Integrated water resource systems: Theory and policy implications.

Water resource management / Water policy / Irrigation efficiency / Water demand / Leaching / Water use efficiency / Water supply / Evapotranspiration / Models / Water conservation

Experimental evidence for kin-biased helping in a cooperatively breeding vertebrate

The widespread belief that kin selection is necessary for the evolution of cooperative breeding in vertebrates has recently been questioned. These doubts have primarily arisen because of the paucity of unequivocal evidence for kin preferences in cooperative behaviour. Using the cooperative breeding system of long-tailed tits (Aegithalos caudatus) in which kin and non-kin breed within each social unit and helpers are failed breeders, we investigated whether helpers preferentially direct their care towards kin following breeding failure. First, using observational data, we show that not all failed breeders actually become helpers, but that those that do help usually do so at the nest of a close relative. Second, we confirm the importance of kinship for helping in this species by conducting a choice experiment. We show that potential helpers do not become helpers in the absence of close kin and, when given a choice between helping equidistant broods belonging to kin and non-kin within the same social unit, virtually all helped at the nest of kin. This study provides strong evidence that kinship plays an essential role in the maintenance of cooperative breeding in this species

Improving Access to Health Through Collaboration: Lessons Learned from The Colorado Trust's Partnerships for Health Initiative Evaluation

This report presents findings from the evaluation of four Partnerships in Health Initiative grantees that were addressing access to health in their communities through the formation of collaboratives. Outcomes achieved by the grantees as well as lessons learned for others embarking on collaborative processes are described

Connected: A People-Centered Approach to Digital Infrastructure

When it comes to digital infrastructure, communities lack more than just broadband access. Rather, the delivery of effective digital services at the local level has been hamstrung by three primary obstacles: an absence of data, poor community-government relationships, and insufficient digital literacy among key populations. At their core, these failures all have one thing in common: they designed for the community but not with the community.These three "inputs" of digital infrastructure are often neglected, leading to lower-quality digital services. Even if local jurisdictions managed to digitize services during the pandemic, for instance, they may not have had the requisite data to understand where those services were most needed, the connections necessary to promote an effective service rollout, or a population with the literacy needed to effectively navigate such services.This report details the importance of each of these three nodes and suggests actions to correct the resulting inequities moving forward. By reviewing pandemic successes and shortcomings through this lens of multidimensional infrastructure, we hope to chart a course for a more equitable recovery, and in doing so, truly build back better

Evidence for the unique pathological classification of mutant S0D1-ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [ALS] is a neurological disease characterized by the selective loss of motor neurons [MNs] and death due to respiratory failure usually occurs within 3-5 years of symptom onset. Mutations in the genes encoding TAR DNA binding protein of 43 kDa [TDP-43], fused in sarcoma/translocated in liposarcoma [FUS/TLS] and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase [SOD1] have all been associated with ALS. Never before has a link been made between the variant of ALS and intraneuronal pathology. This thesis has sought to (1) analyze the immunohistochemical expression of TDP-43, FUS/TLS, SOD1, Rho Guanine nucleotide exchange factor [RGNEF], and 5 other ALS-associated proteins across multiple variants of ALS, and (2) characterize the immunohistochemical expression of RGNEF for the first time. Here, I show that mutant SOD1-ALS is a pathologically unique variant of ALS. This finding may be used in the identification of novel families that may be at risk for developing ALS

Masking and Detecting Radiation-Induced Errors in SRAM-Based FPGAs Through Partial Circuit Replication

Radiation found in terrestrial and space environments can induce errors into SRAM-based FPGAs. Replication of circuitry can be used mask and detect these errors to improve reliability or availability. This work advances the understanding and implementation of partial circuit replication in SRAM-based FPGAs. Partial circuit replication is the replication of a subset of the components in a circuit. A reliability model is presented that evaluates the reliability benefit of partial circuit replication. The model suggests that the reliability benefit is inversely related to the portion of the circuit replicated. A partial triple module redundancy case study is also presented that evaluates several different selection algorithms. Random selection was found to be ineffective and maximizing protected routes while minimizing inserted voters provided a high return, reducing failure likelihood by 20% with only 9% coverage. A final study applied duplication with compare to an FPGA-based networking system to detect persistent silent network disruptions. A coverage of 29% was able to detect 45% of these failures in neutron radiation testing

Escape rates for Gibbs measures

In this paper we study the asymptotic behaviour of the escape rate of a Gibbs measure supported on a conformal repeller through a small hole. There are additional applications to the convergence of the Hausdorff dimension of the survivor set