The influence of soil textural stratification and compaction on moisture flow

This bulletin reports on Department of Soils research project 211, Infiltration. This study was performed in cooperation with the Soil and Water Conservation Research Division, ARS, U.S. Department of Agriculture--P. [3].Digitized 2007 AES.Includes bibliographical references (page 14)

Quantitative Assessment of Program Outcomes Using Longitudinal Data from the FE Exam

There have been many studies providing details on using results from the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam as metrics for meeting ABET program outcomes1. However, implementing an FE-based set of metrics poses challenges not limited to assessing validity of results. Programs using FE-based metrics must also determine the position of the metrics in the overall assessment process. We present a method for using FE-based metrics as an integral part of the ABET program assessment process. The principle issues we address are: (1) The validity of using FE metrics for a group of graduating students when not all of them take the exam; (2) Establishing and quantifying levels of performance; and (3) Creating a trigger mechanism for taking action based upon longitudinal results. The Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering at Boise State University created a process which integrates metrics from the FE results with other metrics in our loop for outcomes assessment and continuous improvement. Our process prevents us from taking inappropriate action based upon isolated negative results from the FE exam. We have used our process to make a demonstrable improvement in our curriculum. Two examples of faculty action taken due to unsatisfactory and questionable results from the FE metric before our last ABET visit are presented and discussed

महाचिंगट संपदा प्रबंधन में प्रारंभिक दशाओं का महत्व और चुनौत्तियाँ

कृपया पूरा लेखा पढ

Function Allocation for Humans and Automation in the Context of Team Dynamics

AbstractWithin Human Factors Engineering, a decision-making process called function allocation (FA) is used during the design life cycle of complex systems to distribute the system functions, typically identified through a functional requirements analysis, to all human and automated machine agents (or teammates) involved in controlling the system. Most FA methods make allocation decisions primarily by comparing the capabilities of humans and automation, and then by considering secondary factors such as cost, regulations, and the health and safety of workers. The primary analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of humans and machines, however, is almost always considered in terms of individual human or machine capabilities. Yet, FA is fundamentally about teamwork in that the goal of the FA decision-making process is to determine the optimal allocations of functions among agents. Given this framing of FA, and the increasing use of and sophistication of automation, there are two related social psychological issues that current FA methods need to address more thoroughly. First, many principles for effective human teamwork are not considered as central decision points or in the iterative hypothesis and testing phase in most FA methods, despite the fact that social factors have numerous positive and negative effects on individual and team capabilities. Second, social psychological factors affecting team performance can be difficult to translate to automated agents, and most FA methods currently do not account for this effect. The implications for these issues are discussed

Using scenarios to explore UK upland futures

Uplands around the world are facing significant social, economic and environmental changes, and decision-makers need to better understand what the future may hold if they are to adapt and maintain upland goods and services. This paper draws together all major research comprising eight studies that have used scenarios to describe possible futures for UK uplands. The paper evaluates which scenarios are perceived by stakeholders to be most likely and desirable, and assesses the benefits and drawbacks of the scenario methods used in UK uplands to date. Stakeholders agreed that the most desirable and likely scenario would be a continuation of hill farming (albeit at reduced levels) based on cross-compliance with environmental measures. The least desirable scenario is a withdrawal of government financial support for hill farming. Although this was deemed by stakeholders to be the least likely scenario, the loss of government support warrants close attention due to its potential implications for the local economy. Stakeholders noted that the environmental implications of this scenario are much less clear-cut. As such, there is an urgent need to understand the full implications of this scenario, so that upland stakeholders can adequately prepare, and policy-makers can better evaluate the likely implications of different policy options. The paper concludes that in future, upland scenario research needs to: (1) better integrate in-depth and representative participation from stakeholders during both scenario development and evaluation; and (2) make more effective use of visualisation techniques and simulation models

Final Report: Buffalo National River Ecosystems

The objective of this study was to sample the Buffalo River on a seasonal basis for a year, in order to determine whether any potential water quality problems existed

झींगों के साथ रेतीले झींगों के पालन की संभावना

कृपया पूरा लेखा पढ

रेतीले झींगा मछलियों की उच्च सघनता में पालन व्यवस्था

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Transport of indirect excitons in high magnetic fields

We present spatially and spectrally resolved photoluminescence measurements of indirect excitons in high magnetic fields. Long indirect exciton lifetimes give the opportunity to measure magnetoexciton transport by optical imaging. Indirect excitons formed from electrons and holes at zeroth Landau levels (0e−0h indirect magnetoexcitons) travel over large distances and form a ring emission pattern around the excitation spot. In contrast, the spatial profiles of 1e−1h and 2e−2h indirect magnetoexciton emission closely follow the laser excitation profile. The 0e−0h indirect magnetoexciton transport distance reduces with increasing magnetic field. These effects are explained in terms of magnetoexciton energy relaxation and effective mass enhancement

Differences in client and therapist views of the working alliance in drug treatment

Background - There is growing evidence that the therapeutic alliance is one of the most consistent predictors of retention and outcomes in drug treatment. Recent psychotherapy research has indicated that there is a lack of agreement between client, therapist and observer ratings of the therapeutic alliance; however, the clinical implications of this lack of consensus have not been explored. Aims - The aims of the study are to (1) explore the extent to which, in drug treatment, clients and counsellors agree in their perceptions of their alliance, and (2) investigate whether the degree of disagreement between clients and counsellors is related to retention in treatment. Methods - The study recruited 187 clients starting residential rehabilitation treatment for drug misuse in three UK services. Client and counsellor ratings of the therapeutic alliance (using the WAI-S) were obtained during weeks 1-12. Retention was in this study defined as remaining in treatment for at least 12 weeks. Results - Client and counsellor ratings of the alliance were only weakly related (correlations ranging from r = 0.07 to 0.42) and tended to become more dissimilar over the first 12 weeks in treatment. However, whether or not clients and counsellors agreed on the quality of their relationship did not influence whether clients were retained in treatment. Conclusions - The low consensus between client and counsellor views of the alliance found in this and other studies highlights the need for drug counsellors to attend closely to their clients' perceptions of the alliance and to seek regular feedback from clients regarding their feelings about their therapeutic relationship