the site will be required before further conclusions can be developed. The research was conducted in the spring and summer of 2007–2008 and funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development

Sport Analytics: Using Open Source Logistic Regression Software to Classify Upcoming Play Type in the NFL

The purpose of this study was to utilize data analytics as means to classify National Football League offensive play types. The open source software R was employed to create a logistic regression based on data for the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers from 13 recent seasons. The regression is based on all first, second, and third downs within regulation play, totaling 26,310 data points. The initial algorithms classify rush or pass for each offense. Revealed through differing coefficients of the independent variables, each team shows a slightly different approach to play selections in response to in-game situations. Identifying the driving factors to play selection is possible by isolating each attribute within the regression. Further examination could yield improved precision to control for changes in head coach, offensive coordinators, player personnel and other factors such as weather because these may influence play type. Logistic regression shows promise as an in-game aid to determining opponent behavior. Specifically, Cleveland\u27s offensive play selection algorithm was correct for 66.4% of plays versus 66.9% for Pittsburgh. Use of open source software and logistic regression of NFL play selection could be beneficial in aiding future game decisions. Further research is recommended to explore possible improvement of the algorithm accuracy

Contextualizing Entrepreneurship Theory

As the breadth and empirical diversity of entrepreneurship research have increased rapidly during the last decade, the quest to find a "one-size-fits-all" general theory of entrepreneurship has given way to a growing appreciation for the importance of contexts. This promises to improve both the practical relevance and the theoretical rigor of research in this field. Entrepreneurship means different things to different people at different times and in different places and both its causes and its consequences likewise vary. For example, for some people entrepreneurship can be a glorious path to emancipation, while for others it can represent the yoke tethering them to the burdens of overwork and drudgery. For some communities it can drive renaissance and vibrancy while for others it allows only bare survival. In this book, we assess and attempt to push forward contemporary conceptualizations of contexts that matter for entrepreneurship, pointing in particular to opportunities generating new insights by attending to contexts in novel or underexplored ways. This book shows that the ongoing contextualization of entrepreneurship research should not simply generate a proliferation of unique theories – one for every context – but can instead result in better theory construction, testing and understanding of boundary conditions, thereby leading us to richer and more profound understanding of entrepreneurship across its many forms. Contextualizing Entrepreneurship Theory will critically review the current debate and existing literature on contexts and entrepreneurship and use this to synthesize new theoretical and methodological frameworks that point to important directions for future research

Contextualizing Entrepreneurship Theory

As the breadth and empirical diversity of entrepreneurship research have increased rapidly during the last decade, the quest to find a "one-size-fits-all" general theory of entrepreneurship has given way to a growing appreciation for the importance of contexts. This promises to improve both the practical relevance and the theoretical rigor of research in this field. Entrepreneurship means different things to different people at different times and in different places and both its causes and its consequences likewise vary. For example, for some people entrepreneurship can be a glorious path to emancipation, while for others it can represent the yoke tethering them to the burdens of overwork and drudgery. For some communities it can drive renaissance and vibrancy while for others it allows only bare survival. In this book, we assess and attempt to push forward contemporary conceptualizations of contexts that matter for entrepreneurship, pointing in particular to opportunities generating new insights by attending to contexts in novel or underexplored ways. This book shows that the ongoing contextualization of entrepreneurship research should not simply generate a proliferation of unique theories – one for every context – but can instead result in better theory construction, testing and understanding of boundary conditions, thereby leading us to richer and more profound understanding of entrepreneurship across its many forms. Contextualizing Entrepreneurship Theory will critically review the current debate and existing literature on contexts and entrepreneurship and use this to synthesize new theoretical and methodological frameworks that point to important directions for future research

MECA Symposium on Mars: Evolution of its Climate and Atmosphere

The geological, atmospheric, and climatic history of Mars is explored in reviews and reports of recent observational and interpretive investigations. Topics addressed include evidence for a warm wet climate on early Mars, volatiles on Earth and on Mars, CO2 adsorption on palagonite and its implications for Martian regolith partitioning, and the effect of spatial resolution on interpretations of Martian subsurface volatiles. Consideration is given to high resolution observations of rampart craters, ring furrows in highland terrains, the interannual variability of the south polar cap, telescopic observations of the north polar cap and circumpolar clouds, and dynamical modeling of a planetary wave polar warming mechanism

Water Quality Impacts from Agricultural Land-Use in the Karst Groundwater Basin of Qingmuguan, Chongqing, China

Karst regions are composed of soluble rock, often limestone, which leads to the formation of fissures, sinkholes and water flow conduits such as caves. Pollutants in karst waters tend to be quickly directed and concentrated into these subsurface conduits. As a result of this and other factors, water resources are especially sensitive to contamination and pollution in karst areas. Pollutant concentrations going into fluvial systems travelling through the subsurface in karst areas are often very similar to the concentrations arriving at outlets such as springs. Areas connected by karst conduit flows must be distinctly determined and special attention should be given to water quality impacts from land-use practices near conduit inputs. The climate which affects a certain karst area can also have different impacts on water resources considerations. For example, in the temperate climate of Kentucky precipitation is essentially even in distribution throughout the year. In contrast, southwest China is affected by a monsoon climate with high precipitation in the spring to summer and drier conditions in other seasons. In the wet season large storm pulses can effectively transport contaminants to water sources resulting in loads that can be unhealthy for frequent human consumption in drinking water. The dry seasons can be particularly severe in karst areas as water quickly drains to the subsurface, making water access a major hardship. The research for this study focused on the seasonal influences that the climate of southwest China poses for water quality, including differences in pesticide concentrations between agricultural and residential areas hydrologically linked by karst conduits. In late 2007 the fluvial connections in a simple karst system near Chongqing were confirmed using dye tracing techniques. Once these connections were established and the flow of the subterranean stream was assessed, the transport of agricultural runoff in the system was studied. Data loggers were used to record continuous data of the water conditions, including nitrate concentrations. The pesticides in the agricultural runoff entering and exiting the subterranean stream were quantified using ELISA methods. The concentrations were found to be within safe limits for drinking water. The hypothesis that there is a close relationship between concentrations of the pesticides glyphosate, chlorothalonil, and triazines in the input and the output of the system was supported by the results. When considering the hydrology and water chemistry data of the site, along with the water samples tested for pesticides, non-parametric statistical testing showed the correlations between these factors to be significant with p\u3c0.01. The percent difference between the input and the output concentrations of glyphosate, chlorothalonil, and triazines were 31, 43, and 57% respectively. Taking into account the rapid and direct flows in this karst system, the concentrations of the pesticides found in the output were more similar to the input than would be expected in a surface stream. This suggests that there are fewer natural remediation effects reducing contamination in subsurface karst rivers of southwest China than in surface rivers. Therefore, these systems should be handled with extra attention to possible contamination of water resources. The research was conducted in the spring and summer of 2007-2008 and funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development

Dearborn Center: A Unique Soil Structure Interaction Design

The paper describes a case history that illustrates a mixed foundation system in which existing caissons which previously supported an 11-story building that had been demolished down to street level, share the load with a mat constructed in the lowest basement level on top of the existing caissons to support a new 38-story office building. The geotechnical investigation to determine the properties of the supporting soil strata is described as well as the material investigation to confirm the integrity of the existing foundations. The soil structure interaction concept developed and the analysis performed is presented. The observed settlement is compared with the predicted settlements with reasonable agreement reached