5,609 research outputs found
Evaluation of greenwaste mulch to control runoff quality from landfill sites during frequent storms
This paper describes a preliminary evaluation of two types of greenwaste (fresh and aged) used as a mulch layer to control runoff from disturbed landfill areas. Fresh greenwaste refers to woody and herbaceous garden waste that has been recently collected, chopped and shredded. Aged greenwaste is greenwaste which has been stockpiled for 18 months. We used rainfall simulator tests to investigate two aspects: (1) the performance of greenwaste mulch in reducing runoff during designed storm events with a high frequency of occurrence and (2) the release of pollutants via runoff as total suspended solids (TSS) and total organic carbon (TOC) during rain. Rainfall of <5-year average recurrence interval (ARI) was generally applied, consistent with stormwater compliance requirements for many Australian landfills. TOC released from fresh greenwaste material was higher in concentration than from aged greenwaste. However when used as a 10cm-deep mulch layer, fresh greenwaste was able to completely prevent runoff, even when tested under rainfalls up to 50 year ARI duration. An equivalent mulch layer of aged greenwaste was also effective in reducing runoff volume and TSS concentration compared with the bare soil during a 3.5-year ARI rainfall, but mean TOC concentration was higher. Based on these preliminary results, fresh greenwaste mulching of bare soils is an attractive option to control runoff and erosion from areas subject to intermittent landfill operations and worthy of further investigations
Forecasting for Marketing
Research on forecasting is extensive and includes many studies that have tested alternative methods in order to determine which ones are most effective. We review this evidence in order to provide guidelines for forecasting for marketing. The coverage includes intentions, Delphi, role playing, conjoint analysis, judgmental bootstrapping, analogies, extrapolation, rule-based forecasting, expert systems, and econometric methods. We discuss research about which methods are most appropriate to forecast market size, actions of decision makers, market share, sales, and financial outcomes. In general, there is a need for statistical methods that incorporate the manager's domain knowledge. This includes rule-based forecasting, expert systems, and econometric methods. We describe how to choose a forecasting method and provide guidelines for the effective use of forecasts including such procedures as scenarios.forecasting, marketing
Effect of closing facilities on electroconvulsive therapy use in Glasgow
<p>Objectives: To assess the effect of closure of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) centers on ECT use. Electroconvulsive therapy remains a recommended and effective treatment for mental disorders. Declining rates
of ECT use in the United Kingdom have been observed over the last 20 years with anecdotal observations that use has declined as the result of centralization of provision. In Glasgow, there have been site closures in the north with no such rationing taking place in the south.</p>
<p>Methods: A naturalistic retrospective survey of the number of ECT
courses commenced each year in Glasgow, with a comparison made between the north and the south of the city. Data were available from 1996 to 2008.</p>
<p>Results: Our analysis showed no change in the mean number of ECT courses commenced in southern AQ2 Glasgow (period 1, 42.25; period 2, 41.83; period 3, 31; F = 1.369; P = 0.298). There was a significant reduction in the mean number of ECT treatments commenced in northern Glasgow (period 1, 91.25; period 2, 51; period 3, 33.33; F = 10.06; P = 0.04).</p>
<p>Conclusions: In northern Glasgow, where there have been 2 site closures since 1996, ECT use has declined. This trend was not replicated in the south of the city. This would suggest that the closure of ECT centers does reduce the use of ECT. However, there may be a number of confounding variables that could not be factored into the analysis because of lack of available data.</p>
Forecasting Methods for Marketing:* Review of Empirical Research
This paper reviews the empirical research on forecasting in marketing. In addition, it presents results from some small scale surveys. We offer a framework for discussing forecasts in the area of marketing, and then review the literature in light of that framework. Particular emphasis is given to a pragmatic interpretation of the literature and findings. Suggestions are made on what research is needed.forecasting, marketing, methods, review, research
True Airspeed Measurement by Ionization-Tracer Technique
Ion bundles produced in a pulse-excited corona discharge are used as tracers with a radar-like pulse transit-time measuring instrument in order to provide a measurement of airspeed that is independent of all variables except time and distance. The resulting instrumentation need not project into the air stream and, therefore, will not cause any interference in supersonic flow. The instrument was tested at Mach numbers ranging from 0.3 to 3.8. Use of the proper instrumentation and technique results in accuracy of the order of 1 percent
Proceedings of a seminar on Future Directions for New Zealand Lamb Marketing
A seminar on lamb marketing was
organised to provide a forum for discussion of this important
issue, as New Zealand faces significant changes in the
lamb marketing environment. The increasing importance of
new lamb markets, especially in the Middle East, the
importance of the North American market and the increasing
fragility of the United Kingdom lamb market, make such
discussion very timely. In addition, the market requirement
for lambs with a lower fat content has meant that
lamb grading standards have been more rigorously set and
substantial price schedule penalties have been imposed
for over fatness.
Increasing production, processing and transportation
costs have meant that the farmers share, of the market
price for lamb, has fallen. This means that it has become
even more important to achieve the maximum possible market
return. The achievement of this target must depend on
the markets available, the type of marketing activity undertaken in those markets and the structure of the
industry supporting the marketing effort. The optimum
results may not be available based on the present industry
structure and approach and it was therefore considered
appropriate that alternatives be reviewed and examined
with a view to the future. Includes full text of the papers: Hilgendorf, C. New Zealand lamb marketing: the past and present; Cullwick, T.D.C. The need for a global marketing strategy for lamb and lamb products
A Multiwavelength View at the Heart of the Superwind in NGC 253
Here we present new optical data from the Hubble Space Telescope of the NGC
253 central region, which reveal numerous discrete sources in a ring--like
structure. This is combined with data at infrared, millimeter, radio and X-ray
wavelengths to examine the nature of these discrete sources and the nucleus
itself. We find that the majority of optical/IR/mm sources are young star
clusters which trace out a ~50 pc ring, that defines the inner edge of a cold
gas torus. This reservoir of cold gas has probably been created by gas inflow
from a larger scale bar and deposited at the inner Lindblad resonance. The
family of compact radio sources lie interior to the starburst ring, and in
general do not have optical or IR counterparts. They are mostly SNRs. The radio
nucleus, which is probably an AGN, lies near the centre of the ring. The X-ray
emission from the nuclear source is extended in the ROSAT HRI detector
indicating that not all of the X-ray emission can be associated with the AGN.
The lack of X-ray variability and the flat radio spectrum of the nucleus,
argues against an ultraluminous SN as the dominant energetic source at the
galaxy core. The diffuse emission associated with the outflowing superwind is
present in the central region on a size scale consistent with the idea of
collimation by the gas torus.Comment: 26 pages, Latex, 6 figures, 4 tables, submitted to MNRA
Alvira : comparative genomics of viral strains
The Alvira tool is a general purpose multiple sequence alignment viewer with a special emphasis on the comparative analysis of viral genomes. This new tool has been devised specifically to address the problem of the simultaneous analysis of a large number of viral strains. The multiple alignment is embedded in a graph that can be explored at different levels of resolution
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