[Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and improving chess performance in promising young chess-players].

Science.gov (United States)

Ruiz, Francisco J; Luciano, Carmen

2009-08-01

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is shown to be effective in relatively distant fields from the so-called psychological disorders. One of these areas is sport performance improvement. The aim of the current study is to expand the application of brief ACT protocols to improve chess-players' performance. In a previous study, a brief protocol was applied to international-level adult chess-players that was effective. The current study aims to apply an equivalent brief ACT protocol, but in this case, applied in a group format to promising young chess-players. In addition, this brief protocol is compared to a non-intervention control condition. Results show that the ACT brief protocol improved the performance in 5 out of 7 participants, and that none of the chess-players in the control condition reached the established change criterion. The differences between the conditions in chess performance were statistically significant. The results are discussed, emphasizing the replicated impact of a brief ACT protocol on the improvement of chess-players' performance.

Auditory memory function in expert chess players.

Science.gov (United States)

Fattahi, Fariba; Geshani, Ahmad; Jafari, Zahra; Jalaie, Shohreh; Salman Mahini, Mona

2015-01-01

Chess is a game that involves many aspects of high level cognition such as memory, attention, focus and problem solving. Long term practice of chess can improve cognition performances and behavioral skills. Auditory memory, as a kind of memory, can be influenced by strengthening processes following long term chess playing like other behavioral skills because of common processing pathways in the brain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the auditory memory function of expert chess players using the Persian version of dichotic auditory-verbal memory test. The Persian version of dichotic auditory-verbal memory test was performed for 30 expert chess players aged 20-35 years and 30 non chess players who were matched by different conditions; the participants in both groups were randomly selected. The performance of the two groups was compared by independent samples t-test using SPSS version 21. The mean score of dichotic auditory-verbal memory test between the two groups, expert chess players and non-chess players, revealed a significant difference (p≤ 0.001). The difference between the ears scores for expert chess players (p= 0.023) and non-chess players (p= 0.013) was significant. Gender had no effect on the test results. Auditory memory function in expert chess players was significantly better compared to non-chess players. It seems that increased auditory memory function is related to strengthening cognitive performances due to playing chess for a long time.

Experience, Spatial Abilities, and Chess Skill.

Science.gov (United States)

Horgan, Dianne D.; Morgan, David

A study examined chess expertise in 113 children in grades 1-12 who played competitive chess. Specific attention was given to the relationship between experience, as measured by number of games played, and skill, as measured by national chess ratings. For the top 15 players, emphasis was placed on relationships among chess skill, spatial…

Playing Chess Unconsciously

Science.gov (United States)

Kiesel, Andrea; Kunde, Wilfried; Pohl, Carsten; Berner, Michael P.; Hoffmann, Joachim

2009-01-01

Expertise in a certain stimulus domain enhances perceptual capabilities. In the present article, the authors investigate whether expertise improves perceptual processing to an extent that allows complex visual stimuli to bias behavior unconsciously. Expert chess players judged whether a target chess configuration entailed a checking configuration.…

Does Chess Need Intelligence?--A Study with Young Chess Players

Science.gov (United States)

Bilalic, Merim; McLeod, Peter; Gobet, Fernand

2007-01-01

Although it is widely acknowledged that chess is the best example of an intellectual activity among games, evidence showing the association between any kind of intellectual ability and chess skill has been remarkably sparse. One of the reasons is that most of the studies investigated only one factor (e.g., intelligence), neglecting other factors…

Viktor Dordzhiev, Bone Carving: Chess

OpenAIRE

Ubushieva, Bamba; Kornyakova, Saglara; Babaev, Andrei

2016-01-01

Viktor has been playing chess since childhood. He can carve chess pieces in 10 different ways or styles. The chess pieces that he shows in this video have been carved in a historically informed style from cow and sheep bones. In Kalmykia chess pieces have different names to what they are called in Europe. For example, the rook is called yurt, the bishop is the camel and the king is called the khan.Another item that Viktor shows is a vase for incenses made from a cow bone. Arcadia

Why Chess in the Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Ralph L.

The game of chess is recommended as a school activity. In addition to requiring that individuals become actively involved in a mentally demanding competition, its effects are stimulating, wholesome, and healthy. Several benefits accrue from the teaching and promoting of chess in schools. Chess limits the element of luck (teaching the importance of…

Chess in Schools: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary

Science.gov (United States)

Jerrim, John; Macmillan, Lindsey; Micklewright, John; Sawtell, Mary; Wiggins, Meg

2016-01-01

Chess in Primary Schools is a whole-school approach to teaching primary school children how to play chess. Children take 30 hours of chess lessons delivered by a tutor who is an experienced chess player, and the school is given the option to set up a chess club as a lunchtime or after-school activity. Chess classes are delivered during the school…

Graduation 2010: The Chess Component of Critical Thinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Englehardt, Cathy Willis; Hauser, Brenda Bennett

This paper describes the chess program for elementary school students in the Daviess County School District, Kentucky. The Critical Thinking committee of the school system's Graduation 2010 initiative explored various ways to promote critical thinking in the classroom and arrived at a program to put chess boards in the classrooms and to encourage…

Frontal lobe function in chess players.

Science.gov (United States)

Nejati, Majid; Nejati, Vahid

2012-01-01

Chess is considered as a cognitive game because of severe engagement of the mental resources during playing. The purpose of this study is evaluation of frontal lobe function of chess players with matched non-players. Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) data showed no difference between the player and non-player groups in preservation error and completed categories but surprisingly showed significantly lower grade of the player group in correct response. Our data reveal that chess players don't have any preference in any stage of Stroop test. Chess players don't have any preference in selective attention, inhibition and executive cognitive function. Chess players' have lower shifting abilities than non-players.

Frontal Lobe Function in Chess Players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vahid Nejati

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Chess is considered as a cognitive game because of severe engagement of the mental resources during playing. The purpose of this study is evaluation of frontal lobe function of chess players with matched non-players. Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST data showed no difference between the player and non-player groups in preservation error and completed categories but surprisingly showed significantly lower grade of the player group in correct response. Our data reveal that chess players dont have any preference in any stage of Stroop test. Chess players dont have any preference in selective attention, inhibition and executive cognitive function. Chess players' have lower shifting abilities than non-players.

Chess players' eye movements reveal rapid recognition of complex visual patterns: Evidence from a chess-related visual search task.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheridan, Heather; Reingold, Eyal M

2017-03-01

To explore the perceptual component of chess expertise, we monitored the eye movements of expert and novice chess players during a chess-related visual search task that tested anecdotal reports that a key differentiator of chess skill is the ability to visualize the complex moves of the knight piece. Specifically, chess players viewed an array of four minimized chessboards, and they rapidly searched for the target board that allowed a knight piece to reach a target square in three moves. On each trial, there was only one target board (i.e., the "Yes" board), and for the remaining "lure" boards, the knight's path was blocked on either the first move (the "Easy No" board) or the second move (i.e., "the Difficult No" board). As evidence that chess experts can rapidly differentiate complex chess-related visual patterns, the experts (but not the novices) showed longer first-fixation durations on the "Yes" board relative to the "Difficult No" board. Moreover, as hypothesized, the task strongly differentiated chess skill: Reaction times were more than four times faster for the experts relative to novices, and reaction times were correlated with within-group measures of expertise (i.e., official chess ratings, number of hours of practice). These results indicate that a key component of chess expertise is the ability to rapidly recognize complex visual patterns.

Computer analysis and comparison of chess players' game-playing styles

OpenAIRE

Krevs, Urša

2015-01-01

Today's computer chess programs are very good at evaluating chess positions. Research has shown that we can rank chess players by the quality of their game play, using a computer chess program. In the master's thesis Computer analysis and comparison of chess players' game-playing styles, we focus on the content analysis of chess games using a computer chess program's evaluation and attributes we determined for each individual position. We defined meaningful attributes that can be used for com...

How AI turned the chess world upside down

KAUST Repository

Polgar, Susan

2018-01-22

Man vs. Machine! In 1977 an IBM supercomputer \\'Deep Blue\\' beat the reigning World Chess Champion Gary Kasparov in a 6 game chess match played under tournament conditions. This was the first time a machine beat a human at chess. It symbolized the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the potential for great good (and great harm) from machines that have aspects of human intelligence. During this lecture Susan Polgar, a pioneer for Women in Chess, will share her remarkable story as well as how technology has changed the world of chess.

"Strategic" and "tactical" chess differentiate in their hippocampal and precuneus requirements in expert chess players

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wallentin, Mikkel; Roepstorff, Andreas; Vestergaard-Poulsen, Peter

Introduction Expert chess players have been a popular population for research in acquired expertise. The putative cognitive underpinnings of chess-expertise (eg. IQ and memory) have been sought for with mixed results. We suggest that this may be partly due to a lack of detail in the analysis...... of the game itself. We investigated whether different types of chess positions, known as "tactical" and "strategic", activates different neurocognitive structures. In a tactical position the choice of move determines the game, whereas strategic moves are based on long term considerations and do not imply...... an immediate determination. We therefore hypothesised that tactical considerations rely more on working memory (WM) brain structures, such as the precuneus , while strategic rely on long term memory (LTM), i.e. hippocampus. Methods 22 chess-players participated, 9 during fMRI scanning in a 3T scanner while...

Children and Chess: A Guide for Educators

Science.gov (United States)

Root, Alexey

2006-01-01

"Children and Chess: A Guide for Educators" is the first book to show the connection between accepted educational theories and chess. The relationship of chess to academic and humanistic educational goals is convincingly illustrated as curriculum and psychological theories from John D. McNeil, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and Howard Gardner are…

Practice, intelligence, and enjoyment in novice chess players: A prospective study at the earliest stage of a chess career

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Bruin, Anique; Kok, Ellen; Leppink, Jimmie; Camp, Gino

2018-01-01

Previous studies have generally found no relation between IQ and chess skill in chess experts. This lack of a relation could be due to the influence of practice being more important than IQ in chess expertise. An alternative explanation is that IQ is relatively high and might therefore

On the Interfaces among Educational Technology, Creativity, and Chess

Science.gov (United States)

Bart, William

2016-01-01

This article provides an examination of interrelationships among educational technology, creativity, and chess. It presents the argument that chess training fosters significant gains in scholastic achievement and cognitive ability. As a vital component in chess training programs, contemporary chess software such as Fritz serves as impressive…

Sequencing chess

Science.gov (United States)

Atashpendar, Arshia; Schilling, Tanja; Voigtmann, Thomas

2016-10-01

We analyze the structure of the state space of chess by means of transition path sampling Monte Carlo simulations. Based on the typical number of moves required to transpose a given configuration of chess pieces into another, we conclude that the state space consists of several pockets between which transitions are rare. Skilled players explore an even smaller subset of positions that populate some of these pockets only very sparsely. These results suggest that the usual measures to estimate both the size of the state space and the size of the tree of legal moves are not unique indicators of the complexity of the game, but that considerations regarding the connectedness of states are equally important.

How AI turned the chess world upside down

KAUST Repository

Polgar, Susan

2018-01-01

Man vs. Machine! In 1977 an IBM supercomputer 'Deep Blue' beat the reigning World Chess Champion Gary Kasparov in a 6 game chess match played under tournament conditions. This was the first time a machine beat a human at chess. It symbolized

Checkmate: Capturing Gifted Students' Logical Thinking Using Chess.

Science.gov (United States)

Rifner, Philip J.; Feldhusen, John F.

1997-01-01

Describes the use of chess instruction to develop abstract thinking skills and problem solving among gifted students. Offers suggestions for starting school chess programs, teaching and evaluating chess skills, and measuring the success of both student-players and the program in general. (PB)

Teaching Chess to Young Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Bankauskas, Deborah

2000-01-01

Presents suggestions for teaching chess to young children as part of the problem-solving component of a kindergarten mathematics curriculum. Discusses the introduction of pairs of chess characters, playing challenge games with teachers to enhance skill development, and writing down the rules of the game. Notes that children's problem-solving and…

A multimodal MRI dataset of professional chess players.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Kaiming; Jiang, Jing; Qiu, Lihua; Yang, Xun; Huang, Xiaoqi; Lui, Su; Gong, Qiyong

2015-01-01

Chess is a good model to study high-level human brain functions such as spatial cognition, memory, planning, learning and problem solving. Recent studies have demonstrated that non-invasive MRI techniques are valuable for researchers to investigate the underlying neural mechanism of playing chess. For professional chess players (e.g., chess grand masters and masters or GM/Ms), what are the structural and functional alterations due to long-term professional practice, and how these alterations relate to behavior, are largely veiled. Here, we report a multimodal MRI dataset from 29 professional Chinese chess players (most of whom are GM/Ms), and 29 age matched novices. We hope that this dataset will provide researchers with new materials to further explore high-level human brain functions.

Want to Improve Your Leadership Skills? Play Chess!

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, Samuel J.; Cangemi, Joseph

2014-01-01

This paper explores the value of the "Game of Kings," Chess, as a tool for developing highly successful leaders. This paper highlights and demonstrates how the methods of the game of Chess can have strong influence on the ability and performance of exceptional leaders in any field, and how the game of Chess can enhance the cognitive…

Helping students mathematical construction on square and rectangle’s area by using Sarong motive chess

Science.gov (United States)

Zuliana, Eka; Setyawan, Fariz; Veloo, Arsaythamby

2017-12-01

The aim of this study is developing the learning trajectory to construct students’ understanding of the concept of the area of square and rectangle by using Sarong Motive Chess. This research is a design research which is consists of three stages. The stages are preparing for the experiment, designing experiment, and making a retrospective analysis. The activities started by the activity of using sarong motive chess as the manipulative measurement unit. The Sarong motive chess helps students to understand the concept of area of square and rectangle. In the formal stage of cognitive level, students estimate the area of square and rectangle by determining the square unit at the surface area of sarong through many ways. The result of this study concludes that Sarong motive chess can be used for mathematics learning process. It helps the students to construct the concept of a square and rectangle’s area. This study produces learning trajectory to construct the concept of a square and rectangle’s area by using Sarong motive chess, especially for elementary school students.

A Study of Memory Effects in a Chess Database.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaigorodsky, Ana L; Perotti, Juan I; Billoni, Orlando V

2016-01-01

A series of recent works studying a database of chronologically sorted chess games-containing 1.4 million games played by humans between 1998 and 2007- have shown that the popularity distribution of chess game-lines follows a Zipf's law, and that time series inferred from the sequences of those game-lines exhibit long-range memory effects. The presence of Zipf's law together with long-range memory effects was observed in several systems, however, the simultaneous emergence of these two phenomena were always studied separately up to now. In this work, by making use of a variant of the Yule-Simon preferential growth model, introduced by Cattuto et al., we provide an explanation for the simultaneous emergence of Zipf's law and long-range correlations memory effects in a chess database. We find that Cattuto's Model (CM) is able to reproduce both, Zipf's law and the long-range correlations, including size-dependent scaling of the Hurst exponent for the corresponding time series. CM allows an explanation for the simultaneous emergence of these two phenomena via a preferential growth dynamics, including a memory kernel, in the popularity distribution of chess game-lines. This mechanism results in an aging process in the chess game-line choice as the database grows. Moreover, we find burstiness in the activity of subsets of the most active players, although the aggregated activity of the pool of players displays inter-event times without burstiness. We show that CM is not able to produce time series with bursty behavior providing evidence that burstiness is not required for the explanation of the long-range correlation effects in the chess database. Our results provide further evidence favoring the hypothesis that long-range correlations effects are a consequence of the aging of game-lines and not burstiness, and shed light on the mechanism that operates in the simultaneous emergence of Zipf's law and long-range correlations in a community of chess players.

A Study of Memory Effects in a Chess Database.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana L Schaigorodsky

Full Text Available A series of recent works studying a database of chronologically sorted chess games-containing 1.4 million games played by humans between 1998 and 2007- have shown that the popularity distribution of chess game-lines follows a Zipf's law, and that time series inferred from the sequences of those game-lines exhibit long-range memory effects. The presence of Zipf's law together with long-range memory effects was observed in several systems, however, the simultaneous emergence of these two phenomena were always studied separately up to now. In this work, by making use of a variant of the Yule-Simon preferential growth model, introduced by Cattuto et al., we provide an explanation for the simultaneous emergence of Zipf's law and long-range correlations memory effects in a chess database. We find that Cattuto's Model (CM is able to reproduce both, Zipf's law and the long-range correlations, including size-dependent scaling of the Hurst exponent for the corresponding time series. CM allows an explanation for the simultaneous emergence of these two phenomena via a preferential growth dynamics, including a memory kernel, in the popularity distribution of chess game-lines. This mechanism results in an aging process in the chess game-line choice as the database grows. Moreover, we find burstiness in the activity of subsets of the most active players, although the aggregated activity of the pool of players displays inter-event times without burstiness. We show that CM is not able to produce time series with bursty behavior providing evidence that burstiness is not required for the explanation of the long-range correlation effects in the chess database. Our results provide further evidence favoring the hypothesis that long-range correlations effects are a consequence of the aging of game-lines and not burstiness, and shed light on the mechanism that operates in the simultaneous emergence of Zipf's law and long-range correlations in a community of chess

A psychometric analysis of chess expertise

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Maas, H.L.J.; Wagenmakers, E.J.

2005-01-01

This study introduces the Amsterdam Chess Test (ACT). The ACT measures chess playing proficiency through 5 tasks: a choose-a-move task (comprising two parallel tests), a motivation questionnaire, a predict-a-move task, a verbal knowledge questionnaire, and a recall task. The validity of these tasks

Relative Age Effect in Mind Games: The Evidence from Elite Chess.

Science.gov (United States)

Breznik, Kristijan; Law, Kris M Y

2016-04-01

Numerous studies have attempted to investigate the factors affecting superior intellectual performance, and it has been proposed that a possible biological marker for superior intellectual performance is the month of birth. In this study, birth details of chess players were obtained from the official international chess federation website. The rating lists of top junior female chess players ("Girls" category), top junior male chess players ("Boys"), top female chess players ("Female"), and top male chess players ("Male") were collected between July 2000 and August 2015. The birth months of each player that appeared in the top rating list were categorized into quarters. Additionally, relative age of chess players was calculated. Results supported the existence of the relative age effect in chess in all categories although a "reverse" RAE was found in the "Male" category. © The Author(s) 2016.

Innovation and nested preferential growth in chess playing behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Perotti, J. I.; Jo, H.-H.; Schaigorodsky, A. L.; Billoni, O. V.

2013-11-01

Complexity develops via the incorporation of innovative properties. Chess is one of the most complex strategy games, where expert contenders exercise decision making by imitating old games or introducing innovations. In this work, we study innovation in chess by analyzing how different move sequences are played at the population level. It is found that the probability of exploring a new or innovative move decreases as a power law with the frequency of the preceding move sequence. Chess players also exploit already known move sequences according to their frequencies, following a preferential growth mechanism. Furthermore, innovation in chess exhibits Heaps' law suggesting similarities with the process of vocabulary growth. We propose a robust generative mechanism based on nested Yule-Simon preferential growth processes that reproduces the empirical observations. These results, supporting the self-similar nature of innovations in chess are important in the context of decision making in a competitive scenario, and extend the scope of relevant findings recently discovered regarding the emergence of Zipf's law in chess.

Is chess the drosophila of artificial intelligence? A social history of an algorithm.

Science.gov (United States)

Ensmenger, Nathan

2012-02-01

Since the mid 1960s, researchers in computer science have famously referred to chess as the 'drosophila' of artificial intelligence (AI). What they seem to mean by this is that chess, like the common fruit fly, is an accessible, familiar, and relatively simple experimental technology that nonetheless can be used productively to produce valid knowledge about other, more complex systems. But for historians of science and technology, the analogy between chess and drosophila assumes a larger significance. As Robert Kohler has ably described, the decision to adopt drosophila as the organism of choice for genetics research had far-reaching implications for the development of 20th century biology. In a similar manner, the decision to focus on chess as the measure of both human and computer intelligence had important and unintended consequences for AL research. This paper explores the emergence of chess as an experimental technology, its significance in the developing research practices of the AI community, and the unique ways in which the decision to focus on chess shaped the program of AI research in the decade of the 1970s. More broadly, it attempts to open up the virtual black box of computer software--and of computer games in particular--to the scrutiny of historical and sociological analysis.

Strategic intensity: a conversation with world chess champion Garry Kasparov.

Science.gov (United States)

Kasparov, Garry

2005-04-01

It's hard to find a better exemplar for competition than chess. The image of two brilliant minds locked in a battle of skill and will-in which chance plays little or no apparent role-is compelling. Even people who have scant knowledge of the game instinctively recognize that chess is unusual in terms of its intellectual complexity and the strategic demands it places on players. Can strategists learn anything from chess players about what it takes to win? To find out, H BR senior editor Diane L. Coutu talked with Garry Kasparov, the world's number one player since 1984. Kasparov believes that success in both chess and business is very much a question of psychological advantage; the complexity of the game demands that players rely heavily on their instincts and on gamesmanship. In this wide-ranging interview, Kasparov explores the power of chess as a model for business competition; the balance that chess players strike between intuition and analysis; the significance of his loss to IBM's chess-playing computer, Deep Blue; and how his legendary rivalry with Anatoly Karpov, Kasparov's predecessor as World Chess Champion, affected his own success. Kasparov also shares his solution to what he calls the champion's dilemma, a question for all world masters, whether they are in business, sports, or chess: Where does a virtuoso go after he has accomplished everything he's ever wanted to, even beyond his wildest imagination? If you are lucky, says Kasparov, your enemies will push you to be passionate about staying at the top.

Chess databases as a research vehicle in psychology: Modeling large data.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaci, Nemanja; Bilalić, Merim

2017-08-01

The game of chess has often been used for psychological investigations, particularly in cognitive science. The clear-cut rules and well-defined environment of chess provide a model for investigations of basic cognitive processes, such as perception, memory, and problem solving, while the precise rating system for the measurement of skill has enabled investigations of individual differences and expertise-related effects. In the present study, we focus on another appealing feature of chess-namely, the large archive databases associated with the game. The German national chess database presented in this study represents a fruitful ground for the investigation of multiple longitudinal research questions, since it collects the data of over 130,000 players and spans over 25 years. The German chess database collects the data of all players, including hobby players, and all tournaments played. This results in a rich and complete collection of the skill, age, and activity of the whole population of chess players in Germany. The database therefore complements the commonly used expertise approach in cognitive science by opening up new possibilities for the investigation of multiple factors that underlie expertise and skill acquisition. Since large datasets are not common in psychology, their introduction also raises the question of optimal and efficient statistical analysis. We offer the database for download and illustrate how it can be used by providing concrete examples and a step-by-step tutorial using different statistical analyses on a range of topics, including skill development over the lifetime, birth cohort effects, effects of activity and inactivity on skill, and gender differences.

Algorithm Design on Network Game of Chinese Chess

Science.gov (United States)

Xianmei, Fang

This paper describes the current situation of domestic network game. Contact the present condition of the local network game currently, we inquired to face to a multithread tcp client and server, such as Chinese chess, according to the information, and study the contents and meanings. Combining the Java of basic knowledge, the article study the compiling procedure facing to the object according to the information in Java Swing usage, and the method of the network procedure. The article researched the method and processes of the network procedure carry on the use of Sprocket under the Java Swing. Understood the basic process of compiling procedure using Java and how to compile a network procedure. The most importance is how a pair of machines correspondence-C/S the service system-is carried out. From here, we put forward the data structure,the basic calculate way of the network game- Chinese chess, and how to design and realize the server and client of that procedure. The online games -- chess design can be divided into several modules as follows: server module, client module and the control module.

Status of CHESS facility and research programs: 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fontes, Ernest, E-mail: ef11@cornell.edu [Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Bilderback, Donald H.; Gruner, Sol M. [Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States)

2011-09-01

CHESS is a hard X-ray synchrotron radiation national facility located at Cornell University and funded by the National Science Foundation. It is open to all scientists by peer-reviewed proposal and serves 500-1000 visitors each year. The CHESS scientific and technical staff develops forefront research tools and X-ray instrumentation and methods and supports 12 experimental stations delivering high intensity X-ray beams produced at 5.3 GeV and 250 mA. The facility consists of a mix of dedicated and flexible experimental stations that are easily configured for general X-ray diffraction (wide- and small-angle), spectroscopy, imaging applications, etc. Dedicated stations support high-pressure powder X-ray diffraction, pulsed-laser deposition for layer-by-layer growth of surfaces, and three dedicated stations for protein crystallography. Specialized resource groups at the laboratory include: an X-ray detector group; MacCHESS, an NIH-supported research resource for protein crystallography; the G-line division, which primarily organizes graduate students and Cornell faculty members around three X-ray stations; a high-pressure diamond-anvil cell support laboratory; and a monocapillary drawing facility for making microbeam X-ray optics. Research is also ongoing to upgrade CHESS to a first-ever 5 GeV, 100 mA Energy Recovery Linac (ERL) hard X-ray source. This source will provide ultra-high spectral-brightness and <100 fs short-pulse capability at levels well in advance of those possible with existing storage rings. It will produce diffraction-limited X-rays beams of up to 10 keV energy and be capable of providing 1 nm round beams. Prototyping for this facility is under way now to demonstrate critical DC photoelectron injector and superconducting linac technologies needed for the full-scale ERL.

Status of CHESS facility and research programs: 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fontes, Ernest; Bilderback, Donald H.; Gruner, Sol M.

2011-01-01

CHESS is a hard X-ray synchrotron radiation national facility located at Cornell University and funded by the National Science Foundation. It is open to all scientists by peer-reviewed proposal and serves 500-1000 visitors each year. The CHESS scientific and technical staff develops forefront research tools and X-ray instrumentation and methods and supports 12 experimental stations delivering high intensity X-ray beams produced at 5.3 GeV and 250 mA. The facility consists of a mix of dedicated and flexible experimental stations that are easily configured for general X-ray diffraction (wide- and small-angle), spectroscopy, imaging applications, etc. Dedicated stations support high-pressure powder X-ray diffraction, pulsed-laser deposition for layer-by-layer growth of surfaces, and three dedicated stations for protein crystallography. Specialized resource groups at the laboratory include: an X-ray detector group; MacCHESS, an NIH-supported research resource for protein crystallography; the G-line division, which primarily organizes graduate students and Cornell faculty members around three X-ray stations; a high-pressure diamond-anvil cell support laboratory; and a monocapillary drawing facility for making microbeam X-ray optics. Research is also ongoing to upgrade CHESS to a first-ever 5 GeV, 100 mA Energy Recovery Linac (ERL) hard X-ray source. This source will provide ultra-high spectral-brightness and <100 fs short-pulse capability at levels well in advance of those possible with existing storage rings. It will produce diffraction-limited X-rays beams of up to 10 keV energy and be capable of providing 1 nm round beams. Prototyping for this facility is under way now to demonstrate critical DC photoelectron injector and superconducting linac technologies needed for the full-scale ERL.

Many faces of expertise: fusiform face area in chess experts and novices.

Science.gov (United States)

Bilalić, Merim; Langner, Robert; Ulrich, Rolf; Grodd, Wolfgang

2011-07-13

The fusiform face area (FFA) is involved in face perception to such an extent that some claim it is a brain module for faces exclusively. The other possibility is that FFA is modulated by experience in individuation in any visual domain, not only faces. Here we test this latter FFA expertise hypothesis using the game of chess as a domain of investigation. We exploited the characteristic of chess, which features multiple objects forming meaningful spatial relations. In three experiments, we show that FFA activity is related to stimulus properties and not to chess skill directly. In all chess and non-chess tasks, experts' FFA was more activated than that of novices' only when they dealt with naturalistic full-board chess positions. When common spatial relationships formed by chess objects in chess positions were randomly disturbed, FFA was again differentially active only in experts, regardless of the actual task. Our experiments show that FFA contributes to the holistic processing of domain-specific multipart stimuli in chess experts. This suggests that FFA may not only mediate human expertise in face recognition but, supporting the expertise hypothesis, may mediate the automatic holistic processing of any highly familiar multipart visual input.

Rapid directed evolution of stabilized proteins with cellular high-throughput encapsulation solubilization and screening (CHESS).

Science.gov (United States)

Yong, K J; Scott, D J

2015-03-01

Directed evolution is a powerful method for engineering proteins towards user-defined goals and has been used to generate novel proteins for industrial processes, biological research and drug discovery. Typical directed evolution techniques include cellular display, phage display, ribosome display and water-in-oil compartmentalization, all of which physically link individual members of diverse gene libraries to their translated proteins. This allows the screening or selection for a desired protein function and subsequent isolation of the encoding gene from diverse populations. For biotechnological and industrial applications there is a need to engineer proteins that are functional under conditions that are not compatible with these techniques, such as high temperatures and harsh detergents. Cellular High-throughput Encapsulation Solubilization and Screening (CHESS), is a directed evolution method originally developed to engineer detergent-stable G proteins-coupled receptors (GPCRs) for structural biology. With CHESS, library-transformed bacterial cells are encapsulated in detergent-resistant polymers to form capsules, which serve to contain mutant genes and their encoded proteins upon detergent mediated solubilization of cell membranes. Populations of capsules can be screened like single cells to enable rapid isolation of genes encoding detergent-stable protein mutants. To demonstrate the general applicability of CHESS to other proteins, we have characterized the stability and permeability of CHESS microcapsules and employed CHESS to generate thermostable, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) resistant green fluorescent protein (GFP) mutants, the first soluble proteins to be engineered using CHESS. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Gymnasium of the Mind: Teaching Chess in Early Childhood

Science.gov (United States)

Costello, Patrick J. M.

2013-01-01

The central aim of this paper is to undertake a critical review of arguments which propose that chess should be taught in schools and other educational settings. In particular, I offer an answer to the question: "Should chess be taught in early childhood?" Many claims have been made about the educational benefits of chess instruction. In…

Chess therapy: A new approach to curing panic attack.

Science.gov (United States)

Barzegar, Kazem; Barzegar, Somayeh

2017-12-01

To study the effect of playing cell phone chess game on treating panic attack. The chess game on an android cell phone was played by the researcher who was affected by panic attack as a post-traumatic disorder immediately after or before feeling of the start of symptoms. The right level of difficulty, i.e., levels 2-4, was selected for optimal results. Playing chess game on the android cell phone prevented the manifestation of panic attack and led to the cure of this traumatic condition. Chess therapy with the right level of difficulty can be recommended as a very effective non-pharmaceutical method for the successful treatment of panic attacks. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High pressure research at CHESS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brister, K.

1992-01-01

Since February 1990 there has been a dedicated high pressure line at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS). This facility provides X-ray instrumentation for energy dispersive X-ray diffraction and Laue diffraction using diamond anvil cells. Both hard-bend magnet and wiggler radiation are available as well as focused monochromatic radiation. In addition, support instrumentation is also available; a ruby system, laser heating, sample loading, and data analysis software. Experienced users need only to bring their diamond anvil cells and samples and can leave with the initial data analysis finished. Research using diamond anvil cells will be introduced and the facility will be described. Some of the diamond anvil cell research done at CHESS will be reviewed, including crystalline to amorphous transitions (R.R. Winters et al., Chem. Phys, in press), properties of C 6 0 under stress (S.J. Duclos et al., Nature 351 (1991) 380), deep earthquakes (T.C. Wu et al., submitted to J. Geophys. Res.)l, and reaching pressures of the center of Earth (A.L. Ruoff et al., Rev. Sci. Instr. 61 (1990) 3830). (orig.)

A Chess-Like Game for Teaching Engineering Students to Solve Large System of Simultaneous Linear Equations

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Duc T.; Mohammed, Ahmed Ali; Kadiam, Subhash

2010-01-01

Solving large (and sparse) system of simultaneous linear equations has been (and continues to be) a major challenging problem for many real-world engineering/science applications [1-2]. For many practical/large-scale problems, the sparse, Symmetrical and Positive Definite (SPD) system of linear equations can be conveniently represented in matrix notation as [A] {x} = {b} , where the square coefficient matrix [A] and the Right-Hand-Side (RHS) vector {b} are known. The unknown solution vector {x} can be efficiently solved by the following step-by-step procedures [1-2]: Reordering phase, Matrix Factorization phase, Forward solution phase, and Backward solution phase. In this research work, a Game-Based Learning (GBL) approach has been developed to help engineering students to understand crucial details about matrix reordering and factorization phases. A "chess-like" game has been developed and can be played by either a single player, or two players. Through this "chess-like" open-ended game, the players/learners will not only understand the key concepts involved in reordering algorithms (based on existing algorithms), but also have the opportunities to "discover new algorithms" which are better than existing algorithms. Implementing the proposed "chess-like" game for matrix reordering and factorization phases can be enhanced by FLASH [3] computer environments, where computer simulation with animated human voice, sound effects, visual/graphical/colorful displays of matrix tables, score (or monetary) awards for the best game players, etc. can all be exploited. Preliminary demonstrations of the developed GBL approach can be viewed by anyone who has access to the internet web-site [4]!

Intelligences Developed by the Student Chess Player

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuraima Margelis Matos De Rojas

2018-05-01

Full Text Available To strengthen cognitive development in students requires the use of innovative, creative and formative strategies that allow it to achieve, being one of the didactic strategies chess. For what was proposed as research purpose: Identify the intelligences developed by the student athlete of the Sports Talent Education Unit that play chess, to suggest some recommendations that can be put into practice in educational institutions. Methodologically it was approached from the qualitative paradigm through a phenomenological method that reveals the reality from the experiences and experiences of the social actors. Six key students of the institution were chess players, to whom an open interview was applied to obtain the necessary information, which was systematized to extract the categories, codifications and triangulate the information. As results, it was obtained that the students develop the intelligences: logical-mathematical, linguistic, spatial and visual, as the intrapersonal during the game of chess and in the learning processes. Configured in categories, analyzed and interpreted from the voices of social actors, theorists and researchers. Suggesting some recommendations that can be put into practice to strengthen the intelligences in the student.

Does Fat Suppression via Chemically Selective Saturation (CHESS) Affect R2*-MRI for Transfusional Iron Overload Assessment? A Clinical Evaluation at 1.5 and 3 Tesla

Science.gov (United States)

Krafft, Axel J.; Loeffler, Ralf B.; Song, Ruitian; Bian, Xiao; McCarville, M. Beth; Hankins, Jane S.; Hillenbrand, Claudia M.

2015-01-01

Purpose Fat suppression (FS) via chemically selective saturation (CHESS) eliminates fat-water oscillations in multi-echo gradient echo (mGRE) R2*-MRI. However, for increasing R2* values as seen with increasing liver iron content (LIC), the water signal spectrally overlaps with the CHESS band, which may alter R2*. Here, we investigate the effect of CHESS on R2* and describe a heuristic correction for the observed CHESS-induced R2* changes. Methods Eighty patients (49/31 female/male, mean age: 18.3±11.7 years) with iron overload were scanned with a non-FS and a CHESS-FS mGRE sequence at 1.5T and 3T. Mean liver R2* values were evaluated using 3 published fitting approaches. Measured and model-corrected R2* values were compared and statistically analyzed. Results At 1.5T, CHESS led to a systematic R2* reduction (PCHESS-induced R2* bias after correction (linear regression slopes: 1.032/0.927/0.981). No CHESS-induced R2* reductions were found at 3T. Conclusion The CHESS-induced R2* bias at 1.5T needs to be considered when applying R2*-LIC biopsy calibrations for clinical LIC assessment which were established without FS at 1.5T. The proposed model corrects the R2* bias and could therefore improve clinical iron overload assessment based on linear R2*-LIC calibrations. PMID:26308155

CHESS improves cancer caregivers' burden and mood: results of an eHealth RCT.

Science.gov (United States)

DuBenske, Lori L; Gustafson, David H; Namkoong, Kang; Hawkins, Robert P; Atwood, Amy K; Brown, Roger L; Chih, Ming-Yuan; McTavish, Fiona; Carmack, Cindy L; Buss, Mary K; Govindan, Ramaswamy; Cleary, James F

2014-10-01

Informal caregivers (family and friends) of people with cancer are often unprepared for their caregiving role, leading to increased burden or distress. Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System (CHESS) is a Web-based lung cancer information, communication, and coaching system for caregivers. This randomized trial reports the impact on caregiver burden, disruptiveness, and mood of providing caregivers access to CHESS versus the Internet with a list of recommended lung cancer websites. A total of 285 informal caregivers of patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer were randomly assigned to a comparison group that received Internet or a treatment group that received Internet and CHESS. Caregivers were provided a computer and Internet service if needed. Written surveys were completed at pretest and during the intervention period bimonthly for up to 24 months. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) compared the intervention's effect on caregivers' disruptiveness and burden (CQOLI-C), and negative mood (combined Anxiety, Depression, and Anger scales of the POMS) at 6 months, controlling for blocking variables (site, caregiver's race, and relationship to patient) and the given outcome at pretest. Caregivers randomized to CHESS reported lower burden, t(84) = 2.36, p = .021, d = .39, and negative mood, t(86) = 2.82, p = .006, d = .44, than those in the Internet group. The effect on disruptiveness was not significant. Although caring for someone with a terminal illness will always exact a toll on caregivers, eHealth interventions like CHESS may improve caregivers' understanding and coping skills and, as a result, ease their burden and mood.

CHESS Improves Cancer Caregivers’ Burden and Mood: Results of an eHealth RCT

Science.gov (United States)

DuBenske, Lori L.; Gustafson, David H.; Namkoong, Kang; Hawkins, Robert P.; Atwood, Amy K.; Brown, Roger L.; Chih, Ming-Yuan; McTavish, Fiona; Carmack, Cindy L.; Buss, Mary K.; Govindan, Ramaswamy; Cleary, James F.

2014-01-01

Objective Informal caregivers (family and friends) of people with cancer are often unprepared for their caregiving role, leading to increased burden or distress. CHESS (Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System) is a web-based lung cancer information, communication and coaching system for caregivers. This randomized trial reports the impact on caregiver burden, disruptiveness and mood of providing caregivers access to CHESS versus the Internet with a list of recommended lung cancer websites. Methods 285 informal caregivers of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer were randomly assigned to a comparison group that received Internet or a treatment group that received Internet and CHESS. Caregivers were provided a computer and Internet service if needed. Written surveys were completed at pretest and during the intervention period bimonthly for up to 24 months. ANCOVA analyses compared the intervention’s effect on caregivers’ disruptiveness and burden (CQOLI-C), and negative mood (combined Anxiety, Depression, and Anger scales of the POMS) at six months, controlling for blocking variables (site, caregiver’s race, and relationship to patient) and the given outcome at pretest. Results Caregivers randomized to CHESS reported lower burden [t (84) = 2.36, p = .021, d= .39] and negative mood [t (86) = 2.82, p = .006, d= .44] than those in the Internet group. The effect on disruptiveness was not significant. Conclusions Although caring for someone with a terminal illness will always exact a toll on caregivers, eHealth interventions like CHESS may improve caregivers’ understanding and coping skills and, as a result, ease their burden and mood. PMID:24245838

[Physical fitness in relation to age and body build of young chess players].

Science.gov (United States)

Fornal-Urban, Agnieszka; Keska, Anna; Dobosz, Janusz; Nowacka-Dobosz, Sylwia

2009-01-01

Specificity of chess training promotes sedentary lifestyle and may reduce chess players participation in different physical activities. Limited physical activity leads to decrease of physical fitness and may augment the risk of overweight and obesity. It is suggested that these athletes will characterize more frequently lower physical fitness and weight/height proportions disorders. The aim of the study was evaluation of physical fitness and its relationship with age and body build of athletes. A sample of 73 individuals (35 girls--48% and 38 boys--52%) aged 8-19 years took part in this study. All competitors were members of national team and Polish representatives for the European and world chess championship. Chess players' physical fitness was measured by EUROFIT tests. With reference to the Polish population chess players characterized higher level of physical fitness. In six tests of EUROFIT chess players had better standardized results than controls. Sit ups (mean standardized result 0.842), shuttle run 10 x 5 m (0.577), standing broad jump (0.552) and flamingo balance (0.371) were very well performed by chess players. Only in one test, bent arm hang, sportsmen achieved worse results (-0.719). Permanent decrease of chess players' physical fitness with age was also observed. Although chess players' physical fitness was satisfied in comparison to age-matched control, it is recommended to include in their training more exercises developing strength. Because of changes in body build with age and decrease of physical fitness, chess players ought to participate in regular physical activity. Therefore chess organisers should provide the variety of active forms that can be chosen by competitors in their leisure time.

High resolution, monochromatic x-ray topography capability at CHESS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Finkelstein, K. D., E-mail: kdf1@cornell.edu; Pauling, A.; Brown, Z. [CHESS, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (United States); Jones, R. [Department of Physics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (United States); Tarun, A.; Misra, D. S. [IIa Technologies (Singapore); Jupitz, S. [St. Mary’s College of Maryland, St. Mary’s City, MD (United States); Sagan, D. C. [CLASSE, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (United States)

2016-07-27

CHESS has a monochromatic x-ray topography capability serving continually expanding user interest. The setup consists of a beam expanding monochromator, 6-circle diffactometer, and CHESS designed CMOS camera with real time sample-alignment capability. This provides rocking curve mapping with angle resolution as small as 2 µradians, spatial resolution to 3 microns, and field of view up to 7mm. Thus far the capability has been applied for: improving CVD-diamond growth, evaluating perfection of ultra-thin diamond membranes, correlating performance of diamond-based electronics with crystal defect structure, and defect analysis of single crystal silicon carbide. This paper describes our topography system, explains its capabilities, and presents experimental results from several applications.

High resolution, monochromatic x-ray topography capability at CHESS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finkelstein, K. D.; Pauling, A.; Brown, Z.; Jones, R.; Tarun, A.; Misra, D. S.; Jupitz, S.; Sagan, D. C.

2016-01-01

CHESS has a monochromatic x-ray topography capability serving continually expanding user interest. The setup consists of a beam expanding monochromator, 6-circle diffactometer, and CHESS designed CMOS camera with real time sample-alignment capability. This provides rocking curve mapping with angle resolution as small as 2 µradians, spatial resolution to 3 microns, and field of view up to 7mm. Thus far the capability has been applied for: improving CVD-diamond growth, evaluating perfection of ultra-thin diamond membranes, correlating performance of diamond-based electronics with crystal defect structure, and defect analysis of single crystal silicon carbide. This paper describes our topography system, explains its capabilities, and presents experimental results from several applications.

Check Mate! The CERN vs Fermilab Chess Competition

CERN Multimedia

2001-01-01

7,000 kilometers and a 7 hour time difference had no impact upon the enthusiasm that pervaded the chess competition between CERN and Fermilab. In spite of the computer era, one game was played over a real wooden board.  Tomas Davidek and Irwin Gaines took advantage of Irwin's momentary presence at CERN. Several chess servers span the world and they are used by all sorts of people from many walks of life. However in mid-November on freechess.org there was a sudden influx of physicists as CERN and Fermilab faced off in their first online chess match. While technically a competition, the aim of the match was above all a 'friendly' contest between the two sister labs.  Usually, in serious chess competitions, each team plays in its strongest available constellation at the moment of the match.  But both CERN and Fermilab did quite the opposite and made getting all interested players involved the top priority. 'This was all put together for the purpose of having good fun' said Tibor Sim...

Your move: The effect of chess on mathematics test scores.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosholm, Michael; Mikkelsen, Mai Bjørnskov; Gumede, Kamilla

2017-01-01

We analyse the effect of substituting a weekly mathematics lesson in primary school grades 1-3 with a lesson in mathematics based on chess instruction. We use data from the City of Aarhus in Denmark, combining test score data with a comprehensive data set obtained from administrative registers. We use two different methodological approaches to identify and estimate treatment effects and we tend to find positive effects, indicating that knowledge acquired through chess play can be transferred to the domain of mathematics. We also find larger impacts for unhappy children and children who are bored in school, perhaps because chess instruction facilitates learning by providing an alternative approach to mathematics for these children. The results are encouraging and suggest that chess may be an important and effective tool for improving mathematical capacity in young students.

Video-based beam position monitoring at CHESS

Science.gov (United States)

Revesz, Peter; Pauling, Alan; Krawczyk, Thomas; Kelly, Kevin J.

2012-10-01

CHESS has pioneered the development of X-ray Video Beam Position Monitors (VBPMs). Unlike traditional photoelectron beam position monitors that rely on photoelectrons generated by the fringe edges of the X-ray beam, with VBPMs we collect information from the whole cross-section of the X-ray beam. VBPMs can also give real-time shape/size information. We have developed three types of VBPMs: (1) VBPMs based on helium luminescence from the intense white X-ray beam. In this case the CCD camera is viewing the luminescence from the side. (2) VBPMs based on luminescence of a thin (~50 micron) CVD diamond sheet as the white beam passes through it. The CCD camera is placed outside the beam line vacuum and views the diamond fluorescence through a viewport. (3) Scatter-based VBPMs. In this case the white X-ray beam passes through a thin graphite filter or Be window. The scattered X-rays create an image of the beam's footprint on an X-ray sensitive fluorescent screen using a slit placed outside the beam line vacuum. For all VBPMs we use relatively inexpensive 1.3 Mega-pixel CCD cameras connected via USB to a Windows host for image acquisition and analysis. The VBPM host computers are networked and provide live images of the beam and streams of data about the beam position, profile and intensity to CHESS's signal logging system and to the CHESS operator. The operational use of VBPMs showed great advantage over the traditional BPMs by providing direct visual input for the CHESS operator. The VBPM precision in most cases is on the order of ~0.1 micron. On the down side, the data acquisition frequency (50-1000ms) is inferior to the photoelectron based BPMs. In the future with the use of more expensive fast cameras we will be able create VBPMs working in the few hundreds Hz scale.

There Is Time for Calculation in Speed Chess, and Calculation Accuracy Increases With Expertise.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Yu-Hsuan A; Lane, David M

2016-01-01

The recognition-action theory of chess skill holds that expertise in chess is due primarily to the ability to recognize familiar patterns of pieces. Despite its widespread acclaim, empirical evidence for this theory is indirect. One source of indirect evidence is that there is a high correlation between speed chess and standard chess. Assuming that there is little or no time for calculation in speed chess, this high correlation implies that calculation is not the primary factor in standard chess. Two studies were conducted analyzing 100 games of speed chess. In Study 1, we examined the distributions of move times, and the key finding was that players often spent considerable time on a few moves. Moreover, stronger players were more likely than weaker players to do so. Study 2 examined skill differences in calculation by examining poor moves. The stronger players made proportionally fewer blunders (moves that a 2-ply search would have revealed to be errors). Overall, the poor moves made by the weaker players would have required a less extensive search to be revealed as poor moves than the poor moves made by the stronger players. Apparently, the stronger players are searching deeper and more accurately. These results are difficult to reconcile with the view that speed chess does not allow players time to calculate extensively and call into question the assertion that the high correlation between speed chess and standard chess supports recognition-action theory.

Is Chess Just a Game, or Is It a Mirror That Reflects the Child's Inner World?

Science.gov (United States)

Gunes, Gokhan; Tugrul, Belma

2017-01-01

Children learn so many things (rules, science, mathematics, etc.) by the help of the games. Chess is also an enjoyable game for most children. The chess grandmaster Karpov stated that chess is everything--art, science, and sport. However, this raises the questions concerning how children evaluate chess and whether chess reflects the child's inner…

Chess Is Too Easy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bringsjord, Selmer

1998-01-01

Discusses artificial intelligence (AI) and the ideas of strong versus weak AI in relation to chess-playing computers. The concept of creativity is considered, and an attempt to develop a computer program capable of writing short stories is described. (LRW)

Your move: The effect of chess on mathematics test scores

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosholm, Michael; Mikkelsen, Mai Bjørnskov; Gumede, Kamilla Trille

2017-01-01

We analyse the effect of substituting a weekly mathematics lesson in primary school grades 1–3 with a lesson in mathematics based on chess instruction. We use data from the City of Aarhus in Denmark, combining test score data with a comprehensive data set obtained from administrative registers. We...... use two different methodological approaches to identify and estimate treatment effects and we tend to find positive effects, indicating that knowledge acquired through chess play can be transferred to the domain of mathematics. We also find larger impacts for unhappy children and children who...... are bored in school, perhaps because chess instruction facilitates learning by providing an alternative approach to mathematics for these children. The results are encouraging and suggest that chess may be an important and effective tool for improving mathematical capacity in young students....

Your move: The effect of chess on mathematics test scores.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Rosholm

Full Text Available We analyse the effect of substituting a weekly mathematics lesson in primary school grades 1-3 with a lesson in mathematics based on chess instruction. We use data from the City of Aarhus in Denmark, combining test score data with a comprehensive data set obtained from administrative registers. We use two different methodological approaches to identify and estimate treatment effects and we tend to find positive effects, indicating that knowledge acquired through chess play can be transferred to the domain of mathematics. We also find larger impacts for unhappy children and children who are bored in school, perhaps because chess instruction facilitates learning by providing an alternative approach to mathematics for these children. The results are encouraging and suggest that chess may be an important and effective tool for improving mathematical capacity in young students.

The re-flight of the Colorado high-resolution Echelle stellar spectrograph (CHESS): improvements, calibrations, and post-flight results

Science.gov (United States)

Hoadley, Keri; France, Kevin; Kruczek, Nicholas; Fleming, Brian; Nell, Nicholas; Kane, Robert; Swanson, Jack; Green, James; Erickson, Nicholas; Wilson, Jacob

2016-07-01

In this proceeding, we describe the scientific motivation and technical development of the Colorado High- resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (CHESS), focusing on the hardware advancements and testing supporting the second flight of the payload (CHESS-2). CHESS is a far ultraviolet (FUV) rocket-borne instrument designed to study the atomic-to-molecular transitions within translucent cloud regions in the interstellar medium (ISM). CHESS is an objective f/12.4 echelle spectrograph with resolving power > 100,000 over the band pass 1000 - 1600 Å. The spectrograph was designed to employ an R2 echelle grating with "low" line density. We compare the FUV performance of experimental echelle etching processes (lithographically by LightSmyth, Inc. and etching via electron-beam technology by JPL Microdevices Laboratory) with traditional, mechanically-ruled gratings (Bach Research, Inc. and Richardson Gratings). The cross-dispersing grating, developed and ruled by Horiba Jobin-Yvon, is a holographically-ruled, "low" line density, powered optic with a toroidal surface curvature. Both gratings were coated with aluminum and lithium fluoride (Al+LiF) at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). Results from final efficiency and reflectivity measurements for the optical components of CHESS-2 are presented. CHESS-2 utilizes a 40mm-diameter cross-strip anode readout microchannel plate (MCP) detector fabricated by Sensor Sciences, Inc., to achieve high spatial resolution with high count rate capabilities (global rates 1 MHz). We present pre-flight laboratory spectra and calibration results. CHESS-2 launched on 21 February 2016 aboard NASA/CU sounding rocket mission 36.297 UG. We observed the intervening ISM material along the sightline to epsilon Per and present initial characterization of the column densities, temperature, and kinematics of atomic and molecular species in the observation.

The new CHESS wiggler

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finkelstein, K.D.

1992-01-01

A 25-pole permanent magnet hybrid wiggler has been built at CHESS and installed on the CESR (Cornell Electron Storage Ring). This device has a magnetic period of 19.6 cm, a peak on-axis field of 1.2 T at the nominal operating gap of 4.0 cm, and a K parameter of 22. The wiggler has been designed to provide radiation for two new experimental stations with approximately four times the flux available from the present CHESS six-pole electromagnet wiggler. Under normal running conditions at 100 mA currents, the total power radiated should exceed 6 kW making this one of the highest flux x-ray sources below 1 A critical wavelength. In this paper an overview of the development of the wiggler is given, including the unique features in its design and construction as well as results of measurements obtained on its magnetic and spectral properties

Structure constrained by metadata in networks of chess players.

Science.gov (United States)

Almeira, Nahuel; Schaigorodsky, Ana L; Perotti, Juan I; Billoni, Orlando V

2017-11-09

Chess is an emblematic sport that stands out because of its age, popularity and complexity. It has served to study human behavior from the perspective of a wide number of disciplines, from cognitive skills such as memory and learning, to aspects like innovation and decision-making. Given that an extensive documentation of chess games played throughout history is available, it is possible to perform detailed and statistically significant studies about this sport. Here we use one of the most extensive chess databases in the world to construct two networks of chess players. One of the networks includes games that were played over-the-board and the other contains games played on the Internet. We study the main topological characteristics of the networks, such as degree distribution and correlations, transitivity and community structure. We complement the structural analysis by incorporating players' level of play as node metadata. Although both networks are topologically different, we show that in both cases players gather in communities according to their expertise and that an emergent rich-club structure, composed by the top-rated players, is also present.

Microcrystallography, high-pressure cryocooling and BioSAXS at MacCHESS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Englich, Ulrich, E-mail: ue22@cornell.edu; Kriksunov, Irina A. [MacCHESS (Macromolecular Diffraction Facility at CHESS), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Cerione, Richard A. [MacCHESS (Macromolecular Diffraction Facility at CHESS), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Cook, Michael J.; Gillilan, Richard [MacCHESS (Macromolecular Diffraction Facility at CHESS), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Gruner, Sol M. [Field of Biophysics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Physics Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Huang, Qingqui; Kim, Chae Un; Miller, William; Nielsen, Soren; Schuller, David; Smith, Scott; Szebenyi, Doletha M. E. [MacCHESS (Macromolecular Diffraction Facility at CHESS), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States)

2011-01-01

Three research initiatives pursued by the Macromolecular Diffraction Facility at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (MacCHESS) are presented. The Macromolecular Diffraction Facility at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (MacCHESS) is a national research resource supported by the National Center for Research Resources of the US National Institutes of Health. MacCHESS is pursuing several research initiatives designed to benefit both CHESS users and the wider structural biology community. Three initiatives are presented in further detail: microcrystallography, which aims to improve the collection of diffraction data from crystals a few micrometers across, or small well diffracting regions of inhomogeneous crystals, so as to obtain high-resolution structures; pressure cryocooling, which can stabilize transient structures and reduce lattice damage during the cooling process; and BioSAXS (small-angle X-ray scattering on biological solutions), which can extract molecular shape and other structural information from macromolecules in solution.

Use of Biotechnological Devices in the Quantification of Psychophysiological Workload of Professional Chess Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuentes, Juan P; Villafaina, Santos; Collado-Mateo, Daniel; de la Vega, Ricardo; Gusi, Narcis; Clemente-Suárez, Vicente Javier

2018-01-19

Psychophysiological requirements of chess players are poorly understood, and periodization of training is often made without any empirical basis. For this reason, the aim of the present study was to investigate the psychophysiological response and quantify the player internal load during, and after playing a chess game. The participant was an elite 33 year-old male chess player ranked among the 300 best chess players in the world. Thus, cortical arousal by critical flicker fusion threshold, electroencephalogram by the theta Fz/alpha Pz ratio and autonomic modulation by heart rate variability were analyzed. Data revealed that cortical arousal by critical flicker fusion threshold and theta Fz/alpha Pz ratio increased and heart rate variability decreased during chess game. All these changes indicated that internal load increased during the chess game. In addition, pre-activation was detected in pre-game measure, suggesting that the prefrontal cortex might be preparatory activated. For these reasons, electroencephalogram, critical flicker fusion threshold and heart rate variability analysis may be highly applicable tools to control and monitor workload in chess player.

Deliberate practice predicts performance over time in adolescent chess players and drop-outs: a linear mixed models analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

de Bruin, Anique B H; Smits, Niels; Rikers, Remy M J P; Schmidt, Henk G

2008-11-01

In this study, the longitudinal relation between deliberate practice and performance in chess was examined using a linear mixed models analysis. The practice activities and performance ratings of young elite chess players, who were either in, or had dropped out of the Dutch national chess training, were analysed since they had started playing chess seriously. The results revealed that deliberate practice (i.e. serious chess study alone and serious chess play) strongly contributed to chess performance. The influence of deliberate practice was not only observable in current performance, but also over chess players' careers. Moreover, although the drop-outs' chess ratings developed more slowly over time, both the persistent and drop-out chess players benefited to the same extent from investments in deliberate practice. Finally, the effect of gender on chess performance proved to be much smaller than the effect of deliberate practice. This study provides longitudinal support for the monotonic benefits assumption of deliberate practice, by showing that over chess players' careers, deliberate practice has a significant effect on performance, and to the same extent for chess players of different ultimate performance levels. The results of this study are not in line with critique raised against the deliberate practice theory that the factors deliberate practice and talent could be confounded.

The Chess and Mathematics Connection: More than Just a Game

Science.gov (United States)

Berkman, Robert M.

2004-01-01

This article describes connections between chess and mathematics, including examples of activities that connect chess with set theory, patterns, algebra, geometry, combinatorics, and Pascal's triangle. The author observes that competitive games play a dual purpose in advancing the work of mathematics educators: to reinforce a specific skill and to…

Response time distributions in rapid chess: a large-scale decision making experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Sigman, Mariano; Etchemendy, Pablo; Slezak, Diego Fernández; Cecchi, Guillermo A

2010-01-01

Rapid chess provides an unparalleled laboratory to understand decision making in a natural environment. In a chess game, players choose consecutively around 40 moves in a finite time budget. The goodness of each choice can be determined quantitatively since current chess algorithms estimate precisely the value of a position. Web-based chess produces vast amounts of data, millions of decisions per day, incommensurable with traditional psychological experiments. We generated a database of response times (RTs) and position value in rapid chess games. We measured robust emergent statistical observables: (1) RT distributions are long-tailed and show qualitatively distinct forms at different stages of the game, (2) RT of successive moves are highly correlated both for intra- and inter-player moves. These findings have theoretical implications since they deny two basic assumptions of sequential decision making algorithms: RTs are not stationary and can not be generated by a state-function. Our results also have practical implications. First, we characterized the capacity of blunders and score fluctuations to predict a player strength, which is yet an open problem in chess softwares. Second, we show that the winning likelihood can be reliably estimated from a weighted combination of remaining times and position evaluation.

Response time distributions in rapid chess: A large-scale decision making experiment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariano Sigman

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Rapid chess provides an unparalleled laboratory to understand decision making in a natural environment. In a chess game, players choose consecutively around 40 moves in a finite time budget. The goodness of each choice can be determined quantitatively since current chess algorithms estimate precisely the value of a position. Web-based chess produces vast amounts of data, millions of decisions per day, incommensurable with traditional psychological experiments. We generated a database of response times and position value in rapid chess games. We measured robust emergent statistical observables: 1 Response time (RT distributions are long-tailed and show qualitatively distinct forms at different stages of the game, 2 RT of successive moves are highly correlated both for intra- and inter-player moves. These findings have theoretical implications since they deny two basic assumptions of sequential decision making algorithms: RTs are not stationary and can not be generated by a state function. Our results also have practical implications. First, we characterized the capacity of blunders and score fluctuations to predict a player strength, which is yet an open problem in chess softwares. Second, we show that the winning likelihood can be reliably estimated from a weighted combination of remaining times and position evaluation.

Rice pads. Devices to improve the effect of fat suppression of CHESS images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moriya, Susumu; Yokobayashi, Tsuneo; Miki, Yukio

2013-01-01

The chemical shift selective (CHESS) method is often used for fat suppression in magnetic resonance imaging. CHESS has several advantages, including versatility, quick imaging, and applicability to contrast examinations. One disadvantage of CHESS is the lingering fat signal generated as a result of nonuniformity of the static magnetic field. To overcome this drawback, some researchers have used pads made with polished rice (rice pads), a simple method in which rice pads are placed outside the area to be imaged. We describe ways to improve CHESS images, characteristics of the rice pad, its application to imaging, and methods of placing the pad. (author)

Female Chess Players Outperform Expectations When Playing Men.

Science.gov (United States)

Stafford, Tom

2018-03-01

Stereotype threat has been offered as a potential explanation of differential performance between men and women in some cognitive domains. Questions remain about the reliability and generality of the phenomenon. Previous studies have found that stereotype threat is activated in female chess players when they are matched against male players. I used data from over 5.5 million games of international tournament chess and found no evidence of a stereotype-threat effect. In fact, female players outperform expectations when playing men. Further analysis showed no influence of degree of challenge, player age, nor prevalence of female role models in national chess leagues on differences in performance when women play men versus when they play women. Though this analysis contradicts one specific mechanism of influence of gender stereotypes, the persistent differences between male and female players suggest that systematic factors do exist and remain to be uncovered.

Revising superior planning performance in chess players: the impact of time restriction and motivation aspects.

Science.gov (United States)

Unterrainer, Josef Martin; Kaller, Christoph Philipp; Leonhart, Rainer; Rahm, Benjamin

2011-01-01

In a previous study (Unterrainer, Kaller, Halsband, & Rahm, 2006), chess players outperformed non-chess players in the Tower of London planning task but exhibited disproportionately longer processing times. This pattern of results raises the question of whether chess players' planning capabilities are superior or whether the results reflect differences in the speed-accuracy trade-off between the groups, possibly attributable to sports motivation. The present study was designed to disambiguate these alternative suggestions by implementing various constraints on planning time and by assessing self-reported motivation. In contrast to the previous study, chess players' performance was not superior, independently of whether problems had to be solved with (Experiment 1) or without (Experiment 2) time limits. As expected, chess players reported higher overall trait and state motivation scores across both experiments. These findings revise the notion of superior planning performance in chess players. In consequence, they do not conform with the assumption of a general transfer of chess-related planning expertise to other cognitive domains, instead suggesting that superior performance may be possible only under specific circumstances such as receiving competitive instructions.

Based on Short Motion Paths and Artificial Intelligence Method for Chinese Chess Game

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chien-Ming Hung

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The article develops the decision rules to win each set of the Chinese chess game using evaluation algorithm and artificial intelligence method, and uses the mobile robot to be instead of the chess, and presents the movement scenarios using the shortest motion paths for mobile robots. Player can play the Chinese chess game according to the game rules with the supervised computer. The supervised computer decides the optimal motion path to win the set using artificial intelligence method, and controls mobile robots according to the programmed motion paths of the assigned chesses moving on the platform via wireless RF interface. We uses enhance A* searching algorithm to solve the shortest path problem of the assigned chess, and solve the collision problems of the motion paths for two mobile robots moving on the platform simultaneously. We implement a famous set to be called lwild horses run in farmr using the proposed method. First we use simulation method to display the motion paths of the assigned chesses for the player and the supervised computer. Then the supervised computer implements the simulation results on the chessboard platform using mobile robots. Mobile robots move on the chessboard platform according to the programmed motion paths and is guided to move on the centre line of the corridor, and avoid the obstacles (chesses, and detect the cross point of the platform using three reflective IR modules.

The third flight of the Colorado high-resolution echelle stellar spectrograph (CHESS): improvements, calibrations, and preliminary results

Science.gov (United States)

Kruczek, Nicholas; Nell, Nicholas; France, Kevin; Hoadley, Keri; Fleming, Brian; Kane, Robert; Ulrich, Stefan; Egan, Arika; Beatty, Dawson

2017-08-01

In this proceeding, we describe the scientific motivation and technical development of the Colorado HighResolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (CHESS), focusing on the hardware advancements and testing of components for the third launch of the payload (CHESS-3). CHESS is a far ultraviolet rocket-borne instrument designed to study the atomic-to-molecular transitions within translucent cloud regions in the interstellar medium. CHESS is an objective echelle spectrograph, which uses a mechanically-ruled echelle and a powered (f/12.4) crossdispersing grating, and is designed to achieve a resolving power R > 100,000 over the bandpass λλ 1000-1600 Å. Results from final efficiency and reflectivity measurements for the optical components of CHESS-3 are presented. An important role of sounding rocket experiments is the testing and verification of the space flight capabilities of experimental technologies. CHESS-3 utilizes a 40mm-diameter cross-strip anode microchannel plate detector fabricated by Sensor Sciences LLC, capable of achieving high spatial resolution and a high global count rate (˜1 MHz). We present pre-flight laboratory spectra and calibration results, including wavelength solution and resolving power of the instrument. The fourth launch of CHESS (CHESS-4) will demonstrate a δ-doped CCD, assembled in collaboration with the Microdevices Laboratory at JPL and Arizona State University. In support of CHESS-4, the CHESS-3 payload included a photomultiplier tube, used as a secondary confirmation of the optical alignment of the payload during flight. CHESS-3 launched on 26 June 2017 aboard NASA/CU sounding rocket mission 36.323 UG. We present initial flight results for the CHESS-3 observation of the β1 Scorpii sightline.

Does Far Transfer Exist? Negative Evidence From Chess, Music, and Working Memory Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Sala, Giovanni; Gobet, Fernand

2017-12-01

Chess masters and expert musicians appear to be, on average, more intelligent than the general population. Some researchers have thus claimed that playing chess or learning music enhances children's cognitive abilities and academic attainment. We here present two meta-analyses assessing the effect of chess and music instruction on children's cognitive and academic skills. A third meta-analysis evaluated the effects of working memory training-a cognitive skill correlated with music and chess expertise-on the same variables. The results show small to moderate effects. However, the effect sizes are inversely related to the quality of the experimental design (e.g., presence of active control groups). This pattern of results casts serious doubts on the effectiveness of chess, music, and working memory training. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings; extend the debate to other types of training such as spatial training, brain training, and video games; and conclude that far transfer of learning rarely occurs.

User-friendly interfaces for control of crystallographic experiments at CHESS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szebenyi, D. M. E.; Deacon, A.; Ealick, S. E.; LaIuppa, J. M.; Thiel, D. J.

1997-01-01

In designing a system to collect high quality diffraction data in an efficient manner, both hardware and software must be considered. This work focuses on the data collection software used at CHESS, the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron source, with emphasis on the interface between the user and the experimental components. For each type of detector used at CHESS, there is a graphical user interface (GUI) enabling the user to easily set up and run an experiment. For the CCD detector from Area Detector Systems Corp., this is a commercial product from ADSC, customized for CHESS. For the Princeton CCD detectors, a GUI has recently been developed to streamline communication between the user and the TV6 program which controls the detector. For Fuji imaging plates, a new GUI controls operation of the oscillation camera, including the imaging plate carousel; scanning of plates is done using the software provided by Fuji. Although these GUI's are not identical, they have numerous similarities, making it easier for users to learn operation of a new detector. They also incorporate error-checking to avoid problems such as overwriting data files or collecting data with no x-rays. Common to experiments with all detectors is a GUI used for operations such as alignment of the optical table on which the oscillation camera is mounted. Integral to a good data collection system is the capability to process diffraction images, for evaluation of crystal quality, determination of data collection strategy, screening of potential derivatives, and so forth. The mccview graphical front-end has been developed to conveniently initiate processing programs, including preliminary routines (correct, getbeam), main analysis routines (xdisp, denzo, scalepack), and the strategy routine m.simulate

Multiple Wheel Throwing: And Chess Sets.

Science.gov (United States)

Sapiro, Maurice

1978-01-01

A chess set project is suggested to teach multiple throwing, the creation on a potter's wheel of several pieces of similar configuration. Processes and finished sets are illustrated with photographs. (SJL)

Does playing blindfold chess reduce the quality of game: comments on chabris and hearst (2003).

Science.gov (United States)

Jeremic, Veljko; Vukmirovic, Dragan; Radojicic, Zoran

2010-01-01

Blindfold chess is a special type of chess game where both the board and pieces are not visible to its players. This paper aims to determine whether the quality of the game played blindfolded is lower than when played under normal conditions. The best chess program was used to analyze games played by the world's top Grandmasters under both conditions. We have analyzed the Monaco 1993-1998 data set introduced by Chabris and Hearst (2003). The results showed that although a larger number of mistakes occurred while playing blindfolded, no significant statistical difference between the rapid and blindfold games has been found. Nevertheless, by applying the same methodology to the Monaco 2002-2007 data set a substantial difference between the blindfold and the rapid chess game was noticed. In this paper, we have addressed the possible improvement of the chess game quality and the advances in chess programs that may be responsible for detecting more blunders. Copyright © 2009 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

How to Teach Chess in the Public Schools: A Course Outline.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Bernard

Educational objectives and course outlines for beginning, intermediate, and advanced chess instruction in elementary and secondary schools are provided. Objectives are that students will develop analytical, synthetic, and decision-making skills, learn to engage in thorough chess research that will enhance their ability to do any research, and gain…

The temporo-parietal junction contributes to global gestalt perception—evidence from studies in chess experts

Science.gov (United States)

Rennig, Johannes; Bilalić, Merim; Huberle, Elisabeth; Karnath, Hans-Otto; Himmelbach, Marc

2013-01-01

In a recent neuroimaging study the comparison of intact vs. disturbed perception of global gestalt indicated a significant role of the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) in the intact perception of global gestalt (Huberle and Karnath, 2012). This location corresponded well with the areas known to be damaged or impaired in patients with simultanagnosia after stroke or due to neurodegenerative diseases. It was concluded that the TPJ plays an important role in the integration of individual items to a holistic percept. Thus, increased BOLD signals should be found in this region whenever a task calls for the integration of multiple visual items. Behavioral experiments in chess experts suggested that their superior skills in comparison to chess novices are partly based on fast holistic processing of chess positions with multiple pieces. We thus analyzed BOLD data from four fMRI studies that compared chess experts with chess novices during the presentation of complex chess-related visual stimuli (Bilalić et al., 2010, 2011a,b, 2012). Three regions of interests were defined by significant TPJ clusters in the abovementioned study of global gestalt perception (Huberle and Karnath, 2012) and BOLD signal amplitudes in these regions were compared between chess experts and novices. These cross-paradigm ROI analyses revealed higher signals at the TPJ in chess experts in comparison to novices during presentations of complex chess positions. This difference was consistent across the different tasks in five independent experiments. Our results confirm the assumption that the TPJ region identified in previous work on global gestalt perception plays an important role in the processing of complex visual stimulus configurations. PMID:24009574

The temporo-parietal junction contributes to global gestalt perception-evidence from studies in chess experts.

Science.gov (United States)

Rennig, Johannes; Bilalić, Merim; Huberle, Elisabeth; Karnath, Hans-Otto; Himmelbach, Marc

2013-01-01

In a recent neuroimaging study the comparison of intact vs. disturbed perception of global gestalt indicated a significant role of the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) in the intact perception of global gestalt (Huberle and Karnath, 2012). This location corresponded well with the areas known to be damaged or impaired in patients with simultanagnosia after stroke or due to neurodegenerative diseases. It was concluded that the TPJ plays an important role in the integration of individual items to a holistic percept. Thus, increased BOLD signals should be found in this region whenever a task calls for the integration of multiple visual items. Behavioral experiments in chess experts suggested that their superior skills in comparison to chess novices are partly based on fast holistic processing of chess positions with multiple pieces. We thus analyzed BOLD data from four fMRI studies that compared chess experts with chess novices during the presentation of complex chess-related visual stimuli (Bilalić et al., 2010, 2011a,b, 2012). Three regions of interests were defined by significant TPJ clusters in the abovementioned study of global gestalt perception (Huberle and Karnath, 2012) and BOLD signal amplitudes in these regions were compared between chess experts and novices. These cross-paradigm ROI analyses revealed higher signals at the TPJ in chess experts in comparison to novices during presentations of complex chess positions. This difference was consistent across the different tasks in five independent experiments. Our results confirm the assumption that the TPJ region identified in previous work on global gestalt perception plays an important role in the processing of complex visual stimulus configurations.

The Examination Of Preschool Period Children’s Problem Solving Skills According To Their Chess Training Status

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayşe ÇUBUKCU

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to determine whether chess education makes a difference in social problem solving skills of the preschool children or not. Totally 160 samples were reached; including 80 preschool students who had chess education and 80 preschool students who did not have chess education. In order to examine the problem solving skills of the children who had chess education and the ones who did not, “Problem Solving Skills Scale”, which was developed by Oğuz and Koksal-Akyol (2015, was used. In order to examine the problem solving skills of the children who took chess education and the ones who did not, Independent Samples t-Test was used and the findings obtained were interpreted. According to the findings obtained from the research, a significance difference was encountered between the problem solving skills of the children on behalf of the ones who took chess education. This research indicate that chess education affect the problem solving skills of the children in a positive way

Surface Waters Information Management System (SWIMS)

Data.gov (United States)

Kansas Data Access and Support Center — The Surface Waters Information Management System (SWIMS) has been designed to meet multi-agency hydrologic database needs for Kansas. The SWIMS project was supported...

Effects of weather anomalies on the intellectual performance: Chess mistakes of the world top-ranked players

Science.gov (United States)

Mika, J.; Verőci, Zs.; Fülöp, A.; Hirsch, T.; Dúll, A.

2009-04-01

Weather disturbances like fronts, influence human biorhythm, our biological balance becomes manipulated, and adaptation mechanisms are impaired. Our working hypothesis is that even the best chess players of the world are not exceptions from this rule. As their movements on the chess board, as well as the best possible ones, if they missed to make, are already assessed by computers objectively, we can use this game as a model of intellectual performance. By the date of the Abstract edition, 580 wrong chess moves were selected with the threshold of over 1/3 peasant to be lost. I.e. this is the minimum difference between the assessment of the positions after the best possible and the really performed move. (Obviously, all moves both sides in ca. the same number of games were checked, i.e. over 35,000 moves were assessed.) For assessing the moves, the most popular database is MegaDatabase 2006 (ChessBase- Hamburg), Chess Informant Expert from Chess Informant Beograd and the program ChessBase 9.0 together with the engines Fritz 10, Rybka 2.3, Junior 10. First of all the World Chess Champions, Karpov, Kasparov, Kramnik and Anand were examined played in the traditional big chess tournaments, category 19th and more (average rating more the 2701 Elo-points). We further selected the games by the top-ranked players of the world between 2005 and 2008. This selection is explained by the likely fact that they make the less wrong moves for simply the lack of chess understanding, moreover, as full professionals, they allow the minimum of non-weather disturbing circumstances (e.g. imperfect sleeping before the game, etc.). Their moves were selected as (i) very wrong move with more than 3.0 differences, (i.e. unforced loss of a knight, or a bishop, (ii) very weak move with an assessment of 1.0-3.0, (i.e. unforced loss between one peasant and one bishop/knight) and (iii) weak move with less than 1.0 assessment of the passed chance, or unforced loss of less than one peasant. These new

Inhibition of irrelevant information is not necessary to performance of expert chess players.

Science.gov (United States)

Postal, Virginie

2012-08-01

Some studies on expertise have demonstrated that the difference between novices and experts can be partly due to a lack of knowledge about which information is relevant for a given situation. This lack of knowledge seems to be associated with the selection of correct information and with inhibitory processes. However, while the efficiency of inhibitory processes can lead to better performance in the normal population, it seems that experts in chess do not base their performance on this process but rather on an automatic and parallel encoding of information. Two experiments investigated the processes involved in a check detection task. The congruence of the information was manipulated in a Stroop situation similar to Reingold, Charness, Scheltetus, & Stampe (2001). The results showed that the experts did not benefit from cuing with a congruent cue and that they did not show any interference effect by the incongruent cue, contrary to less skilled chess players who benefited from cuing (Exp. 1). An attentional priming procedure confirmed the automatic encoding of chess relations in the more skilled chess players by showing no advantage from the prime in this group (Exp. 2). Taken together, the results indicate that the processing was serial for the less skilled chess players and that it was automatic and parallel for the more expert chess players. The inhibition of irrelevant information does not seem necessary to process information rapidly and efficiently.

Fat suppression with short inversion time inversion-recovery and chemical-shift selective saturation: a dual STIR-CHESS combination prepulse for turbo spin echo pulse sequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanabe, Koji; Nishikawa, Keiichi; Sano, Tsukasa; Sakai, Osamu; Jara, Hernán

2010-05-01

To test a newly developed fat suppression magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prepulse that synergistically uses the principles of fat suppression via inversion recovery (STIR) and spectral fat saturation (CHESS), relative to pure CHESS and STIR. This new technique is termed dual fat suppression (Dual-FS). To determine if Dual-FS could be chemically specific for fat, the phantom consisted of the fat-mimicking NiCl(2) aqueous solution, porcine fat, porcine muscle, and water was imaged with the three fat-suppression techniques. For Dual-FS and STIR, several inversion times were used. Signal intensities of each image obtained with each technique were compared. To determine if Dual-FS could be robust to magnetic field inhomogeneities, the phantom consisting of different NiCl(2) aqueous solutions, porcine fat, porcine muscle, and water was imaged with Dual-FS and CHESS at the several off-resonance frequencies. To compare fat suppression efficiency in vivo, 10 volunteer subjects were also imaged with the three fat-suppression techniques. Dual-FS could suppress fat sufficiently within the inversion time of 110-140 msec, thus enabling differentiation between fat and fat-mimicking aqueous structures. Dual-FS was as robust to magnetic field inhomogeneities as STIR and less vulnerable than CHESS. The same results for fat suppression were obtained in volunteers. The Dual-FS-STIR-CHESS is an alternative and promising fat suppression technique for turbo spin echo MRI. Copyright 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

School-Age Children Talk about Chess: Does Knowledge Drive Syntactic Complexity?

Science.gov (United States)

Nippold, Marilyn A.

2009-01-01

Purpose: This study examined language productivity and syntactic complexity in school-age children in relation to their knowledge of the topic of discussion--the game of chess. Method: Children (N = 32; mean age = 10;11 [years;months]) who played chess volunteered to be interviewed by an adult examiner who had little or no experience playing…

Developing chemometrics with the tools of information sciences (CHESS) - MASIT23

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simula, O.; Corona, F.; Lendasse, A. (Helsinki University of Technology, Adaptive Informatics Research Centre, Espoo (Finland)) (and others)

2008-07-01

In the CHESS project, novel algorithms and variations of existing algorithms are developed for process data analysis, visualization, and monitoring. The algorithms are implemented in a variety of industrial applications under five test cases, including oil production, food production, process monitoring, plastics production, and environmental analysis and forecasting. In the first phase of CHESS, data sets from industrial partners were analyzed. Based on this study, the research partners have created a set of general-purpose information science tools. The emphasis is on real-time implementation of the methods in practical industrial environment. The final implementation of the methods and algorithms in products will be further developed by the small partner companies of CHESS. (orig.)

The temporo-parietal junction contributes to global gestalt perception – evidence from studies in chess experts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johannes eRennig

2013-08-01

Full Text Available In a recent neuroimaging study the comparison of intact versus disturbed perception of global gestalt indicated a significant role of the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ in the intact perception of global gestalt (Huberle and Karnath, 2012. This location corresponded well with the areas known to be damaged or impaired in patients with simultanagnosia after stroke or due to neurodegenerative diseases. It was concluded that the TPJ plays an important role in the integration of individual items to a holistic percept. Thus, increased BOLD signals should be found in this region whenever a task calls for the integration of multiple visual items. Behavioral experiments in chess experts suggested that their superior skills in comparison to chess novices are partly based on fast holistic processing of chess positions with multiple pieces. We thus analyzed BOLD data from four fMRI studies that compared chess experts with chess novices during the presentation of complex chess-related visual stimuli (Bilalić et al., 2011a, 2010, 2011b, 2012. Three regions of interests were defined by significant TPJ clusters in the abovementioned study of global gestalt perception (Huberle and Karnath, 2012 and BOLD signal amplitudes in these regions were compared between chess experts and novices. These cross-paradigm ROI analyses revealed higher signals at the TPJ in chess experts in comparison to novices during presentations of complex chess positions. This difference was consistent across the different tasks in five independent experiments. Our results confirm the assumption that the TPJ region identified in previous work on global gestalt perception plays an important role in the processing of complex visual stimulus configurations.

The Role of Domain-Specific Practice, Handedness, and Starting Age in Chess

Science.gov (United States)

Gobet, Fernand; Campitelli, Guillermo

2007-01-01

The respective roles of the environment and innate talent have been a recurrent question for research into expertise. The authors investigated markers of talent, environment, and critical period for the acquisition of expert performance in chess. Argentinian chess players (N = 104), ranging from weak amateurs to grandmasters, completed a…

Fat suppression at 2D MR imaging of the hands: Dixon method versus CHESS technique and STIR sequence.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirchgesner, Thomas; Perlepe, Vasiliki; Michoux, Nicolas; Larbi, Ahmed; Vande Berg, Bruno

2017-04-01

To compare the effectiveness of fat suppression and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the Dixon method with those of the CHESS (Chemical Shift-Selective) technique and STIR (Short Tau Inversion Recovery) sequence in hands of normal subjects at 2D MR imaging. 14 healthy volunteers (mean age of 29.4 years) consented to have both hands prospectively imaged with SE T1 Dixon, T1 CHESS, T2 Dixon, T2 CHESS and STIR sequences in a 1.5T MR scanner. Three radiologists scored the effectiveness of fat suppression in bone marrow (EFS BM ) and soft tissues (EFS ST ) in 20 joints per subject. One radiologist measured the SNR in 10 bones per subject. Statistical analysis used two-way ANOVA with random effects, paired t-test and observed agreement to assess differences in effectiveness of fat suppression, differences in SNR and inter-observer agreement. EFS BM was statistically significantly higher for T1 Dixon than for T1 CHESS and for T2 Dixon than for T2 CHESS (pCHESS and for T2 Dixon than for STIR (pCHESS (pCHESS technique at 2D T1-weighted MR imaging of the hands. At T2-weighted MR imaging, fat suppression is more effective with the Dixon method while SNR is higher with the CHESS technique. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cognitive Effects of Chess Instruction on Students at Risk for Academic Failure

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Saahoon; Bart, William M.

2007-01-01

Cognitive effects of chess instruction on students at risk for academic failure was examined. Thirty-eight students, from three elementary schools, participated in this study. The experimental group received a ninety-minute chess lesson once per week over a three-month period; and the control group students regularly attended school activities…

Deliberate practice predicts performance throughout time in adolescent chess players and dropouts: A linear mixed models analysis.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Bruin, A.B.H.; Smits, N.; Rikers, R.M.J.P.; Schmidt, H.G.

2008-01-01

In this study, the longitudinal relation between deliberate practice and performance in chess was examined using a linear mixed models analysis. The practice activities and performance ratings of young elite chess players, who were either in, or had dropped out of the Dutch national chess training,

A comparative quantitative analysis of the IDEAL (iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation) and the CHESS (chemical shift selection suppression) techniques in 3.0 T L-spine MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Eng-Chan; Cho, Jae-Hwan; Kim, Min-Hye; Kim, Ki-Hong; Choi, Cheon-Woong; Seok, Jong-min; Na, Kil-Ju; Han, Man-Seok

2013-03-01

This study was conducted on 20 patients who had undergone pedicle screw fixation between March and December 2010 to quantitatively compare a conventional fat suppression technique, CHESS (chemical shift selection suppression), and a new technique, IDEAL (iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least squares estimation). The general efficacy and usefulness of the IDEAL technique was also evaluated. Fat-suppressed transverse-relaxation-weighed images and longitudinal-relaxation-weighted images were obtained before and after contrast injection by using these two techniques with a 1.5T MR (magnetic resonance) scanner. The obtained images were analyzed for image distortion, susceptibility artifacts and homogenous fat removal in the target region. The results showed that the image distortion due to the susceptibility artifacts caused by implanted metal was lower in the images obtained using the IDEAL technique compared to those obtained using the CHESS technique. The results of a qualitative analysis also showed that compared to the CHESS technique, fewer susceptibility artifacts and more homogenous fat removal were found in the images obtained using the IDEAL technique in a comparative image evaluation of the axial plane images before and after contrast injection. In summary, compared to the CHESS technique, the IDEAL technique showed a lower occurrence of susceptibility artifacts caused by metal and lower image distortion. In addition, more homogenous fat removal was shown in the IDEAL technique.

Development of a health-related website for parents of children receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplant: HSCT-CHESS.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayer, Deborah K; Ratichek, S; Berhe, H; Stewart, S; McTavish, F; Gustafson, D; Parsons, S K

2010-03-01

Parents of pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) play a pivotal role in the care of their child during and after transplant. In addition to the child's comforter, parents also serve as care coordinators and conduits of communication between various health care providers, family and community members. The stress on the parent and family is enormous during this process, which for many is compounded by geographic dislocation to accompany their child during the rigorous treatment and recovery process. For many parents, their own recovery spans months to years. Parental activation, a process of becoming informed to participate in decisions, collaborate with health care providers, and manage care provided the conceptual framework to develop an eHealth approach for this population. HSCT-CHESS was developed, based on previous success with an existing eHealth system of integrated services, the Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System (CHESS). CHESS(TM) is designed to help individuals and families cope with a health crisis or medical concern. The iterative user-centered development process for HSCT-CHESS included parents of HSCT recipients, representatives from an HSCT Advocacy Group, and members of the clinical, research, development and design teams. This rigorous process, including online focus groups and surveys, utilization of a parental user group, and an editorial and development process are described. As the population of cancer survivors and caregivers increase and as the oncology workforce becomes more stretched; developing eHealth applications may be an approach to address many of caregivers unmet needs. The purpose in describing this process is to help others when considering such an endeavor. HSCT-CHESS is now being tested in a randomized controlled trial versus standard care to evaluate its impact on the quality of life of both the parent and child HSCT recipient.

The beginnings of women in the practice of chess in Spain (1922-1935

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jordi Brasó Rius

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Early feminist movements in different fields won’t appear until the end of nineteenth century. One of these fields is sport, which includes chess: the object of study of this article. Using a methodology based on hermeneutic analysis of the principal information sources, it is possible to conclude that the introduction of women in chess associations toke place in the middle of the nineteenth century in England. In Spain, Barcelona led this practice. Spanish chess societies include women at the beginnings of Twentieth century, but it was not until the thirties when significant female movements appear in this sport.

The Behavior of Warm Molecules in Planet-forming Disks and CHESS: a Pathfinder UV Spectrograph for the LUVOIR Surveyor

Science.gov (United States)

Hoadley, Keri; France, Kevin

2017-01-01

Understanding the evolution of gas over the lifetime of protoplanetary disks provides us with important clues about how planet formation mechanisms drive the diversity of exoplanetary systems observed to date. In the first part of my talk, I will discuss how we use emission line observations of molecular hydrogen (H2) in the far-ultraviolet (far-UV) with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope to study the warm molecular regions (a CHESS), built as a demonstration of one component of the LUVOIR spectrograph and new technological improvements to UV optical components for the next generation of near- to far-UV astrophysical observatories. CHESS is a far-UV sounding rocket experiment designed to probe the warm and cool atoms and molecules near sites of recent star formation in the local interstellar medium. I will talk about the science goals, design, research and development (R&D) components, and calibration of the CHESS instrument. I will end by presenting the initial data reduction and results of the flight observations taken during the second launch of CHESS.

Fat suppression at 2D MR imaging of the hands: Dixon method versus CHESS technique and STIR sequence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirchgesner, Thomas; Perlepe, Vasiliki; Michoux, Nicolas; Larbi, Ahmed; Vande Berg, Bruno

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Dixon yields effective fat suppression at 2D MRI of the hands. • CHESS fat suppression is less effective especially in the coronal plane. • SNR is higher with Dixon than with CHESS at T1-weighted MR imaging. • SNR is higher with CHESS than with Dixon and STIR at T2-weighted MR imaging. - Abstract: Objective: To compare the effectiveness of fat suppression and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the Dixon method with those of the CHESS (Chemical Shift-Selective) technique and STIR (Short Tau Inversion Recovery) sequence in hands of normal subjects at 2D MR imaging. Material and methods: 14 healthy volunteers (mean age of 29.4 years) consented to have both hands prospectively imaged with SE T1 Dixon, T1 CHESS, T2 Dixon, T2 CHESS and STIR sequences in a 1.5T MR scanner. Three radiologists scored the effectiveness of fat suppression in bone marrow (EFS BM ) and soft tissues (EFS ST ) in 20 joints per subject. One radiologist measured the SNR in 10 bones per subject. Statistical analysis used two-way ANOVA with random effects, paired t-test and observed agreement to assess differences in effectiveness of fat suppression, differences in SNR and inter-observer agreement. Results: EFS BM was statistically significantly higher for T1 Dixon than for T1 CHESS and for T2 Dixon than for T2 CHESS (p < 0.0001). EFS BM was significantly higher for T2 Dixon than for STIR in the coronal plane (p = 0.0020). The SNR was significantly higher for T1 Dixon than for T1 CHESS and for T2 Dixon than for STIR (p < 0.0001). The SNR was significantly lower for T2 Dixon than for T2 CHESS (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: The Dixon method yields more effective fat suppression and higher SNR than the CHESS technique at 2D T1-weighted MR imaging of the hands. At T2-weighted MR imaging, fat suppression is more effective with the Dixon method while SNR is higher with the CHESS technique.

Fat suppression at 2D MR imaging of the hands: Dixon method versus CHESS technique and STIR sequence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kirchgesner, Thomas, E-mail: Thomas.Kirchgesner@uclouvain.be; Perlepe, Vasiliki, E-mail: Vasiliki.Perlepe@uclouvain.be; Michoux, Nicolas, E-mail: Nicolas.Michoux@uclouvain.be; Larbi, Ahmed, E-mail: Ahmed.Larbi@chu-nimes.fr; Vande Berg, Bruno, E-mail: Bruno.VandeBerg@uclouvain.be

2017-04-15

Highlights: • Dixon yields effective fat suppression at 2D MRI of the hands. • CHESS fat suppression is less effective especially in the coronal plane. • SNR is higher with Dixon than with CHESS at T1-weighted MR imaging. • SNR is higher with CHESS than with Dixon and STIR at T2-weighted MR imaging. - Abstract: Objective: To compare the effectiveness of fat suppression and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the Dixon method with those of the CHESS (Chemical Shift-Selective) technique and STIR (Short Tau Inversion Recovery) sequence in hands of normal subjects at 2D MR imaging. Material and methods: 14 healthy volunteers (mean age of 29.4 years) consented to have both hands prospectively imaged with SE T1 Dixon, T1 CHESS, T2 Dixon, T2 CHESS and STIR sequences in a 1.5T MR scanner. Three radiologists scored the effectiveness of fat suppression in bone marrow (EFS{sup BM}) and soft tissues (EFS{sup ST}) in 20 joints per subject. One radiologist measured the SNR in 10 bones per subject. Statistical analysis used two-way ANOVA with random effects, paired t-test and observed agreement to assess differences in effectiveness of fat suppression, differences in SNR and inter-observer agreement. Results: EFS{sup BM} was statistically significantly higher for T1 Dixon than for T1 CHESS and for T2 Dixon than for T2 CHESS (p < 0.0001). EFS{sup BM} was significantly higher for T2 Dixon than for STIR in the coronal plane (p = 0.0020). The SNR was significantly higher for T1 Dixon than for T1 CHESS and for T2 Dixon than for STIR (p < 0.0001). The SNR was significantly lower for T2 Dixon than for T2 CHESS (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: The Dixon method yields more effective fat suppression and higher SNR than the CHESS technique at 2D T1-weighted MR imaging of the hands. At T2-weighted MR imaging, fat suppression is more effective with the Dixon method while SNR is higher with the CHESS technique.

Flour pads: devices to improve CHESS fat suppression.

Science.gov (United States)

Moriya, Susumu; Miki, Yukio; Miyati, Tosiaki; Kanagaki, Mitsunori; Yokobayashi, Tsuneo

2014-01-01

We compared the suppression of lingering fat signals in chemical shift selective (CHESS) images by pads filled with flour and pads filled with rice in a phantom and human subjects. First, we prepared a phantom by creating an empty space in a mass of lard and filling the space with air, rice, or flour. Then, we obtained MR images of the phantoms in the center of the magnetic field and at a position 8 cm to the left (off-center) to compare lingering fat signals. MR images of the knee were obtained in 10 healthy volunteers using CHESS after placing a polyurethane sponge pillow, rice pad, or flour pad in the popliteal space under the flexed knee. We visually assessed the number of areas with lingering fat signals and the statistical differences among the groups were assessed using Tukey's test. Similarly to rice, flour clearly decreased lingering fat signals in the phantom study. A similar effect was obtained in the off-center images. In the volunteer study, the mean number of areas with lingering fat signals was 2.5 with a sponge pillow, 0.5 with the rice pad, and 0.3 with the flour pad. Those numbers were significantly different using flour pad and rice pad compared with sponge pillow (P CHESS images.

Strategy and Sociability: The Mind, the Body, and the Soul of Chess

Science.gov (United States)

Fine, Gary Alan

2014-01-01

Chess is a game of minds, bodies, and emotions. Most players recognize each of these as essential to playful competition, and all three are embedded in social relations. Thus chess, despite its reputation as a game of the mind, is not only a deeply thoughtful exercise, but also a test of physical endurance and strong emotions in its joys and…

Improving International-Level Chess Players' Performance with an Acceptance-Based Protocol: Preliminary Findings

Science.gov (United States)

Ruiz, Francisco J.; Luciano, Carmen

2012-01-01

This study compared an individual, 4-hr intervention based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) versus a no-contact control condition in improving the performance of international-level chess players. Five participants received the brief ACT protocol, with each matched to another chess player with similar characteristics in the control…

The assembly, calibration, and preliminary results from the Colorado high-resolution Echelle stellar spectrograph (CHESS)

Science.gov (United States)

Hoadley, Keri; France, Kevin; Nell, Nicholas; Kane, Robert; Schultz, Ted; Beasley, Matthew; Green, James; Kulow, Jen; Kersgaard, Eliot; Fleming, Brian

2014-07-01

The Colorado High-resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (CHESS) is a far ultraviolet (FUV) rocket-borne experiment designed to study the atomic-to-molecular transitions within translucent interstellar clouds. CHESS is an objective echelle spectrograph operating at f/12.4 and resolving power of 120,000 over a band pass of 100 - 160 nm. The echelle flight grating is the product of a research and development project with LightSmyth Inc. and was coated at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) with Al+LiF. It has an empirically-determined groove density of 71.67 grooves/mm. At the Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy (CASA) at the University of Colorado (CU), we measured the efficiencies of the peak and adjacent dispersion orders throughout the 90 - 165 nm band pass to characterize the behavior of the grating for pre-flight calibrations and to assess the scattered-light behavior. The crossdispersing grating, developed and ruled by Horiba Jobin-Yvon, is a holographically-ruled, low line density (351 grooves/mm), powered optic with a toroidal surface curvature. The CHESS cross-disperser was also coated at GSFC; Cr+Al+LiF was deposited to enhance far-UV efficiency. Results from final efficiency and reflectivity measurements of both optics are presented. We utilize a cross-strip anode microchannel plate (MCP) detector built by Sensor Sciences to achieve high resolution (25 μm spatial resolution) and data collection rates (~ 106 photons/second) over a large format (40mm round, digitized to 8k x 8k) for the first time in an astronomical sounding rocket flight. The CHESS instrument was successfully launched from White Sands Missile Range on 24 May 2014. We present pre-flight sensitivity, effective area calculations, lab spectra and calibration results, and touch on first results and post-flight calibration plans.

Comparison of the effects of the CHESS sequence and the SPAIR sequence for fat saturation

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Kyung-Rae; Goo, Eun-Hoe; Kweon, Dae-Cheol; Chung, Woon-Kwan; Lee, Jong-Woong

2013-06-01

This study compared the abilities of the chemical-shift selective saturation(CHESS) and the spectrally-adiabatic inversion recovery (SPAIR) fat-saturation techniques to resolve the recent problems in fat saturation caused by areas of changing volume such as the head and the neck and by metal artifacts when T1 fat-saturation techniques representing the anatomical images and T2 fat-saturation techniques representing pathological images are used. To compare the abilities of CHESS and SPAIR, we acquired images of the head and the neck and of the pelvis, and we compared the contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) and the signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of the signals from the flexed body parts. Images were taken of the abdomens, heads and necks, and pelvises of 15 men and 15 women (30 in total). In all scanning techniques, the SNRs and the CNRs were calculated based on a quantitative analysis method with a view to obtaining uniform data. According to the study results, the CNRs of the SPAIR and the CHESS techniques for the pelvis in the T1-weighted image were 55.10 and 67.23, respectively. The SNRs of the SPAIR technique were70.61 for muscle and 15.50 for fat whereas the SNRs of the CHESS technique were 79.23 for muscle and 12.00 for fat. For the pelvis in the T2-weighted image, the CNRs of the SPAIR and the CHESS technique were 12.50 and 16.66, respectively. The SNRs of the SPAIR technique were 16.98 for muscle and 5.14 for fat. In contrast, the SNRs of the CHESS technique were 27.90 for muscle and 11.23 for fat. Consequently, the signal intensity was higher in the CHESS than in the SPAIR technique. Nevertheless, with regard to the clinical usefulness, the image quality was higher in the SPAIR technique than in the CHESS technique.

The CHESS survey of the L1157-B1 bow-shock: Dissecting the water content

Science.gov (United States)

Busquet, Gemma; Lefloch, Bertrand; Benedettini, Milena; Ceccarelli, Cecilia; Codella, Claudio; Cabrit, Sylvie; Nisini, Brunella; Viti, Serena; Gómez-Ruiz, Arturo; Gusdorf, Antoine; Di Giorgio, Anna Maria; Wiesenfeld, Laurent

2013-07-01

Molecular outflows powered by young protostars strongly affect the kinematics and chemistry of the natal molecular cloud through strong shocks, resulting in an increase of the abundance of several species. In particular, water is a powerful tracer of shocked material due to its sensitivity to both physical conditions and chemical processes. The observations of the "Chemical Herschel Survey of Star forming regions" (CHESS) key program towards the shock region L1157-B1 offered a unique and comprehensive view of the water emission in a typical protostellar bow shock across the submillimeter and far-infrared window. A grand total of 13 water lines have been detected with the PACS and HIFI instruments, probing a wide range of excitation conditions and providing us with a detailed picture on both the kinematics and the spatial distribution of water emission. Several gas components have been identified coexisting in the L1157-B1 shock region. Large Velocity Gradient (LVG) analysis reveals that these components have different excitation conditions: i) a warm (T~250 K) and dense (n(H2)~10^6 cm-3) gas component seen also with the CO lines and associated with the partly dissociative shock produced by the impact of the protostellar jet against the bow shock; ii) a compact (size~5''), hot (T~700 K), and less dense (n(H2)~10^4 cm-3) gas component, and iii) an extended component associated with the B1 outflow cavity. These three components present clear differences in terms of water enrichment. Finally, we confront the physical and chemical properties of the H2O emission to the predictions of current shock models.

Foulant characteristics comparison in recycling cooling water system makeup by municipal reclaimed water and surface water in power plant.

Science.gov (United States)

Ping, Xu; Jing, Wang; Yajun, Zhang; Jie, Wang; Shuai, Si

2015-01-01

Due to water shortage, municipal reclaimed water rather than surface water was replenished into recycling cooling water system in power plants in some cities in China. In order to understand the effects of the measure on carbon steel corrosion, characteristics of two kinds of foulant produced in different systems were studied in the paper. Differences between municipal reclaimed water and surface water were analyzed firstly. Then, the weight and the morphology of two kinds of foulant were compared. Moreover, other characteristics including the total number of bacteria, sulfate reducing bacteria, iron bacteria, extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), protein (PN), and polysaccharide (PS) in foulant were analyzed. Based on results, it could be concluded that microbial and corrosive risk would be increased when the system replenished by municipal reclaimed water instead of surface water.

Upgrades and expansion of the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, Jeffrey A.

2000-01-01

The Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) is a user-oriented National Facility that provides state-of-the-art synchrotron radiation facilities to scientists worldwide. With major new funding in 1999, we now have 5 ongoing upgrade and expansion projects: 1) a new building addition that will house a new wiggler beamline (CHESS G-line) with three new experimental stations; 2) a new more powerful wiggler source for both A and G beamlines; 3) an upgrade to the A-line optics for better heat load handling and focussing; 4) a rebuild of the F-cave optics room with new optics to handle higher machine current; and 5) a renovation to the user laboratory space surrounding the F1 and F2 crystallography stations. We expect these upgrades and a new G line Cornell faculty collaborating group to raise the level of excitement and productivity at CHESS for many years to come

Chlorine stress mediates microbial surface attachment in drinking water systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Li; Le, Yang; Jin, Juliang; Zhou, Yuliang; Chen, Guowei

2015-03-01

Microbial attachment to drinking water pipe surfaces facilitates pathogen survival and deteriorates disinfection performance, directly threatening the safety of drinking water. Notwithstanding that the formation of biofilm has been studied for decades, the underlying mechanisms for the origins of microbial surface attachment in biofilm development in drinking water pipelines remain largely elusive. We combined experimental and mathematical methods to investigate the role of environmental stress-mediated cell motility on microbial surface attachment in chlorination-stressed drinking water distribution systems. Results show that at low levels of disinfectant (0.0-1.0 mg/L), the presence of chlorine promotes initiation of microbial surface attachment, while higher amounts of disinfectant (>1.0 mg/L) inhibit microbial attachment. The proposed mathematical model further demonstrates that chlorination stress (0.0-5.0 mg/L)-mediated microbial cell motility regulates the frequency of cell-wall collision and thereby controls initial microbial surface attachment. The results reveal that transport processes and decay patterns of chlorine in drinking water pipelines regulate microbial cell motility and, thus, control initial surface cell attachment. It provides a mechanistic understanding of microbial attachment shaped by environmental disinfection stress and leads to new insights into microbial safety protocols in water distribution systems.

Memory for Chess Positions: Resistance to Interference

Science.gov (United States)

Charness, Neil

1976-01-01

An information processing model, Memory-Aided Pattern Perceiver (MAPP), that simulates the recall of briefly presented chess positions, was subjected to a test of its assumption that such positions are encoded and stored as chunks in short-term memory. (Editor)

'Checkmating HIV&AIDS': Using chess to break the silence in the classroom.

Science.gov (United States)

Esau, Omar

2012-12-01

In this article, I give an account of my 'Checkmating HIV&AIDS' action research project, which was an attempt to break the 'culture of silence' concerning HIV&AIDS and sex and sexuality in my classroom. In this project, I focused specifically on one code of sport, namely chess, and I point out and discuss the potential of using chess as an educational tool in addressing HIV&AIDS. It was found that learners enjoy playing chess and that it can be used in the Life Orientation classroom to promote HIV&AIDS awareness. This type of alternative awareness is relevant as learners in most schools were becoming fatigued by HIV&AIDS information overload. The project portrays the role of the teacher as a researcher and critical change agent in an HIV&AIDS-challenged society.

Does Chess Training Affect Conceptual Development of Six-Year-Old Children in Turkey?

Science.gov (United States)

Sigirtmac, Ayperi Dikici

2012-01-01

Many studies propose that chess is a game requiring cognitive skills and has positive effects on mental development. In recent years, chess training has also been emphasised as important during the early childhood period. However, no studies have been done with six-year-old children. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not…

Relative Age Effects in a Cognitive Task: A Case Study of Youth Chess

Science.gov (United States)

Helsen, Werner F.; Baker, Joseph; Schorer, Joerg; Steingröver, Christina; Wattie, Nick; Starkes, Janet L.

2016-01-01

The relative age effect (RAE) has been demonstrated in many youth and professional sports. In this study, we hypothesized that there would also be a RAE among youth chess players who are typically involved in a complex cognitive task without significant physical requirements. While typical RAEs have been observed in adult chess players, in this…

Move-by-move dynamics of the advantage in chess matches reveals population-level learning of the game.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haroldo V Ribeiro

Full Text Available The complexity of chess matches has attracted broad interest since its invention. This complexity and the availability of large number of recorded matches make chess an ideal model systems for the study of population-level learning of a complex system. We systematically investigate the move-by-move dynamics of the white player's advantage from over seventy thousand high level chess matches spanning over 150 years. We find that the average advantage of the white player is positive and that it has been increasing over time. Currently, the average advantage of the white player is 0.17 pawns but it is exponentially approaching a value of 0.23 pawns with a characteristic time scale of 67 years. We also study the diffusion of the move dependence of the white player's advantage and find that it is non-Gaussian, has long-ranged anti-correlations and that after an initial period with no diffusion it becomes super-diffusive. We find that the duration of the non-diffusive period, corresponding to the opening stage of a match, is increasing in length and exponentially approaching a value of 15.6 moves with a characteristic time scale of 130 years. We interpret these two trends as a resulting from learning of the features of the game. Additionally, we find that the exponent [Formula: see text] characterizing the super-diffusive regime is increasing toward a value of 1.9, close to the ballistic regime. We suggest that this trend is due to the increased broadening of the range of abilities of chess players participating in major tournaments.

Move-by-move dynamics of the advantage in chess matches reveals population-level learning of the game.

Science.gov (United States)

Ribeiro, Haroldo V; Mendes, Renio S; Lenzi, Ervin K; del Castillo-Mussot, Marcelo; Amaral, Luís A N

2013-01-01

The complexity of chess matches has attracted broad interest since its invention. This complexity and the availability of large number of recorded matches make chess an ideal model systems for the study of population-level learning of a complex system. We systematically investigate the move-by-move dynamics of the white player's advantage from over seventy thousand high level chess matches spanning over 150 years. We find that the average advantage of the white player is positive and that it has been increasing over time. Currently, the average advantage of the white player is 0.17 pawns but it is exponentially approaching a value of 0.23 pawns with a characteristic time scale of 67 years. We also study the diffusion of the move dependence of the white player's advantage and find that it is non-Gaussian, has long-ranged anti-correlations and that after an initial period with no diffusion it becomes super-diffusive. We find that the duration of the non-diffusive period, corresponding to the opening stage of a match, is increasing in length and exponentially approaching a value of 15.6 moves with a characteristic time scale of 130 years. We interpret these two trends as a resulting from learning of the features of the game. Additionally, we find that the exponent [Formula: see text] characterizing the super-diffusive regime is increasing toward a value of 1.9, close to the ballistic regime. We suggest that this trend is due to the increased broadening of the range of abilities of chess players participating in major tournaments.

The third flight of CHESS: Preliminary analysis of interstellar H2 on the β1 Sco sightline

Science.gov (United States)

Kruczek, Nick; France, Kevin

2018-01-01

We describe the scientific motivation and technical development of the Colorado High-resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (CHESS), focusing on the preliminary science results for the third launch of the payload (CHESS-3). CHESS is a far ultraviolet rocket-borne instrument designed to study the atomic-to-molecular transitions within translucent cloud regions in the interstellar medium. CHESS is an objective echelle spectrograph, which uses a mechanically-ruled echelle and a powered (f/12.4) cross-dispersing grating, and is designed to achieve a resolving power R > 100,000 over the band pass λλ 1000-1600 Å. CHESS-3 launched on 14 June 2017 aboard NASA/CU sounding rocket mission 36.323 UG. The target for the flight was β1 Sco, a B1V star with a sightline that is likely sampling translucent material. We present flight results of interstellar molecular hydrogen excitation, including initial measurements of the column density and temperature, on the sightline.

An Investigation on the Effectiveness of Chess Training on Creativity and Theory of Mind Development at Early Childhood

Science.gov (United States)

Sigirtmac, Ayperi Dikici

2016-01-01

In recent years, chess training is offered as a compulsory elective course in some pre-schools, whereas it is not offered in some other pre-schools. There are children who attend chess clubs outside of schools. Chess is considered to be a game of intelligence, and its effects on individuals have been the subject of many researches. This study was…

Simulation and analysis on thermodynamic performance of surface water source heat pump system

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Nan Lv; Qing Zhang; Zhenqian Chen; Dongsheng Wu

2017-01-01

This work established a thermodynamic performance model of a heat pump system containing a heat pump unit model, an air conditioning cooling and heating load calculation model, a heat exchanger model and a water pump performance model based on mass and energy balances. The thermodynamic performance of a surface water source heat pump air conditioning system was simulated and verified by comparing the simulation results to an actual engineering project. In addition, the effects of the surface water temperature, heat exchanger structure and surface water pipeline transportation system on the thermodynamic performance of the heat pump air conditioning system were analyzed. Under the simulated conditions in this paper with a cooling load of 3400 kW, the results showed that a 1 ℃ decrease in the surface water temperature leads to a 2.3 percent increase in the coefficient of performance; furthermore, an additional 100 m of length for the closed-loop surface water heat exchanger tube leads to a 0.08 percent increase in the coefficient of performance. To decrease the system energy consumption, the optimal working point should be specified according to the surface water transportation length.

QEEG-based neural correlates of decision making in a well-trained eight year-old chess player.

Science.gov (United States)

Alipour, Abolfazl; Seifzadeh, Sahar; Aligholi, Hadi; Nami, Mohammad

2017-10-25

The neurocognitive substrates of decision making (DM) in the context of chess has appealed to researchers' interest for decades. Expert and beginner chess players are hypothesized to employ different brain functional networks when involved in episodes of critical DM upon chess. Cognitive capacities including, but not restricted to pattern recognition, visuospatial search, reasoning, planning and DM are perhaps the key determinants of rewarding and judgmental decisions in chess. Meanwhile, the precise neural correlates of DM in this context has largely remained elusive. The quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) is an investigation tool possessing a proper temporal resolution in the study of neural correlates of cognitive tasks at cortical level. Here, we used a 22-channel EEG setup and digital polygraphy in a well-trained 8 year-old boy while engaged in playing chess against the computer. Quantitative analyses were done to map and source-localize the EEG signals. Our analyses indicated a lower power spectral density (PSD) for higher frequency bands in the right hemisphere upon DM-related epochs. Moreover, the information flow upon DM blocks in this particular case was more of posterior towards anterior brain regions.

"Chess-board pattern" spatial modulation of magnetization. Assessment of myocardial function

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, C

1992-01-01

. Through spatial modulation of the magnetization the entire image can be labeled in different patterns. Two new pulse sequences are presented, giving a chess-board like spatial modulation. These pulse sequences have several advantages compared with the previously published methods, as the modulation time...... is half that required to obtain a 2-dimensional grid, the area in the image with high signal intensity was significantly larger, and the radiofrequency power deposition was substantially decreased. By labeling the heart at diastole the chess-board pattern tagging of the heart wall could be followed...

Reduced caudate volume and enhanced striatal-DMN integration in chess experts.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Xujun; He, Sheng; Liao, Wei; Liang, Dongmei; Qiu, Lihua; Wei, Luqing; Li, Yuan; Liu, Chengyi; Gong, Qiyong; Chen, Huafu

2012-04-02

The superior capability of chess experts largely depends on quick automatic processing skills which are considered to be mediated by the caudate nucleus. We asked whether continued practice or rehearsal of the skill over a long period of time can lead to structural changes in this region. We found that, comparing to novice controls, grandmaster and master level Chinese chess players (GM/Ms), who had a mean period of over 10years of tournament and training practice, exhibited significant smaller gray-matter volume in the bilateral caudate nuclei. When these regions were used as seeds in functional connectivity analysis in resting-state fMRI, significantly enhanced integration was found in GM/Ms between the caudate and the default mode network (DMN), a constellation of brain areas important for goal-directed cognitive performance and theory of mind. These findings demonstrate the structural changes in the caudate nucleus in response to its extensive engagement in chess problem solving, and its enhanced functional integration with widely distributed circuitry to better support high-level cognitive control of behavior. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantum Chess: Making Quantum Phenomena Accessible

Science.gov (United States)

Cantwell, Christopher

Quantum phenomena have remained largely inaccessible to the general public. There tends to be a scare factor associated with the word ``Quantum''. This is in large part due to the alien nature of phenomena such as superposition and entanglement. However, Quantum Computing is a very active area of research and one day we will have games that run on those quantum computers. Quantum phenomena such as superposition and entanglement will seem as normal as gravity. Is it possible to create such games today? Can we make games that are built on top of a realistic quantum simulation and introduce players of any background to quantum concepts in a fun and mentally stimulating way? One of the difficulties with any quantum simulation run on a classical computer is that the Hilbert space grows exponentially, making simulations of an appreciable size physically impossible due largely to memory restrictions. Here we will discuss the conception and development of Quantum Chess, and how to overcome some of the difficulties faced. We can then ask the question, ``What's next?'' What are some of the difficulties Quantum Chess still faces, and what is the future of quantum games?

Does chess instruction improve mathematical problem-solving ability? Two experimental studies with an active control group.

Science.gov (United States)

Sala, Giovanni; Gobet, Fernand

2017-12-01

It has been proposed that playing chess enables children to improve their ability in mathematics. These claims have been recently evaluated in a meta-analysis (Sala & Gobet, 2016, Educational Research Review, 18, 46-57), which indicated a significant effect in favor of the groups playing chess. However, the meta-analysis also showed that most of the reviewed studies used a poor experimental design (in particular, they lacked an active control group). We ran two experiments that used a three-group design including both an active and a passive control group, with a focus on mathematical ability. In the first experiment (N = 233), a group of third and fourth graders was taught chess for 25 hours and tested on mathematical problem-solving tasks. Participants also filled in a questionnaire assessing their meta-cognitive ability for mathematics problems. The group playing chess was compared to an active control group (playing checkers) and a passive control group. The three groups showed no statistically significant difference in mathematical problem-solving or metacognitive abilities in the posttest. The second experiment (N = 52) broadly used the same design, but the Oriental game of Go replaced checkers in the active control group. While the chess-treated group and the passive control group slightly outperformed the active control group with mathematical problem solving, the differences were not statistically significant. No differences were found with respect to metacognitive ability. These results suggest that the effects (if any) of chess instruction, when rigorously tested, are modest and that such interventions should not replace the traditional curriculum in mathematics.

Comprehensive Investigation of White Matter Tracts in Professional Chess Players and Relation to Expertise: Region of Interest and DMRI Connectometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayeli, Mahsa; Rahmani, Farzaneh; Aarabi, Mohammad Hadi

2018-01-01

Purpose: Expertise is the product of training. Few studies have used functional connectivity or conventional diffusometric methods to identify neural underpinnings of chess expertise. Diffusometric variables of white matter might reflect these adaptive changes, along with changes in structural connectivity, which is a sensitive measure of microstructural changes. Method: Diffusometric variables of 29 professional chess players and 29 age-sex matched controls were extracted for white matter regions based on John Hopkin's Mori white matter atlas and partially correlated against professional training time and level of chess proficiency. Diffusion MRI connectometry was implemented to identify changes in structural connectivity in professional players compared to novices. Result: Compared to novices, higher planar anisotropy (CP) was observed in inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and cingulate gyrus, in professional chess players, which correlated with higher RPM score in this group. Higher fractional anisotropy (FA) was observed in ILF, uncinate fasciculus (UF) and hippocampus and correlated with better scores in Raven's progressive matrices (RPM) score and longer duration of chess training in professional players. Consistently, radial diffusivity in bilateral IFOF, bilateral ILF and bilateral SLF was inversely correlated with level of training in professional players. DMRI connectometry analysis identified increased connectivity in bilateral UF, bilateral IFOF, bilateral cingulum, and corpus callosum in chess player's compared to controls. Conclusion: Structural connectivity of major associational subcortical white matter fibers are increased in professional chess players. FA and CP of ILF, SLF and UF directly correlates with duration of professional training and RPM score, in professional chess players.

CHESS upgrade 1995: Improved radiation shielding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finkelstein, K.

1996-01-01

The Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR) stores electrons and positrons at 5.3 GeV for the production and study of B mesons, and, in addition, it supplies synchrotron radiation for CHESS. The machine has been upgraded for 300 mA operation. It is planned that each beam will be injected in about 5 minutes and that particle beam lifetimes will be several hours. In a cooperative effort, staff members at CHESS and LNS have studied sources in CESR that produce radiation in the user areas. The group has been responsible for the development and realization of new tunnel shielding walls that provide a level of radiation protection from 20 to approx-gt 100 times what was previously available. Our experience has indicated that a major contribution to the environmental radiation is not from photons, but results from neutrons that are generated by particle beam loss in the ring. Neutrons are stopped by inelastic scattering and absorption in thick materials such as heavy concrete. The design for the upgraded walls, the development of a mix for our heavy concrete, and all the concrete casting was done by CHESS and LNS personnel. The concrete incorporates a new material for this application, one that has yielded a significant cost saving in the production of over 200 tons of new wall sections. The material is an artificially enriched iron oxide pellet manufactured in vast quantities from hematite ore for the steel-making industry. Its material and chemical properties (iron and impurity content, strength, size and uniformity) make it an excellent substitute for high grade Brazilian ore, which is commonly used as heavy aggregate in radiation shielding. Its cost is about a third that of the natural ore. The concrete has excellent workability, a 28 day compressive strength exceeding 6000 psi and a density of 220 lbs/cu.ft (3.5 gr/cc). The density is limited by an interesting property of the pellets that is motivated by efficiency in the steel-making application. (Abstract Truncated)

SWFSC/MMTD/ETP: Chase Encirclement Stress Studies (CHESS) 2001

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The CHase Encirclement Stress Studies (CHESS) are part of a comprehensive research program designed to investigate the status of dolphin stocks that are involved in...

Improved CHESS imaging with the use of rice pads: Investigation in the neck, shoulder, and elbow.

Science.gov (United States)

Moriya, Susumu; Miki, Yukio; Yokobayashi, Tsuneo; Yamamoto, Akira; Kanagaki, Mitsunori; Komori, Yoshiaki; Fujimoto, Koji; Ishikawa, Mitsunori

2010-06-01

To investigate the feasibility of rice pads for improving nonuniform fat suppression in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the neck, shoulder, and elbow using the chemical shift selective (CHESS) technique. CHESS imaging of the neck, shoulder, and elbow was performed on 10 healthy volunteers with and without the use of rice pads. Images were visually assessed by one radiologist and one radiologic technologist using a four-point scale. Results were compared using Wilcoxon's signed rank sum test. Images with and without rice pads were rated 3.9 and 1.5 for the neck (P = 0.002), 3.85 and 2.5 for the shoulder (P = 0.002), and 3.4 and 2.45 for the elbow (P = 0.004). Fat-suppressed images obtained using the CHESS technique were significantly improved by rice pads for the neck, shoulder, and elbow, indicating that image deterioration with CHESS caused by magnetic field nonuniformity can be improved by rice pads in all body areas.

Fat suppression at three-dimensional T1-weighted MR imaging of the hands: Dixon method versus CHESS technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirchgesner, T; Perlepe, V; Michoux, N; Larbi, A; Vande Berg, B

2018-01-01

To compare the effectiveness of fat suppression and the image quality of the Dixon method with those of the chemical shift-selective (CHESS) technique in hands of normal subjects at non-enhanced three-dimensional (3D) T1-weighted MR imaging. Both hands of 14 healthy volunteers were imaged with 3D fast spoiled gradient echo (FSPGR) T1-weighted Dixon, 3D FSPGR T1-weighted CHESS and 3D T1-weighted fast spin echo (FSE) CHESS sequences in a 1.5T MR scanner. Three radiologists scored the effectiveness of fat suppression in bone marrow (EFS BM ) and soft tissues (EFS ST ) in 20 joints per subject. One radiologist measured the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in 10 bones per subject. Statistical analysis used two-way ANOVA with random effects (PCHESS sequence and the 3D FSE T1-weighted CHESS sequence (PCHESS sequence (PCHESS sequence in the axial plane (P=0.0028). Mean SNR was statistically significantly higher for 3D FSPGR T1-weighted Dixon sequence than for 3D FSPGR T1-weighted CHESS and 3D FSE T1-weighted CHESS sequences (PCHESS technique at 3D T1-weighted MR imaging of the hands. Copyright © 2017 Éditions françaises de radiologie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Impact of Chess Training on Mathematics Performance and Concentration Ability of Children with Learning Disabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Scholz, Markus; Niesch, Harald; Steffen, Olaf; Ernst, Baerbel; Loeffler, Markus; Witruk, Evelin; Schwarz, Hans

2008-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the benefit of chess in mathematics lessons for children with learning disabilities based on lower intelligence (IQ 70-85). School classes of four German schools for children with learning disabilities were randomly assigned to receive one hour of chess lesson instead of one hour of regular mathematics lessons…

The benefits of chess for the intellectual and social-emotional enrichment in schoolchildren.

Science.gov (United States)

Aciego, Ramón; García, Lorena; Betancort, Moisés

2012-07-01

This paper examines the benefits of regularly playing chess for the intellectual and social-emotional enrichment of a group of 170 schoolchildren from 6-16 years old. It is based on a quasi-experimental design, where the independent variable was the extracurricular activity of chess (n = 170) versus extracurricular activities of soccer or basketball (n = 60). The dependent variable was intellectual and socio-affective competence, which was measured by an IQ test (WISC-R), a self-report test (TAMAI) and a hetero-report questionnaire (teacher-tutor's criterion) applied at the beginning and the end of the academic year. In contrast to the comparison group, it was found that chess improves cognitive abilities, coping and problem-solving capacity, and even socioaffective development of children and adolescents who practice it. The results are modulated, particularly in the area socioaffective, by the personal profile of students who choose practice this activity.

Successful Organizational Strategies to Sustain Use of A-CHESS: A Mobile Intervention for Individuals With Alcohol Use Disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, James H; Alagoz, Esra; Dinauer, Susan; Johnson, Kimberly A; Pe-Romashko, Klaren; Gustafson, David H

2015-08-18

Mobile health (mHealth) services are growing in importance in health care research with the advancement of wireless networks, tablets, and mobile phone technologies. These technologies offer a wide range of applications that cover the spectrum of health care delivery. Although preliminary experiments in mHealth demonstrate promising results, more robust real-world evidence is needed for widespread adoption and sustainment of these technologies. Our aim was to identify the problems/challenges associated with sustained use of an mHealth addiction recovery support app and to determine strategies used by agencies that successfully sustained client use of A-CHESS. Qualitative inquiry assessed staff perceptions about organizational attributes and strategies associated with sustained use of the mobile app, A-CHESS. A total of 73 interviews of clinicians and administrators were conducted. The initial interviews (n=36) occurred at the implementation of A-CHESS. Follow-up interviews (n=37) occurred approximately 12 and 24 months later. A coding scheme was developed and Multiuser NVivo was used to manage and analyze the blinded interview data. Successful strategies used by treatment providers to sustain A-CHESS included (1) strong leadership support, (2) use of client feedback reports to follow up on non-engaged clients, (3) identify passionate staff and incorporate A-CHESS discussions in weekly meetings, (4) develop A-CHESS guidelines related to client use, (5) establish internal work groups to engage clients, and (6) establish a financial strategy to sustain A-CHESS use. The study also identified attributes of A-CHESS that enhanced as well as inhibited its sustainability. Mobile apps can play an important role in health care delivery. However, providers will need to develop strategies for engaging both staff and patients in ongoing use of the apps. They will also need to rework business processes to accommodate the changes in communication frequency and style, learn to use

Memory and long-range correlations in chess games

Science.gov (United States)

Schaigorodsky, Ana L.; Perotti, Juan I.; Billoni, Orlando V.

2014-01-01

In this paper we report the existence of long-range memory in the opening moves of a chronologically ordered set of chess games using an extensive chess database. We used two mapping rules to build discrete time series and analyzed them using two methods for detecting long-range correlations; rescaled range analysis and detrended fluctuation analysis. We found that long-range memory is related to the level of the players. When the database is filtered according to player levels we found differences in the persistence of the different subsets. For high level players, correlations are stronger at long time scales; whereas in intermediate and low level players they reach the maximum value at shorter time scales. This can be interpreted as a signature of the different strategies used by players with different levels of expertise. These results are robust against the assignation rules and the method employed in the analysis of the time series.

A confidence in itself, as mortgage of successful competition activity of the young chess-players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khoroshavina A.V.

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Presents the results of the study the basic aspects of self-confidence of young players. The study involved 54 young chess players. Of these, 34 students Kherson CYSS Chess. 20 players from different regions of Ukraine. Age investigated from 10 to 15 years. The dependence of the confidence of participation in competitions for young players on the level of anxiety, motivational set, strong-willed self-control. In the result of performance of young chess players in the competition is directly proportional to the strength of motivation to succeed installation. Most athletes have been observed high levels of self-willed. Self-control depends on the experience of participation of young players in the competition, as well as facilities manager.

Surface-water surveillance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saldi, K.A.; Dirkes, R.L.; Blanton, M.L.

1995-06-01

This section of the 1994 Hanford Site Environmental Report summarizes the Surface water on and near the Hanford Site is monitored to determine the potential effects of Hanford operations. Surface water at Hanford includes the Columbia River, riverbank springs, ponds located on the Hanford Site, and offsite water systems directly east and across the Columbia River from the Hanford Site, and offsite water systems directly east and across the Columbia River from the Hanford Site. Columbia River sediments are also included in this discussion. Tables 5.3.1 and 5.3.2 summarize the sampling locations, sample types, sampling frequencies, and sample analyses included in surface-water surveillance activities during 1994. Sample locations are also identified in Figure 5.3.1. This section describes the surveillance effort and summarizes the results for these aquatic environments. Detailed analytical results are reported by Bisping (1995).

Surface-water surveillance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saldi, K.A.; Dirkes, R.L.; Blanton, M.L.

1995-01-01

This section of the 1994 Hanford Site Environmental Report summarizes the Surface water on and near the Hanford Site is monitored to determine the potential effects of Hanford operations. Surface water at Hanford includes the Columbia River, riverbank springs, ponds located on the Hanford Site, and offsite water systems directly east and across the Columbia River from the Hanford Site, and offsite water systems directly east and across the Columbia River from the Hanford Site. Columbia River sediments are also included in this discussion. Tables 5.3.1 and 5.3.2 summarize the sampling locations, sample types, sampling frequencies, and sample analyses included in surface-water surveillance activities during 1994. Sample locations are also identified in Figure 5.3.1. This section describes the surveillance effort and summarizes the results for these aquatic environments. Detailed analytical results are reported by Bisping (1995)

When Words were Wanted, But Woefully Wanting, We Waged War With Chess.

Science.gov (United States)

Seitler, Burton Norman

2016-12-01

What do you say to a child who rarely speaks? How do you work with such a youngster? What are the sine qua nons or guiding principles upon which analysts can draw? And, how do we know if we are being helpful? Sam was 9-years when I began treating him. He was extremely withdrawn and rarely spoke more than a few words. Instead, he mainly played chess. I did not know at first whether Sam's taciturn demeanor was due to shyness, limited verbal abilities, or the stultifying effects of trauma. Fortuitously, during one of many seemingly "innocent" games of chess, Sam happened to make a bold move, to which I admiringly remarked, "What a move, you're killing me." His surprising reaction permanently altered the trajectory of treatment. Curiously, upon returning from summer vacation, not only did Sam no longer need to play chess, but he also found his voice. It was then that he began to discuss things for the first time. Initially, what he said was cloaked in symbolic and indirect referents, suggesting that there were things about which he still could not speak. I proceeded with patience and eventually Sam was able to disclose what he had been harboring inside. In this article, I will discuss the role and psychoanalytic meaning of chess in Sam's play therapy and how it served as a means of symbolically expressing an unspoken, yet ongoing trauma; how it non-verbally, and thus safely communicated Sam's desperate need for understanding and his urgent (but silent) disguised plea for help.

Efficient Computation of Sparse Matrix Functions for Large-Scale Electronic Structure Calculations: The CheSS Library.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohr, Stephan; Dawson, William; Wagner, Michael; Caliste, Damien; Nakajima, Takahito; Genovese, Luigi

2017-10-10

We present CheSS, the "Chebyshev Sparse Solvers" library, which has been designed to solve typical problems arising in large-scale electronic structure calculations using localized basis sets. The library is based on a flexible and efficient expansion in terms of Chebyshev polynomials and presently features the calculation of the density matrix, the calculation of matrix powers for arbitrary powers, and the extraction of eigenvalues in a selected interval. CheSS is able to exploit the sparsity of the matrices and scales linearly with respect to the number of nonzero entries, making it well-suited for large-scale calculations. The approach is particularly adapted for setups leading to small spectral widths of the involved matrices and outperforms alternative methods in this regime. By coupling CheSS to the DFT code BigDFT, we show that such a favorable setup is indeed possible in practice. In addition, the approach based on Chebyshev polynomials can be massively parallelized, and CheSS exhibits excellent scaling up to thousands of cores even for relatively small matrix sizes.

Groundwater infiltration, surface water inflow and sewerage exfiltration considering hydrodynamic conditions in sewer systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Karpf, Christian; Hoeft, Stefan; Scheffer, Claudia; Fuchs, Lothar; Krebs, Peter

2011-01-01

Sewer systems are closely interlinked with groundwater and surface water. Due to leaks and regular openings in the sewer system (e.g. combined sewer overflow structures with sometimes reverse pressure conditions), groundwater infiltration and surface water inflow as well as exfiltration of sewage take place and cannot be avoided. In the paper a new hydrodynamic sewer network modelling approach will be presented, which includes--besides precipitation--hydrographs of groundwater and surface water as essential boundary conditions. The concept of the modelling approach and the models to describe the infiltration, inflow and exfiltration fluxes are described. The model application to the sewerage system of the City of Dresden during a flood event with complex conditions shows that the processes of infiltration, exfiltration and surface water inflows can be described with a higher reliability and accuracy, showing that surface water inflow causes a pronounced system reaction. Further, according to the simulation results, a high sensitivity of exfiltration rates on the in-sewer water levels and a relatively low influence of the dynamic conditions on the infiltration rates were found.

Use of the interRAI CHESS scale to predict mortality among persons with neurological conditions in three care settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirdes, John P; Poss, Jeffrey W; Mitchell, Lori; Korngut, Lawrence; Heckman, George

2014-01-01

Persons with certain neurological conditions have higher mortality rates than the population without neurological conditions, but the risk factors for increased mortality within diagnostic groups are less well understood. The interRAI CHESS scale has been shown to be a strong predictor of mortality in the overall population of persons receiving health care in community and institutional settings. This study examines the performance of CHESS as a predictor of mortality among persons with 11 different neurological conditions. Survival analyses were done with interRAI assessments linked to mortality data among persons in home care (n = 359,940), complex continuing care hospitals/units (n = 88,721), and nursing homes (n = 185,309) in seven Canadian provinces/territories. CHESS was a significant predictor of mortality in all 3 care settings for the 11 neurological diagnostic groups considered after adjusting for age and sex. The distribution of CHESS scores varied between diagnostic groups and within diagnostic groups in different care settings. CHESS is a valid predictor of mortality in neurological populations in community and institutional care. It may prove useful for several clinical, administrative, policy-development, evaluation and research purposes. Because it is routinely gathered as part of normal clinical practice in jurisdictions (like Canada) that have implemented interRAI assessment instruments, CHESS can be derived without additional need for data collection.

Use of the interRAI CHESS scale to predict mortality among persons with neurological conditions in three care settings.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John P Hirdes

Full Text Available Persons with certain neurological conditions have higher mortality rates than the population without neurological conditions, but the risk factors for increased mortality within diagnostic groups are less well understood. The interRAI CHESS scale has been shown to be a strong predictor of mortality in the overall population of persons receiving health care in community and institutional settings. This study examines the performance of CHESS as a predictor of mortality among persons with 11 different neurological conditions.Survival analyses were done with interRAI assessments linked to mortality data among persons in home care (n = 359,940, complex continuing care hospitals/units (n = 88,721, and nursing homes (n = 185,309 in seven Canadian provinces/territories.CHESS was a significant predictor of mortality in all 3 care settings for the 11 neurological diagnostic groups considered after adjusting for age and sex. The distribution of CHESS scores varied between diagnostic groups and within diagnostic groups in different care settings.CHESS is a valid predictor of mortality in neurological populations in community and institutional care. It may prove useful for several clinical, administrative, policy-development, evaluation and research purposes. Because it is routinely gathered as part of normal clinical practice in jurisdictions (like Canada that have implemented interRAI assessment instruments, CHESS can be derived without additional need for data collection.

Methylphenidate, modafinil, and caffeine for cognitive enhancement in chess: A double-blind, randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Franke, Andreas G; Gränsmark, Patrik; Agricola, Alexandra; Schühle, Kai; Rommel, Thilo; Sebastian, Alexandra; Balló, Harald E; Gorbulev, Stanislav; Gerdes, Christer; Frank, Björn; Ruckes, Christian; Tüscher, Oliver; Lieb, Klaus

2017-03-01

Stimulants and caffeine have been proposed for cognitive enhancement by healthy subjects. This study investigated whether performance in chess - a competitive mind game requiring highly complex cognitive skills - can be enhanced by methylphenidate, modafinil or caffeine. In a phase IV, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 39 male chess players received 2×200mg modafinil, 2×20mg methylphenidate, and 2×200mg caffeine or placebo in a 4×4 crossover design. They played twenty 15-minute games during two sessions against a chess program (Fritz 12; adapted to players' strength) and completed several neuropsychological tests. Marked substance effects were observed since all three substances significantly increased average reflection time per game compared to placebo resulting in a significantly increased number of games lost on time with all three treatments. Treatment effects on chess performance were not seen if all games (n=3059) were analysed. Only when controlling for game duration as well as when excluding those games lost on time, both modafinil and methylphenidate enhanced chess performance as demonstrated by significantly higher scores in the remaining 2876 games compared to placebo. In conjunction with results from neuropsychological testing we conclude that modifying effects of stimulants on complex cognitive tasks may in particular result from more reflective decision making processes. When not under time pressure, such effects may result in enhanced performance. Yet, under time constraints more reflective decision making may not improve or even have detrimental effects on complex task performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. and ECNP. All rights reserved.

Community Health Environment Scan Survey (CHESS): a novel tool that captures the impact of the built environment on lifestyle factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Fiona; Stevens, Denise; O'Connor-Duffany, Kathleen; Siegel, Karen; Gao, Yue

2011-03-07

Novel efforts and accompanying tools are needed to tackle the global burden of chronic disease. This paper presents an approach to describe the environments in which people live, work, and play. Community Health Environment Scan Survey (CHESS) is an empirical assessment tool that measures the availability and accessibility, of healthy lifestyle options lifestyle options. CHESS reveals existing community assets as well as opportunities for change, shaping community intervention planning efforts by focusing on community-relevant opportunities to address the three key risk factors for chronic disease (i.e. unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and tobacco use). The CHESS tool was developed following a review of existing auditing tools and in consultation with experts. It is based on the social-ecological model and is adaptable to diverse settings in developed and developing countries throughout the world. For illustrative purposes, baseline results from the Community Interventions for Health (CIH) Mexico site are used, where the CHESS tool assessed 583 food stores and 168 restaurants. Comparisons between individual-level survey data from schools and community-level CHESS data are made to demonstrate the utility of the tool in strategically guiding intervention activities. The environments where people live, work, and play are key factors in determining their diet, levels of physical activity, and tobacco use. CHESS is the first tool of its kind that systematically and simultaneously examines how built environments encourage/discourage healthy eating, physical activity, and tobacco use. CHESS can help to design community interventions to prevent chronic disease and guide healthy urban planning. © 2011 Fiona Wong et al.

New X-ray beam position monitors with submicron resolution utilizing imaging of scattered X-rays at CHESS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Revesz, Peter; Temnykh, Alexander B.; Pauling, Alan K.

2011-01-01

At CHESS' A, F and G wiggler beam lines three new video beam position monitors (VBPMs) have been commissioned. These new VBPMs utilize X-rays scattered from the graphite filter (A and F line) or from a beryllium window (G-line) as the white wiggler beam passes through them. As the X-rays scatter in all directions from the scattering medium, a slit camera creates an image of the beam's footprint on a fluorescent screen. This image is then viewed by a CCD camera and analyzed using a computer program to calculate the intensity centroid, the beam profile and integrated intensity. These data are delivered to the CHESS signal archiving system for storage and display. The new systems employ digital cameras. These cameras are free of the noise inherent to the analog systems with long video signal connections. As a result, the beam position data delivered by the new systems are more reliable and accurate as shown by beam position traces using different beam position monitors on the same beam line.

New X-ray beam position monitors with submicron resolution utilizing imaging of scattered X-rays at CHESS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Revesz, Peter, E-mail: pr20@cornell.edu [Cornell University, Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, Ithaca 14850, NY (United States); Temnykh, Alexander B. [Cornell University, Laboratory for Elem-Particle Physics, Ithaca 14850, NY (United States); Pauling, Alan K. [Cornell University, Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, Ithaca 14850, NY (United States)

2011-09-01

At CHESS' A, F and G wiggler beam lines three new video beam position monitors (VBPMs) have been commissioned. These new VBPMs utilize X-rays scattered from the graphite filter (A and F line) or from a beryllium window (G-line) as the white wiggler beam passes through them. As the X-rays scatter in all directions from the scattering medium, a slit camera creates an image of the beam's footprint on a fluorescent screen. This image is then viewed by a CCD camera and analyzed using a computer program to calculate the intensity centroid, the beam profile and integrated intensity. These data are delivered to the CHESS signal archiving system for storage and display. The new systems employ digital cameras. These cameras are free of the noise inherent to the analog systems with long video signal connections. As a result, the beam position data delivered by the new systems are more reliable and accurate as shown by beam position traces using different beam position monitors on the same beam line.

Simulation of the Regional Ground-Water-Flow System and Ground-Water/Surface-Water Interaction in the Rock River Basin, Wisconsin

Science.gov (United States)

Juckem, Paul F.

2009-01-01

A regional, two-dimensional, areal ground-water-flow model was developed to simulate the ground-water-flow system and ground-water/surface-water interaction in the Rock River Basin. The model was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Rock River Coalition. The objectives of the regional model were to improve understanding of the ground-water-flow system and to develop a tool suitable for evaluating the effects of potential regional water-management programs. The computer code GFLOW was used because of the ease with which the model can simulate ground-water/surface-water interactions, provide a framework for simulating regional ground-water-flow systems, and be refined in a stepwise fashion to incorporate new data and simulate ground-water-flow patterns at multiple scales. The ground-water-flow model described in this report simulates the major hydrogeologic features of the modeled area, including bedrock and surficial aquifers, ground-water/surface-water interactions, and ground-water withdrawals from high-capacity wells. The steady-state model treats the ground-water-flow system as a single layer with hydraulic conductivity and base elevation zones that reflect the distribution of lithologic groups above the Precambrian bedrock and a regionally significant confining unit, the Maquoketa Formation. In the eastern part of the Basin where the shale-rich Maquoketa Formation is present, deep ground-water flow in the sandstone aquifer below the Maquoketa Formation was not simulated directly, but flow into this aquifer was incorporated into the GFLOW model from previous work in southeastern Wisconsin. Recharge was constrained primarily by stream base-flow estimates and was applied uniformly within zones guided by regional infiltration estimates for soils. The model includes average ground-water withdrawals from 1997 to 2006 for municipal wells and from 1997 to 2005 for high-capacity irrigation, industrial, and commercial wells. In addition

Stalemate: Girls and a Mixed-Gender Chess Club.

Science.gov (United States)

Galitis, Ingrid

2002-01-01

Observed and conducted discussions with female members of an elementary-level, mixed-gender, Australian chess club to investigate why girls left and boys came to dominate the club. Results indicated that both home values and schooling transmitted and reinforced inequalities between the sexes, though in more subtle and less overt forms than in the…

The nature of chess expertise: knowledge or search?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ekaterina E. Vasyukova

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this article, we briefl y survey studies of the nature of expertise, and we presentthe results of research directed at evidence of the complicated nature of expertise,which is most eff ectively seen in experts’ use of a transfer mechanism. Thephenomenon of the transfer of verbalized operational senses (VOS is analyzedand is investigated on the basis of the sense theory of thinking, as proposed byTikhomirov (1969, 1984.It is shown that VOS transfer manifests itself in diverse forms. It seems to be dependenton the factors of chess position and the age and skill level of the player.Diverse forms of transferring are associated with a change in separate indices ofVOS volume, structure, depth, and degree of consciousness in a connected position.VOS transfer is found more in skilled than in unskilled chess players; skilledplayers demonstrate selectivity of search in a connected position. VOS transfer isassociated not simply with the repetition and copying of some forecasts, whichgive the direction of search, but also with using and transforming the results ofprevious verbal searches.

Community Health Environment Scan Survey (CHESS: a novel tool that captures the impact of the built environment on lifestyle factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fiona Wong

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Novel1 1This study was performed on behalf of the Community Interventions for Health (CIH collaboration. efforts and accompanying tools are needed to tackle the global burden of chronic disease. This paper presents an approach to describe the environments in which people live, work, and play. Community Health Environment Scan Survey (CHESS is an empirical assessment tool that measures the availability and accessibility, of healthy lifestyle options lifestyle options. CHESS reveals existing community assets as well as opportunities for change, shaping community intervention planning efforts by focusing on community-relevant opportunities to address the three key risk factors for chronic disease (i.e. unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and tobacco use. Methods: The CHESS tool was developed following a review of existing auditing tools and in consultation with experts. It is based on the social-ecological model and is adaptable to diverse settings in developed and developing countries throughout the world. Results: For illustrative purposes, baseline results from the Community Interventions for Health (CIH Mexico site are used, where the CHESS tool assessed 583 food stores and 168 restaurants. Comparisons between individual-level survey data from schools and community-level CHESS data are made to demonstrate the utility of the tool in strategically guiding intervention activities. Conclusion: The environments where people live, work, and play are key factors in determining their diet, levels of physical activity, and tobacco use. CHESS is the first tool of its kind that systematically and simultaneously examines how built environments encourage/discourage healthy eating, physical activity, and tobacco use. CHESS can help to design community interventions to prevent chronic disease and guide healthy urban planning.

Multi-objective analysis of the conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater in a multisource water supply system

Science.gov (United States)

Vieira, João; da Conceição Cunha, Maria

2017-04-01

A multi-objective decision model has been developed to identify the Pareto-optimal set of management alternatives for the conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater of a multisource urban water supply system. A multi-objective evolutionary algorithm, Borg MOEA, is used to solve the multi-objective decision model. The multiple solutions can be shown to stakeholders allowing them to choose their own solutions depending on their preferences. The multisource urban water supply system studied here is dependent on surface water and groundwater and located in the Algarve region, southernmost province of Portugal, with a typical warm Mediterranean climate. The rainfall is low, intermittent and concentrated in a short winter, followed by a long and dry period. A base population of 450 000 inhabitants and visits by more than 13 million tourists per year, mostly in summertime, turns water management critical and challenging. Previous studies on single objective optimization after aggregating multiple objectives together have already concluded that only an integrated and interannual water resources management perspective can be efficient for water resource allocation in this drought prone region. A simulation model of the multisource urban water supply system using mathematical functions to represent the water balance in the surface reservoirs, the groundwater flow in the aquifers, and the water transport in the distribution network with explicit representation of water quality is coupled with Borg MOEA. The multi-objective problem formulation includes five objectives. Two objective evaluate separately the water quantity and the water quality supplied for the urban use in a finite time horizon, one objective calculates the operating costs, and two objectives appraise the state of the two water sources - the storage in the surface reservoir and the piezometric levels in aquifer - at the end of the time horizon. The decision variables are the volume of withdrawals from

Risk taking in adversarial situations: Civilization differences in chess experts.

Science.gov (United States)

Chassy, Philippe; Gobet, Fernand

2015-08-01

The projections of experts in politics predict that a new world order will emerge within two decades. Being multipolar, this world will inevitably lead to frictions where civilizations and states will have to decide whether to risk conflict. Very often these decisions are informed if not taken by experts. To estimate risk-taking across civilizations, we examined strategies used in 667,599 chess games played over eleven years by chess experts from 11 different civilizations. We show that some civilizations are more inclined to settle for peace. Similarly, we show that once engaged in the battle, the level of risk taking varies significantly across civilizations, the boldest civilization using the riskiest strategy about 35% more than the most conservative civilization. We discuss which psychological factors might underpin these civilizational differences. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A conceptual model for the analysis of multi-stressors in linked groundwater-surface water systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaandorp, Vince P; Molina-Navarro, Eugenio; Andersen, Hans E; Bloomfield, John P; Kuijper, Martina J M; de Louw, Perry G B

2018-06-15

Groundwater and surface water are often closely coupled and are both under the influence of multiple stressors. Stressed groundwater systems may lead to a poor ecological status of surface waters but to date no conceptual framework to analyse linked multi-stressed groundwater - surface water systems has been developed. In this paper, a framework is proposed showing the effect of groundwater on surface waters in multiple stressed systems. This framework will be illustrated by applying it to four European catchments, the Odense, Denmark, the Regge and Dinkel, Netherlands, and the Thames, UK, and by assessing its utility in analysing the propagation or buffering of multi-stressors through groundwater to surface waters in these catchments. It is shown that groundwater affects surface water flow, nutrients and temperature, and can both propagate stressors towards surface waters and buffer the effect of stressors in space and time. The effect of groundwater on drivers and states depends on catchment characteristics, stressor combinations, scale and management practises. The proposed framework shows how groundwater in lowland catchments acts as a bridge between stressors and their effects within surface waters. It shows water managers how their management areas might be influenced by groundwater, and helps them to include this important, but often overlooked part of the water cycle in their basin management plans. The analysis of the study catchments also revealed a lack of data on the temperature of both groundwater and surface water, while it is an important parameter considering future climate warming. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Influence of actual and virtual chess on neurophysiology and cognition

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... activity, as required in the cognitive activity of planning and processing the consequences and sequels of alternative chess moves. Integrative findings have valuable implications for future neurophysiologic, neuropsychological and cognitive psychological assessment and training of players, clinicians and researchers.

78 FR 70076 - Aging Management of Internal Surfaces, Fire Water Systems, Atmospheric Storage Tanks, and...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-22

... Systems, Atmospheric Storage Tanks, and Corrosion Under Insulation AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission... Internal Surfaces, Fire Water Systems, Atmospheric Storage Tanks, and Corrosion Under Insulation.'' This LR... related to internal surface aging effects, fire water systems, atmospheric storage tanks, and corrosion...

Expert vs. novice differences in the detection of relevant information during a chess game: evidence from eye movements.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheridan, Heather; Reingold, Eyal M

2014-01-01

The present study explored the ability of expert and novice chess players to rapidly distinguish between regions of a chessboard that were relevant to the best move on the board, and regions of the board that were irrelevant. Accordingly, we monitored the eye movements of expert and novice chess players, while they selected white's best move for a variety of chess problems. To manipulate relevancy, we constructed two different versions of each chess problem in the experiment, and we counterbalanced these versions across participants. These two versions of each problem were identical except that a single piece was changed from a bishop to a knight. This subtle change reversed the relevancy map of the board, such that regions that were relevant in one version of the board were now irrelevant (and vice versa). Using this paradigm, we demonstrated that both the experts and novices spent more time fixating the relevant relative to the irrelevant regions of the board. However, the experts were faster at detecting relevant information than the novices, as shown by the finding that experts (but not novices) were able to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information during the early part of the trial. These findings further demonstrate the domain-related perceptual processing advantage of chess experts, using an experimental paradigm that allowed us to manipulate relevancy under tightly controlled conditions.

Expert versus novice differences in the detection of relevant information during a chess game: Evidence from eye movements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heather eSheridan

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The present study explored the ability of expert and novice chess players to rapidly distinguish between regions of a chessboard that were relevant to the best move on the board, and regions of the board that were irrelevant. Accordingly, we monitored the eye movements of expert and novice chess players, while they selected white’s best move for a variety of chess problems. To manipulate relevancy, we constructed two different versions of each chess problem in the experiment, and we counterbalanced these versions across participants. These two versions of each problem were identical except that a single piece was changed from a bishop to a knight. This subtle change reversed the relevancy map of the board, such that regions that were relevant in one version of the board were now irrelevant (and vice versa. Using this paradigm, we demonstrated that both the experts and novices spent more time fixating the relevant relative to the irrelevant regions of the board. However, the experts were faster at detecting relevant information than the novices, as shown by the finding that experts (but not novices were able to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information during the early part of the trial. These findings further demonstrate the domain-related perceptual processing advantage of chess experts, using an experimental paradigm that allowed us to manipulate relevancy under tightly controlled conditions.

Description of the surface water filtration and ozone treatment system at the Northeast Fishery Center

Science.gov (United States)

A water filtration and ozone disinfection system was installed at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Northeast Fishery Center in Lamar, Pennsylvania to treat a surface water supply that is used to culture sensitive and endangered fish. The treatment system first passes the surface water through dr...

Chess players' fame versus their merit.

Science.gov (United States)

Simkin, M V; Roychowdhury, V P

2015-12-12

We investigate a pool of international chess title holders born between 1901 and 1943. Using Elo ratings, we compute for every player his expected score in a game with a randomly selected player from the pool. We use this figure as the player's merit. We measure players' fame as the number of Google hits. The correlation between fame and merit is 0.38. At the same time, the correlation between the logarithm of fame and merit is 0.61. This suggests that fame grows exponentially with merit.

The Fourth Flight of CHESS: Analysis of Interstellar H2 on the γ Ara Sightline

Science.gov (United States)

Kruczek, Nick E.; France, Kevin; Nell, Nicholas; Fleming, Brian

2018-06-01

In this talk, we describe the scientific motivation and technical development of the Colorado High-resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (CHESS) sounding rocket, focusing on the preliminary science results for the fourth launch of the payload (CHESS-4). CHESS is a far ultraviolet rocket-borne instrument designed to study the atomic-to-molecular transitions within translucent cloud regions in the interstellar medium. CHESS-4 launched on 13 April 2018 aboard NASA/CU sounding rocket mission 36.333 UG. The target for this flight was γ Ara, a B1I star that is known to display a variable and equatorially enhanced stellar wind. We present flight results of interstellar molecular hydrogen excitation, including initial measurements of the column density and temperature, on the sightline. These results are compared to previous values that were calculated using the damping wings of low-J H2 absorption features in Copernicus spectra. We also present analogous flight data for the sightline toward β Sco, finding that the derived column density of the J” = 1 rotational level differs by a factor of ~2 when compared to the previous observations. We discuss the discrepancies between the two measurements and show that the source of the difference is likely due to the opacity of higher rotational levels contributing to the J” = 1 absorption wing, increasing the inferred column density in the previous work.

DRINKING WATER QUALITY IN DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS OF SURFACE AND GROUND WATERWORKS IN FINLAND

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jenni Meirami Ikonen

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Physico-chemical and microbiological water quality in the drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs of five waterworks in Finland with different raw water sources and treatment processes was explored. Water quality was monitored during four seasons with on-line equipment and bulk water samples were analysed in laboratory. Seasonal changes in the water quality were more evident in DWDSs of surface waterworks compared to the ground waterworks and artificially recharging ground waterworks (AGR. Between seasons, temperature changed significantly in every system but pH and EC changed only in one AGR system. Seasonal change was seen also in the absorbance values of all systems. The concentration of microbially available phosphorus (MAP, μg PO₄-P/l was the highest in drinking water originating from the waterworks supplying groundwater. Total assimilable organic carbon (AOC, μg AOC-C/l concentrations were significantly different between the DWDSs other than between the two AGR systems. This study reports differences in the water quality between surface and ground waterworks using a wide set of parameters commonly used for monitoring. The results confirm that every distribution system is unique, and the water quality is affected by environmental factors, raw water source, treatment methods and disinfection.

Fat-suppressed MR images of both hands obtained using CHESS can be improved by rice pads

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moriya, Susumu, E-mail: smoyari@yahoo.co.jp [Ishikawa Clinic, 46-1 Shimokamo-Umenoki-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 606-0851 (Japan); Miki, Yukio [Department of Radiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585 (Japan); Kamishima, Tamotsu [Department of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Health Science, North-12 West-5 Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812 (Japan); Kanagaki, Mitsunori [Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin-kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 606-8507 (Japan); Yokobayashi, Tsuneo; Ishikawa, Mitsunori [Ishikawa Clinic, 46-1 Shimokamo-Umenoki-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 606-0851 (Japan)

2012-09-15

When chemical shift selective (CHESS) imaging is used with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for simultaneous imaging of both hands for the evaluation of rheumatoid arthritis, the fat suppression effect is poor. We investigated whether these fat-suppressed images using CHESS could be improved with the use of rice pads. T1-weighted images were obtained with CHESS and the same imaging parameters were used with and without rice pads on the coronal plane of both hands in 10 healthy volunteers. Patients were placed in a prone position with both hands extended overhead. The fat-suppression effect was classified into four categories and scored for both sets of images, and visual assessments were made by one radiologist and one radiologic technologist. The evaluation score was 1.1 for the images made without rice pads, and 3.2 for the images made with rice pads. The fat suppression effect was thus significantly better in the images made using rice pads (P < 0.0001). Lingering fat signals disappeared almost completely in images of both hands using CHESS with rice pads, and it was confirmed that the images were improved and had good fat suppression. More accurate evaluation of inflammatory sites that occur in rheumatoid arthritis may thus be possible, promising better diagnostic accuracy.

Fat-suppressed MR images of both hands obtained using CHESS can be improved by rice pads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moriya, Susumu; Miki, Yukio; Kamishima, Tamotsu; Kanagaki, Mitsunori; Yokobayashi, Tsuneo; Ishikawa, Mitsunori

2012-01-01

When chemical shift selective (CHESS) imaging is used with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for simultaneous imaging of both hands for the evaluation of rheumatoid arthritis, the fat suppression effect is poor. We investigated whether these fat-suppressed images using CHESS could be improved with the use of rice pads. T1-weighted images were obtained with CHESS and the same imaging parameters were used with and without rice pads on the coronal plane of both hands in 10 healthy volunteers. Patients were placed in a prone position with both hands extended overhead. The fat-suppression effect was classified into four categories and scored for both sets of images, and visual assessments were made by one radiologist and one radiologic technologist. The evaluation score was 1.1 for the images made without rice pads, and 3.2 for the images made with rice pads. The fat suppression effect was thus significantly better in the images made using rice pads (P < 0.0001). Lingering fat signals disappeared almost completely in images of both hands using CHESS with rice pads, and it was confirmed that the images were improved and had good fat suppression. More accurate evaluation of inflammatory sites that occur in rheumatoid arthritis may thus be possible, promising better diagnostic accuracy

Water heating solar system using collector with polycarbonate absorber surface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Souza, Luiz Guilherme Meira de; Sodre, Dilton; Cavalcanti, Eduardo Jose Cidade; Souza, Luiz Guilherme Vieira Meira de; Mendes, Jose Ubiragi de Lima [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil)], e-mails: lguilherme@dem.ufrn.br, diltonsodre@ifba.edu.br, ubiragi@ct.ufrn.br

2010-07-01

It is presented s solar collector to be used in a heating water for bath system, whose main characteristics are low cost and easy fabrication and assembly processes. The collector absorber surface consists of a polycarbonate plate with an area of 1.5 m{sup 2}. The water inlet and outlet are made of PVC 50mm, and were coupled to a 6mm thick polycarbonate plate using fiberglass resin. A 200 liters thermal reservoir will be used. This reservoir is also alternative. The absorber heating system works under thermo-siphon regimen. Thermal parameters will be evaluated to prove the feasibility of the studied solar heating system to obtain bath water for a four people family. (author)

Forecasting in an integrated surface water-ground water system: The Big Cypress Basin, South Florida

Science.gov (United States)

Butts, M. B.; Feng, K.; Klinting, A.; Stewart, K.; Nath, A.; Manning, P.; Hazlett, T.; Jacobsen, T.

2009-04-01

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) manages and protects the state's water resources on behalf of 7.5 million South Floridians and is the lead agency in restoring America's Everglades - the largest environmental restoration project in US history. Many of the projects to restore and protect the Everglades ecosystem are part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). The region has a unique hydrological regime, with close connection between surface water and groundwater, and a complex managed drainage network with many structures. Added to the physical complexity are the conflicting needs of the ecosystem for protection and restoration, versus the substantial urban development with the accompanying water supply, water quality and flood control issues. In this paper a novel forecasting and real-time modelling system is presented for the Big Cypress Basin. The Big Cypress Basin includes 272 km of primary canals and 46 water control structures throughout the area that provide limited levels of flood protection, as well as water supply and environmental quality management. This system is linked to the South Florida Water Management District's extensive real-time (SCADA) data monitoring and collection system. Novel aspects of this system include the use of a fully distributed and integrated modeling approach and a new filter-based updating approach for accurately forecasting river levels. Because of the interaction between surface- and groundwater a fully integrated forecast modeling approach is required. Indeed, results for the Tropical Storm Fay in 2008, the groundwater levels show an extremely rapid response to heavy rainfall. Analysis of this storm also shows that updating levels in the river system can have a direct impact on groundwater levels.

The cost of severe haemophilia in Europe: the CHESS study.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Hara, Jamie; Hughes, David; Camp, Charlotte; Burke, Tom; Carroll, Liz; Diego, Daniel-Anibal Garcia

2017-05-31

Severe haemophilia is associated with major psychological and economic burden for patients, caregivers, and the wider health care system. This burden has been quantified and documented for a number of European countries in recent years. However, few studies have taken a standardised methodology across multiple countries simultaneously, and sought to amalgamate all three levels of burden for severe disease. The overall aim of the 'Cost of Haemophilia in Europe: a Socioeconomic Survey' (CHESS) study was to capture the annualised economic and psychosocial burden of severe haemophilia in five European countries. A cross-section of haemophilia specialists (surveyed between January and April 2015) provided demographic and clinical information and 12-month ambulatory and secondary care activity for patients via an online survey. In turn, patients provided corresponding direct and indirect non-medical cost information, including work loss and out-of-pocket expenses, as well as information on quality of life and adherence. The direct and indirect costs for the patient sample were calculated and extrapolated to population level. Clinical reports for a total of 1,285 patients were received. Five hundred and fifty-two patients (43% of the sample) provided information on indirect costs and health-related quality of life via the PSC. The total annual cost of severe haemophilia across the five countries for 2014 was estimated at EUR 1.4 billion, or just under EUR 200,000 per patient. The highest per-patient costs were in Germany (mean EUR 319,024) and the lowest were in the United Kingdom (mean EUR 129,365), with a study average of EUR 199,541. As expected, consumption of clotting factor replacement therapy represented the vast majority of costs (up to 99%). Indirect costs are driven by patient and caregiver work loss. The results of the CHESS study reflect previous research findings suggesting that costs of factor replacement therapy account for the vast majority of the cost

Improved Design Tools for Surface Water and Standing Column Well Heat Pump Systems (DE-EE0002961)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spitler, J. D.; Culling, J. R.; Conjeevaram, K.; Ramesh, M.; Selvakumar, M.

2012-11-30

Ground-source heat pump (GSHP) systems are perhaps the most widely used “sustainable” heating and cooling systems, with an estimated 1.7 million installed units with total installed heating capacity on the order of 18 GW. They are widely used in residential, commercial, and institutional buildings. Standing column wells (SCW) are one form of ground heat exchanger that, under the right geological conditions, can provide excellent energy efficiency at a relatively low capital cost. Closed-loop surface water heat pump (SWHP) systems utilize surface water heat exchangers (SWHE) to reject or extract heat from nearby surface water bodies. For building near surface water bodies, these systems also offer a high degree of energy efficiency at a low capital cost. However, there have been few design tools available for properly sizing standing column wells or surface water heat exchangers. Nor have tools for analyzing the energy consumption and supporting economics-based design decisions been available. The main contributions of this project lie in providing new tools that support design and energy analysis. These include a design tool for sizing surface water heat exchangers, a design tool for sizing standing column wells, a new model of surface water heat pump systems implemented in EnergyPlus and a new model of standing column wells implemented in EnergyPlus. These tools will better help engineers design these systems and determine the economic and technical feasibility.

Multimodal Observation and Classification of People Engaged in Problem Solving: Application to Chess Players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Guntz

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper we present the first results of a pilot experiment in the interpretation of multimodal observations of human experts engaged in solving challenging chess problems. Our goal is to investigate the extent to which observations of eye-gaze, posture, emotion and other physiological signals can be used to model the cognitive state of subjects, and to explore the integration of multiple sensor modalities to improve the reliability of detection of human displays of awareness and emotion. Domains of application for such cognitive model based systems are, for instance, healthy autonomous ageing or automated training systems. Abilities to observe cognitive abilities and emotional reactions can allow artificial systems to provide appropriate assistance in such contexts. We observed chess players engaged in problems of increasing difficulty while recording their behavior. Such recordings can be used to estimate a participant’s awareness of the current situation and to predict ability to respond effectively to challenging situations. Feature selection has been performed to construct a multimodal classifier relying on the most relevant features from each modality. Initial results indicate that eye-gaze, body posture and emotion are good features to capture such awareness. This experiment also validates the use of our equipment as a general and reproducible tool for the study of participants engaged in screen-based interaction and/or problem solving.

The SLICE, CHESS, and SISTINE Ultraviolet Spectrographs: Rocket-Borne Instrumentation Supporting Future Astrophysics Missions

Science.gov (United States)

France, Kevin; Hoadley, Keri; Fleming, Brian T.; Kane, Robert; Nell, Nicholas; Beasley, Matthew; Green, James C.

2016-03-01

NASA’s suborbital program provides an opportunity to conduct unique science experiments above Earth’s atmosphere and is a pipeline for the technology and personnel essential to future space astrophysics, heliophysics, and atmospheric science missions. In this paper, we describe three astronomy payloads developed (or in development) by the Ultraviolet Rocket Group at the University of Colorado. These far-ultraviolet (UV) (100-160nm) spectrographic instruments are used to study a range of scientific topics, from gas in the interstellar medium (accessing diagnostics of material spanning five orders of magnitude in temperature in a single observation) to the energetic radiation environment of nearby exoplanetary systems. The three instruments, Suborbital Local Interstellar Cloud Experiment (SLICE), Colorado High-resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (CHESS), and Suborbital Imaging Spectrograph for Transition region Irradiance from Nearby Exoplanet host stars (SISTINE) form a progression of instrument designs and component-level technology maturation. SLICE is a pathfinder instrument for the development of new data handling, storage, and telemetry techniques. CHESS and SISTINE are testbeds for technology and instrument design enabling high-resolution (R>105) point source spectroscopy and high throughput imaging spectroscopy, respectively, in support of future Explorer, Probe, and Flagship-class missions. The CHESS and SISTINE payloads support the development and flight testing of large-format photon-counting detectors and advanced optical coatings: NASA’s top two technology priorities for enabling a future flagship observatory (e.g. the LUVOIR Surveyor concept) that offers factors of ˜50-100 gain in UV spectroscopy capability over the Hubble Space Telescope. We present the design, component level laboratory characterization, and flight results for these instruments.

Application of CHESS single-bounce capillaries at synchrotron beamlines

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, R.; Szebenyi, T.; Pfeifer, M.; Woll, A.; Smilgies, D.-M.; Finkelstein, K.; Dale, D.; Wang, Y.; Vila-Comamala, J.; Gillilan, R.; Cook, M.; Bilderback, D. H.

2014-03-01

Single-bounce capillaries are achromatic X-ray focusing optics that can provide efficient and high demagnification focusing with large numerical apertures. Capillary fabrication at CHESS can be customized according to specific application requirements. Exemplary applications are reviewed in this paper, as well as recent progress on condensers for high-resolution transmission X-ray microscopy and small focal size capillaries.

Oil Contact Angles in a Water-Decane-Silicon Dioxide System: Effects of Surface Charge.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Shijing; Wang, Jingyao; Wu, Jiazhong; Liu, Qingjie; Sun, Chengzhen; Bai, Bofeng

2018-04-19

Oil wettability in the water-oil-rock systems is very sensitive to the evolution of surface charges on the rock surfaces induced by the adsorption of ions and other chemical agents in water flooding. Through a set of large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, we reveal the effects of surface charge on the oil contact angles in an ideal water-decane-silicon dioxide system. The results show that the contact angles of oil nano-droplets have a great dependence on the surface charges. As the surface charge density exceeds a critical value of 0.992 e/nm 2 , the contact angle reaches up to 78.8° and the water-wet state is very apparent. The variation of contact angles can be confirmed from the number density distributions of oil molecules. With increasing the surface charge density, the adsorption of oil molecules weakens and the contact areas between nano-droplets and silicon dioxide surface are reduced. In addition, the number density distributions, RDF distributions, and molecular orientations indicate that the oil molecules are adsorbed on the silicon dioxide surface layer-by-layer with an orientation parallel to the surface. However, the layered structure of oil molecules near the silicon dioxide surface becomes more and more obscure at higher surface charge densities.

Utilization threshold of surface water and groundwater based on the system optimization of crop planting structure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiang FU,Jiahong LI,Tianxiao LI,Dong LIU,Song CUI

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Based on the diversity of the agricultural system, this research calculates the planting structures of rice, maize and soybean considering the optimal economic-social-ecological aspects. Then, based on the uncertainty and randomness of the water resources system, the interval two-stage stochastic programming method, which introduces the uncertainty of the interval number, is used to calculate the groundwater exploitation and the use efficiency of surface water. The method considers the minimum cost of water as the objective of the uncertainty model for surface water and groundwater joint scheduling optimization for different planting structures. Finally, by calculating harmonious entropy, the optimal exploitation utilization interval of surface water and groundwater is determined for optimal cultivation in the Sanjiang Plain. The optimal matching of the planting structure under the economic system is suitable when the mining ratio of the surface is in 44.13%—45.45% and the exploitation utilization of groundwater is in 54.82%—66.86%, the optimal planting structure under the social system is suitable when surface water mining ratio is in 47.84%—48.04% and the groundwater exploitation threshold is in 67.07%—72.00%. This article optimizes the economic-social-ecological-water system, which is important for the development of a water- and food-conserving society and providing a more accurate management environment.

Expertise in complex decision making: the role of search in chess 70 years after de Groot.

Science.gov (United States)

Connors, Michael H; Burns, Bruce D; Campitelli, Guillermo

2011-01-01

One of the most influential studies in all expertise research is de Groot's (1946) study of chess players, which suggested that pattern recognition, rather than search, was the key determinant of expertise. Many changes have occurred in the chess world since de Groot's study, leading some authors to argue that the cognitive mechanisms underlying expertise have also changed. We decided to replicate de Groot's study to empirically test these claims and to examine whether the trends in the data have changed over time. Six Grandmasters, five International Masters, six Experts, and five Class A players completed the think-aloud procedure for two chess positions. Findings indicate that Grandmasters and International Masters search more quickly than Experts and Class A players, and that both groups today search substantially faster than players in previous studies. The findings, however, support de Groot's overall conclusions and are consistent with predictions made by pattern recognition models. Copyright © 2011 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

A Case Study of MasterMind Chess: Comparing Mouse/Keyboard Interaction with Kinect-Based Gestural Interface

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriel Alves Mendes Vasiljevic

2016-01-01

Full Text Available As gestural interfaces emerged as a new type of user interface, their use has been vastly explored by the entertainment industry to better immerse the player in games. Despite being mainly used in dance and sports games, little use was made of gestural interaction in more slow-paced genres, such as board games. In this work, we present a Kinect-based gestural interface for an online and multiplayer chess game and describe a case study with users with different playing skill levels. Comparing the mouse/keyboard interaction with the gesture-based interaction, the results of the activity were synthesized into lessons learned regarding general usability and design of game control mechanisms. These results could be applied to slow-paced board games like chess. Our findings indicate that gestural interfaces may not be suitable for competitive chess matches, yet it can be fun to play while using them in casual matches.

Optimal dimensionality reduction of complex dynamics: the chess game as diffusion on a free-energy landscape.

Science.gov (United States)

Krivov, Sergei V

2011-07-01

Dimensionality reduction is ubiquitous in the analysis of complex dynamics. The conventional dimensionality reduction techniques, however, focus on reproducing the underlying configuration space, rather than the dynamics itself. The constructed low-dimensional space does not provide a complete and accurate description of the dynamics. Here I describe how to perform dimensionality reduction while preserving the essential properties of the dynamics. The approach is illustrated by analyzing the chess game--the archetype of complex dynamics. A variable that provides complete and accurate description of chess dynamics is constructed. The winning probability is predicted by describing the game as a random walk on the free-energy landscape associated with the variable. The approach suggests a possible way of obtaining a simple yet accurate description of many important complex phenomena. The analysis of the chess game shows that the approach can quantitatively describe the dynamics of processes where human decision-making plays a central role, e.g., financial and social dynamics.

The neural correlates of theory of mind and their role during empathy and the game of chess: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, Joanne L; Grossi, Davide; Corcoran, Rhiannon; Gobet, Fernand; García-Fiñana, Marta

2017-07-04

Chess involves the capacity to reason iteratively about potential intentional choices of an opponent and therefore involves high levels of explicit theory of mind [ToM] (i.e. ability to infer mental states of others) alongside clear, strategic rule-based decision-making. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used on 12 healthy male novice chess players to identify cortical regions associated with chess, ToM and empathizing. The blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) response for chess and empathizing tasks was extracted from each ToM region. Results showed neural overlap between ToM, chess and empathizing tasks in right-hemisphere temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) [BA40], left-hemisphere superior temporal gyrus [BA22] and posterior cingulate gyrus [BA23/31]. TPJ is suggested to underlie the capacity to reason iteratively about another's internal state in a range of tasks. Areas activated by ToM and empathy included right-hemisphere orbitofrontal cortex and bilateral middle temporal gyrus: areas that become active when there is need to inhibit one's own experience when considering the internal state of another and for visual evaluation of action rationality. Results support previous findings, that ToM recruits a neural network with each region sub-serving a supporting role depending on the nature of the task itself. In contrast, a network of cortical regions primarily located within right- and left-hemisphere medial-frontal and parietal cortex, outside the internal representational network, was selectively recruited during the chess task. We hypothesize that in our cohort of novice chess players the strategy was to employ an iterative thinking pattern which in part involved mentalizing processes and recruited core ToM-related regions. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Controllability of Surface Water Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Riasi, M. Sadegh; Yeghiazarian, Lilit

2017-12-01

To sustainably manage water resources, we must understand how to control complex networked systems. In this paper, we study surface water networks from the perspective of structural controllability, a concept that integrates classical control theory with graph-theoretic formalism. We present structural controllability theory and compute four metrics: full and target controllability, control centrality and control profile (FTCP) that collectively determine the structural boundaries of the system's control space. We use these metrics to answer the following questions: How does the structure of a surface water network affect its controllability? How to efficiently control a preselected subset of the network? Which nodes have the highest control power? What types of topological structures dominate controllability? Finally, we demonstrate the structural controllability theory in the analysis of a wide range of surface water networks, such as tributary, deltaic, and braided river systems.

CHESS upgrade with compact undulator magnets: Operating experience and first results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Temnykh, A., E-mail: abt6@cornell.edu; Dale, D.; Fontes, E.; Lyndaker, A.; Li, Y.; Ruff, J.; Revesz, P.; Woll, A. [Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (United States)

2016-07-27

In November 2014 two in-air 1.5 m CHESS Compact Undulator (CCU) magnets built by KYMA S.R.l. were installed in Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR) in canted arrangement and after few days of commissioning their regular operation started. CCU magnets are compact, lightweight and cost efficient devices. They have very stable magnetic field integrals independent of deflection parameter value. This feature greatly simplifies the storage ring operation. The CCU concept was developed at Cornell in 2011 and the first 1 m in-vacuum CCU magnet was beam-tested in 2012. The article presents CCU concept and some details of the design. It describes also the layout of CCUs installation in CESR, their performance and characteristics. The current status of operation and future plans are discussed as well. Presently, at CHESS two CCU magnets provide radiation for 5 out of 11 experimental stations.

CHESS upgrade with compact undulator magnets: Operating experience and first results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Temnykh, A.; Dale, D.; Fontes, E.; Lyndaker, A.; Li, Y.; Ruff, J.; Revesz, P.; Woll, A.

2016-01-01

In November 2014 two in-air 1.5 m CHESS Compact Undulator (CCU) magnets built by KYMA S.R.l. were installed in Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR) in canted arrangement and after few days of commissioning their regular operation started. CCU magnets are compact, lightweight and cost efficient devices. They have very stable magnetic field integrals independent of deflection parameter value. This feature greatly simplifies the storage ring operation. The CCU concept was developed at Cornell in 2011 and the first 1 m in-vacuum CCU magnet was beam-tested in 2012. The article presents CCU concept and some details of the design. It describes also the layout of CCUs installation in CESR, their performance and characteristics. The current status of operation and future plans are discussed as well. Presently, at CHESS two CCU magnets provide radiation for 5 out of 11 experimental stations.

Water surface deformation in strong electrical fields and its influence on electrical breakdown in a metal pin-water electrode system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruggeman, Peter; Graham, Leigh; Groote, Joris de; Vierendeels, Jan; Leys, Christophe

2007-01-01

Electrical breakdown and water surface deformation in a metal pin-water electrode system with dc applied voltages is studied for small inter-electrode distances (2-12 mm). The radius of curvature of the metal pin is 0.5 cm to exclude corona before breakdown at these small inter-electrode spacings. Calculations of the water surface deformation as a function of the applied voltage and initial inter-electrode spacing are compared with measurements of the water elevation. For distances smaller than 7 mm the calculated stability limit of the water surface corresponds with the experimentally obtained breakdown voltage. It is proved with fast CCD images and calculations of the electrical field distribution that the water surface instability triggers the electrical breakdown in this case. The images show that at breakdown the water surface has a Taylor cone-like shape. At inter-electrode distance of 7 mm and larger the breakdown voltage is well below the water stability limit and the conductive channel at breakdown is formed between the pin electrode and the static water surface. Both cases are discussed and compared

Development of Embedded CAPTCHA Elements for Bot Prevention in Fischer Random Chess

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryan McDaniel

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Cheating in chess can take many forms and has existed almost as long as the game itself. The advent of computers has introduced a new form of cheating into the game. Thanks to the computational power of modern-day computers, a player can use a program to calculate thousands of moves for him or her, and determine the best possible scenario for each move and countermove. These programs are often referred to as “bots,” and can even play the game without any user interaction. In this paper, we describe a methodology aimed at preventing bots from participating in online chess games. The proposed approach is based on the integration of a CAPTCHA protocol into a game scenario, and the subsequent inability of bots to accurately track the game states. This is achieved by rotating the images of the individual chess pieces and adjusting their resolution in an attempt to render them unreadable by a bot. Feedback from users during testing shows that there is minimal impact on their ability to play the game. Players rated the difficulty of reading the pieces on a scale of one to ten, with an average rank of 6.5. However, the average number of moves to adjust to the distorted pieces was only 3.75. This tells us that, although it is difficult to read the pieces at first, it is easy to adjust quickly to the new image.

'Checkmating HIV&AIDS': Using chess to break the silence in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Omar Esau

2012-12-13

Dec 13, 2012 ... I seemed to be doing all the talking and it appeared ... In this article, I focus specifically on chess to ... thinking; memory pattern recognition; calculation; inductive and deductive reasoning; visual imagery; creativity; problem-solving; and decision-making. ... abilities in abstract reasoning and problem-solving.

Current status of CHESS - the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mills, D.; Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY

1982-01-01

This paper reviews the status of CHESS through its three-year construction period, which ends in the fall of 1981. Included are a brief description of beam lines, monochromators, station instrumentations and support facilities. Our experiences with source size and stability over the last year are reported, along with planned fall revisions and running schedule. (orig.)

Meta-analysis of age and skill effects on recalling chess positions and selecting the best move.

Science.gov (United States)

Moxley, Jerad H; Charness, Neil

2013-10-01

A meta-analysis was conducted of studies that measured the effects of both age and skill in chess on the tasks of selecting the best move for chess positions (the best move task) as well as recalling chess game positions (the recall task). Despite a small sample of studies, we demonstrated that there are age and skill effects on both tasks: age being negatively associated with performance on both tasks and skill being positively associated with performance on both tasks. On the best move task, we found that skill was the dominant effect, while on the recall task, skill and age were approximately equally strong effects. We also found that skill was best measured by the best move task. In the case of the best move task, this result is consistent with the argument that it accurately replicates expert performance (Ericsson & Smith, 1991). Results for the recall task argue that this task captures effects related to skill, but also effects likely due to a general aging process. Implications for our understanding of aging in skilled domains are also discussed.

Measuring chess experts' single-use sequence knowledge: an archival study of departure from 'theoretical' openings.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philippe Chassy

Full Text Available The respective roles of knowledge and search have received considerable attention in the literature on expertise. However, most of the evidence on knowledge has been indirect--e.g., by inferring the presence of chunks in long-term memory from performance in memory recall tasks. Here we provide direct estimates of the amount of monochrestic (single use and rote knowledge held by chess players of varying skill levels. From a large chess database, we analyzed 76,562 games played in 2008 by individuals ranging from Class B players (average players to Masters to measure the extent to which players deviate from previously known initial sequences of moves ("openings". Substantial differences were found in the number of moves known by players of different skill levels, with more expert players knowing more moves. Combined with assumptions independently made about the branching factor in master games, we estimate that masters have memorized about 100,000 opening moves. Our results support the hypothesis that monochrestic knowledge is essential for reaching high levels of expertise in chess. They provide a direct, quantitative estimate of the number of opening moves that players have to know to reach master level.

Water at surfaces with tunable surface chemistries

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, Stephanie E.; Vanselous, Heather; Petersen, Poul B.

2018-03-01

Aqueous interfaces are ubiquitous in natural environments, spanning atmospheric, geological, oceanographic, and biological systems, as well as in technical applications, such as fuel cells and membrane filtration. Where liquid water terminates at a surface, an interfacial region is formed, which exhibits distinct properties from the bulk aqueous phase. The unique properties of water are governed by the hydrogen-bonded network. The chemical and physical properties of the surface dictate the boundary conditions of the bulk hydrogen-bonded network and thus the interfacial properties of the water and any molecules in that region. Understanding the properties of interfacial water requires systematically characterizing the structure and dynamics of interfacial water as a function of the surface chemistry. In this review, we focus on the use of experimental surface-specific spectroscopic methods to understand the properties of interfacial water as a function of surface chemistry. Investigations of the air-water interface, as well as efforts in tuning the properties of the air-water interface by adding solutes or surfactants, are briefly discussed. Buried aqueous interfaces can be accessed with careful selection of spectroscopic technique and sample configuration, further expanding the range of chemical environments that can be probed, including solid inorganic materials, polymers, and water immiscible liquids. Solid substrates can be finely tuned by functionalization with self-assembled monolayers, polymers, or biomolecules. These variables provide a platform for systematically tuning the chemical nature of the interface and examining the resulting water structure. Finally, time-resolved methods to probe the dynamics of interfacial water are briefly summarized before discussing the current status and future directions in studying the structure and dynamics of interfacial water.

The CHESS score: a simple tool for early prediction of shunt dependency after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Science.gov (United States)

Jabbarli, R; Bohrer, A-M; Pierscianek, D; Müller, D; Wrede, K H; Dammann, P; El Hindy, N; Özkan, N; Sure, U; Müller, O

2016-05-01

Acute hydrocephalus is an early and common complication of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, considerably fewer patients develop chronic hydrocephalus requiring shunt placement. Our aim was to develop a risk score for early identification of patients with shunt dependency after SAH. Two hundred and forty-two SAH individuals who were treated in our institution between January 2008 and December 2013 and survived the initial impact were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical parameters within 72 h after the ictus were correlated with shunt dependency. Independent predictors were summarized into a new risk score which was validated in a subsequent SAH cohort treated between January and December 2014. Seventy-five patients (31%) underwent shunt placement. Of 23 evaluated variables, only the following five showed independent associations with shunt dependency and were subsequently used to establish the Chronic Hydrocephalus Ensuing from SAH Score (CHESS, 0-8 points): Hunt and Hess grade ≥IV (1 point), location of the ruptured aneurysm in the posterior circulation (1 point), acute hydrocephalus (4 points), the presence of intraventricular hemorrhage (1 point) and early cerebral infarction on follow-up computed tomography scan (1 point). The CHESS showed strong correlation with shunt dependency (P = 0.0007) and could be successfully validated in both internal SAH cohorts tested. Patients scoring ≥6 CHESS points had significantly higher risk of shunt dependency (P CHESS may become a valuable diagnostic tool for early estimation of shunt dependency after SAH. Further evaluation and external validation will be required in prospective studies. © 2016 EAN.

Cherenkov and scintillation light separation on the CheSS experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Caravaca, Javier; Land, Benjamin; Descamps, Freija; Orebi Gann, Gabriel D.

2016-09-01

Separation of the scintillation and Cherenkov light produced in liquid scintillators enables outstanding capabilities for future particle detectors, the most relevant being: particle directionality information in a low energy threshold detector and improved particle identification. The CheSS experiment uses an array of small, fast photomultipliers (PMTs) and state-of-the-art electronics to demonstrate the reconstruction of a Cherenkov ring in liquid scintillator using two techniques: based on the photon density and using the photon hit time information. A charged particle ionizing a scintillation medium produces a prompt Cherenkov cone and late isotropic scintillation light, typically delayed by several ns. The fast response of our PMTs and DAQ provides a precision well below the ns level, making possible the time separation. Furthermore, the usage of the new developed water-based liquid scintillators (WbLS) enhances the separation since it allows tuning of the Cherenkov/Scintillation ratio. Latest results on the separation for pure liquid scintillators and WbLS will be presented.

Efficacy of chess training for the treatment of ADHD: A prospective, open label study.

Science.gov (United States)

Blasco-Fontecilla, Hilario; Gonzalez-Perez, Marisa; Garcia-Lopez, Raquel; Poza-Cano, Belen; Perez-Moreno, Maria Rosario; de Leon-Martinez, Victoria; Otero-Perez, Jose

2016-01-01

To examine the effectiveness of playing chess as a treatment option for children with ADHD. Parents of 44 children ages 6 to 17 with a primary diagnosis of ADHD consented to take part in the study. Parents completed the Spanish version of the Swanson, Nolan and Pelham Scale for parents (SNAP-IV) and the Abbreviated Conner's Rating Scales for parents (CPRS-HI) prior to an 11-week chess-training program. We used a paired t-test to compare pre- and post-intervention outcomes, and Cohen-d calculations to measure the magnitude of the effect. The statistical significance was set at Pchess could be included within the multimodal treatment of ADHD. Copyright © 2014 SEP y SEPB. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

E-line: A new crystal collimator beam line for source size measurements at CHESS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, Jeffrey A.; Revesz, Peter; Finkelstein, Ken

2007-01-01

A new X-ray beam line has been constructed at cornell high energy synchrotron source (CHESS) to measure the vertical and horizontal source size of the positron particle beam. The cornell laboratory of elementary particle physics (LEPP) operates the storage ring (CESR) for X-ray generation for the CHESS user community by circulating electrons and their antimatter counterpart positrons in counter-rotating beams. As the laboratory reduces the emittances of particle beams to increase X-ray brilliance, there has been an increasing need for diagnostic tools to measure and monitor source size. A beam line front end that accesses the positron synchrotron light has been fitted with an experimental chamber and apparatus of compact design capable of horizontal and vertical source size measurement using the 'crystal collimator' technique, and an additional setup for vertical beam position monitoring using a luminescence-based X-ray video beam position monitoring system. The crystal collimators each consist of two Si(2 2 0) crystals in a dispersive (+,+) arrangement that diffract X-rays to a fluorescent material coated on a view port observed with a CCD camera. Measurements of the positron vertical beam size using the crystal collimation method at E-line are compared with measurements of visible synchrotron light at a remotely located dedicated port on the storage ring

Concentration data for anthropogenic organic compounds in groundwater, surface water, and finished water of selected community water systems in the United States, 2002-10

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Janet M.; Kingsbury, James A.; Hopple, Jessica A.; Delzer, Gregory C.

2010-01-01

The National Water-Quality Assessment Program of the U.S. Geological Survey began implementing Source Water-Quality Assessments (SWQAs) in 2001 that focus on characterizing the quality of source water and finished water of aquifers and major rivers used by some of the larger community water systems in the United States. As used in SWQA studies, source water is the raw (ambient) water collected at the supply well before water treatment (for groundwater) or the raw (ambient) water collected from the river near the intake (for surface water), and finished water is the water that has been treated and is ready to be delivered to consumers. Finished-water samples are collected before the water enters the distribution system. The primary objective of SWQAs is to determine the occurrence of more than 250 anthropogenic organic compounds in source water used by community water systems, many of which currently are unregulated in drinking water by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A secondary objective is to understand recurrence patterns in source water and determine if these patterns also occur in finished water before distribution. SWQA studies were conducted in two phases for most studies completed by 2005, and in one phase for most studies completed since 2005. Analytical results are reported for a total of 295 different anthropogenic organic compounds monitored in source-water and finished-water samples collected during 2002-10. The 295 compounds were classified according to the following 13 primary use or source groups: (1) disinfection by-products; (2) fumigant-related compounds; (3) fungicides; (4) gasoline hydrocarbons, oxygenates, and oxygenate degradates; (5) herbicides and herbicide degradates; (6) insecticides and insecticide degradates; (7) manufacturing additives; (8) organic synthesis compounds; (9) pavement- and combustion-derived compounds; (10) personal-care and domestic-use products; (11) plant- or animal-derived biochemicals; (12) refrigerants and

Chess games: a model for RNA based computation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cukras, A R; Faulhammer, D; Lipton, R J; Landweber, L F

1999-10-01

Here we develop the theory of RNA computing and a method for solving the 'knight problem' as an instance of a satisfiability (SAT) problem. Using only biological molecules and enzymes as tools, we developed an algorithm for solving the knight problem (3 x 3 chess board) using a 10-bit combinatorial pool and sequential RNase H digestions. The results of preliminary experiments presented here reveal that the protocol recovers far more correct solutions than expected at random, but the persistence of errors still presents the greatest challenge.

The Carbon Dioxide System in the Baltic Sea Surface Waters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wesslander, Karin

2011-05-15

The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) in the atmosphere is steadily increasing because of human activities such as fossil fuel burning. To understand how this is affecting the planet, several pieces of knowledge of the CO{sub 2} system have to be investigated. One piece is how the coastal seas, which are used by people and influenced by industrialization, are functioning. In this thesis, the CO{sub 2} system in the Baltic Sea surface water has been investigated using observations from the last century to the present. The Baltic Sea is characterized of a restricted water exchange with the open ocean and a large inflow of river water. The CO{sub 2} system, including parameters such as pH and partial pressure of CO{sub 2} (pCO{sub 2}), has large seasonal and inter-annual variability in the Baltic Sea. These parameters are affected by several processes, such as air-sea gas exchange, physical mixing, and biological processes. Inorganic carbon is assimilated in the primary production and pCO{sub 2} declines to approx150 muatm in summer. In winter, pCO{sub 2} levels increase because of prevailing mineralization and mixing processes. The wind-mixed surface layer deepens to the halocline (approx60 m) and brings CO{sub 2}- enriched water to the surface. Winter pCO{sub 2} may be as high as 600 muatm in the surface water. The CO{sub 2} system is also exposed to short-term variations caused by the daily biological cycle and physical events such as upwelling. A cruise was made in the central Baltic Sea to make synoptic measurements of oceanographic, chemical, and meteorological parameters with high temporal resolution. Large short-term variations were found in pCO{sub 2} and oxygen (O{sub 2}), which were highly correlated. The diurnal variation of pCO{sub 2} was up to 40 muatm. The CO{sub 2} system in the Baltic Sea changed as the industrialization increased around 1950, which was demonstrated using a coupled physical-biogeochemical model of the CO{sub 2} system

The mechanisms and boundary conditions of the Einstellung effect in chess: evidence from eye movements.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheridan, Heather; Reingold, Eyal M

2013-01-01

In a wide range of problem-solving settings, the presence of a familiar solution can block the discovery of better solutions (i.e., the Einstellung effect). To investigate this effect, we monitored the eye movements of expert and novice chess players while they solved chess problems that contained a familiar move (i.e., the Einstellung move), as well as an optimal move that was located in a different region of the board. When the Einstellung move was an advantageous (but suboptimal) move, both the expert and novice chess players who chose the Einstellung move continued to look at this move throughout the trial, whereas the subset of expert players who chose the optimal move were able to gradually disengage their attention from the Einstellung move. However, when the Einstellung move was a blunder, all of the experts and the majority of the novices were able to avoid selecting the Einstellung move, and both the experts and novices gradually disengaged their attention from the Einstellung move. These findings shed light on the boundary conditions of the Einstellung effect, and provide convergent evidence for Bilalić, McLeod, & Gobet (2008)'s conclusion that the Einstellung effect operates by biasing attention towards problem features that are associated with the familiar solution rather than the optimal solution.

Lingering fat signals with CHESS in simultaneous imaging of both hands can be improved with rice pads in both 1.5 T and 3.0 T

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moriya, Susumu, E-mail: smoyari@yahoo.co.jp [Division of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa 920-0942 (Japan); Ishikawa Clinic, 46-1 Shimokamo-Umenoki-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 606-0851 (Japan); Miki, Yukio, E-mail: yukio.miki@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp [Department of Radiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585 (Japan); Kamishima, Tamotsu, E-mail: ktamotamo2@yahoo.co.jp [Department of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Health Science, North-12 West-5 Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812 (Japan); Miyati, Tosiaki, E-mail: ramiyati@mhs.mp.kanazawa-u.ac.jp [Division of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa 920-0942 (Japan); Kanagaki, Mitsunori, E-mail: mitsuk@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin-kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 606-8507 (Japan); Matsuno, Yukako, E-mail: ynoma2000jp@yahoo.co.jp [Oike Clinic, 11 Nishinokyo-Shimoai-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 604-8436 (Japan); Yokobayashi, Tsuneo, E-mail: mri@mrnet.jp [Ishikawa Clinic, 46-1 Shimokamo-Umenoki-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 606-0851 (Japan)

2013-09-15

Objectives: To investigate whether rice pads can eliminate lingering fat signals of the complex surface shape of both hands that occur with chemical shift selective (CHESS) at 1.5 T and 3.0 T. Materials and methods: T1-weighted images were obtained with CHESS using 1.5 T and 3.0 T systems. The same imaging parameters were used with and without rice pads on the coronal plane of both hands in 10 healthy volunteers. The fat-suppression effects were classified into four categories and scored for images, and visual evaluations were performed by one radiologist and one radiologic technologist. Results: At 1.5 T, the mean evaluation score was 1.55 for images obtained without rice pads and 3.50 for images obtained with rice pads. At 3.0 T, the mean evaluation score was 1.10 for images obtained without rice pads and 3.20 for images obtained with rice pads. With both systems, images obtained with the rice pads showed significantly better fat suppression effects than images obtained without rice pads (P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001). Conclusions: It was confirmed that lingering fat signals are eliminated and good fat-suppressed images are obtained with the use of rice pads at 1.5 T and 3.0 T. Rice pads are therefore useful with at 1.5 T and 3.0 T, which are currently becoming more widely used.

Lingering fat signals with CHESS in simultaneous imaging of both hands can be improved with rice pads in both 1.5 T and 3.0 T

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moriya, Susumu; Miki, Yukio; Kamishima, Tamotsu; Miyati, Tosiaki; Kanagaki, Mitsunori; Matsuno, Yukako; Yokobayashi, Tsuneo

2013-01-01

Objectives: To investigate whether rice pads can eliminate lingering fat signals of the complex surface shape of both hands that occur with chemical shift selective (CHESS) at 1.5 T and 3.0 T. Materials and methods: T1-weighted images were obtained with CHESS using 1.5 T and 3.0 T systems. The same imaging parameters were used with and without rice pads on the coronal plane of both hands in 10 healthy volunteers. The fat-suppression effects were classified into four categories and scored for images, and visual evaluations were performed by one radiologist and one radiologic technologist. Results: At 1.5 T, the mean evaluation score was 1.55 for images obtained without rice pads and 3.50 for images obtained with rice pads. At 3.0 T, the mean evaluation score was 1.10 for images obtained without rice pads and 3.20 for images obtained with rice pads. With both systems, images obtained with the rice pads showed significantly better fat suppression effects than images obtained without rice pads (P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001). Conclusions: It was confirmed that lingering fat signals are eliminated and good fat-suppressed images are obtained with the use of rice pads at 1.5 T and 3.0 T. Rice pads are therefore useful with at 1.5 T and 3.0 T, which are currently becoming more widely used

Lingering fat signals with CHESS in simultaneous imaging of both hands can be improved with rice pads in both 1.5T and 3.0T.

Science.gov (United States)

Moriya, Susumu; Miki, Yukio; Kamishima, Tamotsu; Miyati, Tosiaki; Kanagaki, Mitsunori; Matsuno, Yukako; Yokobayashi, Tsuneo

2013-09-01

To investigate whether rice pads can eliminate lingering fat signals of the complex surface shape of both hands that occur with chemical shift selective (CHESS) at 1.5T and 3.0T. T1-weighted images were obtained with CHESS using 1.5T and 3.0T systems. The same imaging parameters were used with and without rice pads on the coronal plane of both hands in 10 healthy volunteers. The fat-suppression effects were classified into four categories and scored for images, and visual evaluations were performed by one radiologist and one radiologic technologist. At 1.5T, the mean evaluation score was 1.55 for images obtained without rice pads and 3.50 for images obtained with rice pads. At 3.0T, the mean evaluation score was 1.10 for images obtained without rice pads and 3.20 for images obtained with rice pads. With both systems, images obtained with the rice pads showed significantly better fat suppression effects than images obtained without rice pads (P<0.0001, P<0.0001). It was confirmed that lingering fat signals are eliminated and good fat-suppressed images are obtained with the use of rice pads at 1.5T and 3.0T. Rice pads are therefore useful with at 1.5T and 3.0T, which are currently becoming more widely used. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Concentration data for anthropogenic organic compounds in ground water, surface water, and finished water of selected community water systems in the United States, 2002-05

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Janet M.; Delzer, Gregory C.; Kingsbury, James A.; Hopple, Jessica A.

2007-01-01

The National Water-Quality Assessment Program of the U.S. Geological Survey began implementing Source Water-Quality Assessments (SWQAs) in 2001 that focus on characterizing the quality of source water and finished water of aquifers and major rivers used by some of the larger community water systems (CWSs) in the United States. As used for SWQA studies, source water is the raw (ambient) water collected at the supply well prior to water treatment (for ground water) or the raw (ambient) water collected from the river near the intake (for surface water), and finished water is the water that is treated and ready to be delivered to consumers. Finished water is collected before entering the distribution system. SWQA studies are conducted in two phases, and the objectives of SWQA studies are twofold: (1) to determine the occurrence and, for rivers, seasonal changes in concentrations of a broad list of anthropogenic organic compounds (AOCs) in aquifers and rivers that have some of the largest withdrawals for drinking-water supply (phase 1), and (2) for those AOCs found to occur most frequently in source water, characterize the extent to which these compounds are present in finished water (phase 2). These objectives were met for SWQA studies by collecting ground-water and surface-water (source) samples and analyzing these samples for 258 AOCs during phase 1. Samples from a subset of wells and surface-water sites located in areas with substantial agricultural production in the watershed were analyzed for 19 additional AOCs, for a total of 277 compounds analyzed for SWQA studies. The 277 compounds were classified according to the following 13 primary use or source groups: (1) disinfection by-products; (2) fumigant-related compounds; (3) fungicides; (4) gasoline hydrocarbons, oxygenates, and oxygenate degradates; (5) herbicides and herbicide degradates; (6) insecticides and insecticide degradates; (7) manufacturing additives; (8) organic synthesis compounds; (9) pavement- and

The protostar OMC-2 FIR 4: Results from the CHESS Herschel/HIFI spectral survey

Science.gov (United States)

Kama, Mihkel; Lopez-Sepulcre, Ana; Ceccarelli, Cecilia; Dominik, Carsten; Caux, Emmanuel; Fuente, Asuncion

2013-07-01

The intermediate-mass protostar OMC-2 FIR 4 in Orion is the focus of several ongoing studies, including a CHESS key programme Herschel/HIFI spectral survey. In this poster, we review recent CHESS results on this source, including the properties of the central hot core, the presence of a compact outflow, the spatial variation of the chemical composition, and the discovery of a tenuous foreground cloud. The HIFI spectrum of FIR 4 contains 719 lines from 40 species and isotopologs. Cooling by lines detectable with our sensitivity contributes 2% of the total in the 480 to 1900 GHz range. The total line flux is dominated by CO, followed by H2O and CH3OH. Initial comparisons with spectral surveys of other sources will also be presented.

Proposed dedicated high pressure beam lines at CHESS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruoff, A.L.; Vohra, Y.K.; Bassett, W.A.; Batterman, B.W.; Bilderback, D.H.

1988-01-01

An instrumentation proposal for dedicated high pressure beam lines at CHESS is described. It is the purpose of this proposed program to provide researchers in high pressure science with beam lines for X-ray diffraction studies in the megabar regime. This will involve radiation from a bending magnet as well as from a wiggler. Examples of the high pressure results up to 2.16 Mbar are shown. Diffraction patterns from bending magnet and wiggler beams are shown and compared. The need for this facility by the high pressure community is discussed. (orig.)

Surface wastewater in Samara and their impact on water basins as water supply sources

Science.gov (United States)

Strelkov, Alexander; Shuvalov, Mikhail; Gridneva, Marina

2017-10-01

The paper gives an overview of surface wastewater outlets in Samara through the rainwater sewer system into the Saratov water reservoir and the Samara river. The rainwater sewer system in Samara is designed and executed according to a separate scheme, except for the old part of the city, where surface run-off is dumped into the sewer system through siphoned drain. The rainwater system disposes of surface, drainage, industrial clean-contamined waters, emergency and technology discharges from the city’s heat supply and water supply systems. The effluent discharge is carried out by means of separate wastewater outlets into ravines or directly into the Samara river and the Saratov water reservoir without cleaning. The effluent discharge is carried out through the rainwater sewer system with 17 wastewater outlets into the Saratov water reservoir. In the Samara river, surface runoff drainage and clean-contamined water of industrial enterprises is carried out through 14 wastewater outlets. This study emphasizes the demand to arrange effluent discharge and construction of sewage treatment plants to prevent contamination of water objects by surface run-off from residential areas and industrial territories.

Systems Reliability Framework for Surface Water Sustainability and Risk Management

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, J. R.; Yeghiazarian, L.

2016-12-01

framework will significantly improve the efficiency and precision of sustainable watershed management strategies through providing a better understanding of how watershed characteristics and environmental parameters affect surface water quality and sustainability. With microbial contamination posing a serious threat to the availability of clean water across the world, it is necessary to develop a framework that evaluates the safety and sustainability of water systems in respect to non-point source fecal microbial contamination. The concept of water safety is closely related to the concept of failure in reliability theory. In water quality problems, the event of failure can be defined as the concentration of microbial contamination exceeding a certain standard for usability of water. It is pertinent in watershed management to know the likelihood of such an event of failure occurring at a particular point in space and time. Microbial fate and transport are driven by environmental processes taking place in complex, multi-component, interdependent environmental systems that are dynamic and spatially heterogeneous, which means these processes and therefore their influences upon microbial transport must be considered stochastic and variable through space and time. A physics-based stochastic model of microbial dynamics is presented that propagates uncertainty using a unique sampling method based on artificial neural networks to produce a correlation between watershed characteristics and spatial-temporal probabilistic patterns of microbial contamination. These results are used to address the question of water safety through several sustainability metrics: reliability, vulnerability, resilience and a composite sustainability index. System reliability is described uniquely though the temporal evolution of risk along watershed points or pathways. Probabilistic resilience describes how long the system is above a certain probability of failure, and the vulnerability metric describes how

The Roles of recognition processes and look-ahead search in time-constrained expert problem solving: Evidence from grandmaster level chess.

OpenAIRE

Gobet, F; Simon, H A

1996-01-01

Chess has long served as an important standard task environment for research on human memory and problem-solving abilities and processes. In this paper, we report evidence on the relative importance of recognition processes and planning (look-ahead) processes in very high level expert performance in chess. The data show that the rated skill of a top-level grandmaster is only slightly lower when he is playing simultaneously against a half dozen grandmaster opponents than under tournament con...

E-line: A new crystal collimator beam line for source size measurements at CHESS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

White, Jeffrey A. [CHESS, Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850-8001 (United States)], E-mail: jaw7@cornell.edu; Revesz, Peter; Finkelstein, Ken [CHESS, Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850-8001 (United States)

2007-11-11

A new X-ray beam line has been constructed at cornell high energy synchrotron source (CHESS) to measure the vertical and horizontal source size of the positron particle beam. The cornell laboratory of elementary particle physics (LEPP) operates the storage ring (CESR) for X-ray generation for the CHESS user community by circulating electrons and their antimatter counterpart positrons in counter-rotating beams. As the laboratory reduces the emittances of particle beams to increase X-ray brilliance, there has been an increasing need for diagnostic tools to measure and monitor source size. A beam line front end that accesses the positron synchrotron light has been fitted with an experimental chamber and apparatus of compact design capable of horizontal and vertical source size measurement using the 'crystal collimator' technique, and an additional setup for vertical beam position monitoring using a luminescence-based X-ray video beam position monitoring system. The crystal collimators each consist of two Si(2 2 0) crystals in a dispersive (+,+) arrangement that diffract X-rays to a fluorescent material coated on a view port observed with a CCD camera. Measurements of the positron vertical beam size using the crystal collimation method at E-line are compared with measurements of visible synchrotron light at a remotely located dedicated port on the storage ring.

Underground coal mine subsidence impacts on surface water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stump, D.E. Jr.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that subsidence from underground coal mining alters surface water discharge and availability. The magnitude and areal extent of these impacts are dependent on many factors, including the amount of subsidence, topography, geology, climate, surface water - ground water interactions, and fractures in the overburden. There alterations may have positive and/or negative impacts. One of the most significant surface water impacts occurred in July 1957 near West Pittston, Pennsylvania. Subsidence in the Knox Mine under the Coxton Yards of the Lehigh Valley Railroad allowed part of the discharge in the Susquehanna River to flow into the mine and create a crater 200 feet in diameter and 300 feet deep. Fourteen railroad gondola cars fell into the hole which was eventually filled with rock, sand, and gravel. Other surface water impacts from subsidence may include the loss of water to the ground water system, the gaining of water from the ground water system, the creation of flooded subsidence troughs, the increasing of impoundment storage capacity, the relocation of water sources (springs), and the alteration of surface drainage patterns

The mechanisms and boundary conditions of the Einstellung effect in chess: evidence from eye movements.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heather Sheridan

Full Text Available In a wide range of problem-solving settings, the presence of a familiar solution can block the discovery of better solutions (i.e., the Einstellung effect. To investigate this effect, we monitored the eye movements of expert and novice chess players while they solved chess problems that contained a familiar move (i.e., the Einstellung move, as well as an optimal move that was located in a different region of the board. When the Einstellung move was an advantageous (but suboptimal move, both the expert and novice chess players who chose the Einstellung move continued to look at this move throughout the trial, whereas the subset of expert players who chose the optimal move were able to gradually disengage their attention from the Einstellung move. However, when the Einstellung move was a blunder, all of the experts and the majority of the novices were able to avoid selecting the Einstellung move, and both the experts and novices gradually disengaged their attention from the Einstellung move. These findings shed light on the boundary conditions of the Einstellung effect, and provide convergent evidence for Bilalić, McLeod, & Gobet (2008's conclusion that the Einstellung effect operates by biasing attention towards problem features that are associated with the familiar solution rather than the optimal solution.

Fat-suppressed MR images of both hands obtained using CHESS can be improved by rice pads.

Science.gov (United States)

Moriya, Susumu; Miki, Yukio; Kamishima, Tamotsu; Kanagaki, Mitsunori; Yokobayashi, Tsuneo; Ishikawa, Mitsunori

2012-09-01

When chemical shift selective (CHESS) imaging is used with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for simultaneous imaging of both hands for the evaluation of rheumatoid arthritis, the fat suppression effect is poor. We investigated whether these fat-suppressed images using CHESS could be improved with the use of rice pads. T1-weighted images were obtained with CHESS and the same imaging parameters were used with and without rice pads on the coronal plane of both hands in 10 healthy volunteers. Patients were placed in a prone position with both hands extended overhead. The fat-suppression effect was classified into four categories and scored for both sets of images, and visual assessments were made by one radiologist and one radiologic technologist. The evaluation score was 1.1 for the images made without rice pads, and 3.2 for the images made with rice pads. The fat suppression effect was thus significantly better in the images made using rice pads (PCHESS with rice pads, and it was confirmed that the images were improved and had good fat suppression. More accurate evaluation of inflammatory sites that occur in rheumatoid arthritis may thus be possible, promising better diagnostic accuracy. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Making good use of synchrotron radiation, The role of CHESS at Cornell and as a national facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batterman, B.W.

1986-01-01

Atom smashers is what the New York Times calls them when it publishes a piece about particle accelerators. Historically, particle accelerators were in fact used to break apart atoms, but modern machines do more exotic things. One of them is a spin-off of acceleration - the production of high-energy synchrotron radiation. Once considered a nuisance, this radiation has become valuable in almost every field of science and engineering. It is the basis of a national facility, the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), that operates in conjunction with the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR). CHESS provides the highest-energy synchrotron radiation available in the United States

Ground-Water System in the Chimacum Creek Basin and Surface Water/Ground Water Interaction in Chimacum and Tarboo Creeks and the Big and Little Quilcene Rivers, Eastern Jefferson County, Washington

Science.gov (United States)

Simonds, F. William; Longpre, Claire I.; Justin, Greg B.

2004-01-01

A detailed study of the ground-water system in the unconsolidated glacial deposits in the Chimacum Creek Basin and the interactions between surface water and ground water in four main drainage basins was conducted in eastern Jefferson County, Washington. The study will assist local watershed planners in assessing the status of the water resources and the potential effects of ground-water development on surface-water systems. A new surficial geologic map of the Chimacum Creek Basin and a series of hydrogeologic sections were developed by incorporating LIDAR imagery, existing map sources, and drillers' logs from 110 inventoried wells. The hydrogeologic framework outlined in the study will help characterize the occurrence of ground water in the unconsolidated glacial deposits and how it interacts with the surface-water system. Water levels measured throughout the study show that the altitude of the water table parallels the surface topography and ranges from 0 to 400 feet above the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 across the basin, and seasonal variations in precipitation due to natural cycles generally are on the order of 2 to 3 feet. Synoptic stream-discharge measurements and instream mini-piezometers and piezometers with nested temperature sensors provided additional data to refine the positions of gaining and losing reaches and delineate seasonal variations. Chimacum Creek generally gains water from the shallow ground-water system, except near the community of Chimacum where localized losses occur. In the lower portions of Chimacum Creek, gaining conditions dominate in the summer when creek stages are low and ground-water levels are high, and losing conditions dominate in the winter when creek stages are high relative to ground-water levels. In the Quilcene Bay area, three drainage basins were studied specifically to assess surface water/ground water interactions. The upper reaches of Tarboo Creek generally gain water from the shallow ground-water system

Plataforma neurotecnológica aplicada al estudio y entrenamiento de la actividad cognitiva del ajedrecista / Neurotechnical platform applied to the study and training of the cognitive activity of the chess player

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Osvaldo León-Bravo

2017-10-01

Full Text Available El ajedrez es un juego que demanda una continua actividad atencional en la solución de problemas. El entrenamiento adecuado de la atención en el ajedrecista mediante el empleo de técnicas psicológicas permite una mayor regulación de la precisión perceptiva, capacidad para integrar y procesar estímulos simultáneamente, fiabilidad de la respuesta, tiempo de reacción y concentración. En correspondencia con estos particulares la investigación tiene como objetivo diseñar una plataforma neurotecnológica que permita el estudio y entrenamiento de la actividad cognitiva de los ajedrecistas. El sistema neurotecnológico presentado es pertinente para el entrenamiento de los ajedrecistas en los marcos de los sistemas de entrenamientos contemporáneos. Su instrumentación permite la regulación del componente cognitivo, incrementa la tolerancia a la interferencia atencional, la concentración, el control espacial del tablero de ajedrez, la resistencia atencional y la velocidad de procesamiento de la información en la solución de problemas ajedrecísticos. ABSTRACT Chess is a game that demands a continuous attention activity in the solution of problems. The adequate training of the attention in the chess player through the use of psychological techniques allows a greater regulation of the perceptive precision, ability to integrate and process stimuli simultaneously, reliability of the response, reaction time and concentration. In correspondence with these individuals, the research aims to design a neurotechnological platform that allows the study and training of the cognitive activity of chess players. The neurotechnological system presented is relevant for the training of chess players in the frames of contemporary training systems. Its instrumentation allows the regulation of the cognitive component, it increases the tolerance to the attentional interference, the concentration, the spatial control of the chessboard, the attentional resistance

Examining the Impact of Chess Instruction for the Visual Impairment on Mathematics

Science.gov (United States)

Aydin, Mensure

2015-01-01

The purpose of the study is to explore the impact of chess instruction for visually impaired children on math achievement. The study group consists of a total of 26 visually impaired students from inclusion classes in inclusive secondary schools of MoNE (Ministry of National Education), 9 male and 5 female students in the experiment group and 8…

Cooling water distribution system

Science.gov (United States)

Orr, Richard

1994-01-01

A passive containment cooling system for a nuclear reactor containment vessel. Disclosed is a cooling water distribution system for introducing cooling water by gravity uniformly over the outer surface of a steel containment vessel using an interconnected series of radial guide elements, a plurality of circumferential collector elements and collector boxes to collect and feed the cooling water into distribution channels extending along the curved surface of the steel containment vessel. The cooling water is uniformly distributed over the curved surface by a plurality of weirs in the distribution channels.

Learning curves in highly skilled chess players: a test of the generality of the power law of practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, Robert W

2014-09-01

The power law of practice holds that a power function best interrelates skill performance and amount of practice. However, the law's validity and generality are moot. Some researchers argue that it is an artifact of averaging individual exponential curves while others question whether the law generalizes to complex skills and to performance measures other than response time. The present study tested the power law's generality to development over many years of a very complex cognitive skill, chess playing, with 387 skilled participants, most of whom were grandmasters. A power or logarithmic function best fit grouped data but individuals showed much variability. An exponential function usually was the worst fit to individual data. Groups differing in chess talent were compared and a power function best fit the group curve for the more talented players while a quadratic function best fit that for the less talented. After extreme amounts of practice, a logarithmic function best fit grouped data but a quadratic function best fit most individual curves. Individual variability is great and the power law or an exponential law are not the best descriptions of individual chess skill development. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Practice other than playing games apparently has only a modest role in the development of chess expertise.

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, Robert W

2013-02-01

Evidence that chess expertise rests on practice alone mostly comes from studies using a correlational retrospective recall paradigm, which confounds amount of study with number of games played and possible innate talent. Researchers also often use latest performance rating and include participants who play and study little. Study 1 partially replicated such studies with improvements such as use of peak rating and a large, skilled sample. Number of internationally-rated games played was the strongest predictor of peak rating. Total study hours was a significant but weaker predictor. Study 2 controlled for sampling confounds by including only very well-practiced players who had played at least 350 internationally-rated games. Total study hours did not predict rating at 350 games. Study 3 found that the subjective phenomenon of reaching a performance ceiling and undertaking specific practice to get beyond it does occur but does not distinguish between stronger and weaker players. Study 4 found that many players play relatively few internationally-rated games mostly because of other commitments, such as work and education. Extensive study may go along with great interest in and persistence at chess but apparently lacks a major causative role in chess performance level. © 2012 The British Psychological Society.

Hopelessness is associated with decreased heart rate variability during championship chess games.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwarz, Alfons M; Schächinger, Hartmut; Adler, Rolf H; Goetz, Stefan M

2003-01-01

Clinical observations suggest that negative affects such as helplessness/hopelessness (HE/HO) may induce autonomic duration; affects were assessed for every move after reconstruction of the games. In all games compiled, 18 situation of intense confidence/optimism and 20 of intense helplessness/hopelessness were observed. Intense affects of HE/HO were associated with decreasing HF-HRV (Fisher exact test, p =.003), increasing "nervousness" (p =.0005), decreasing "optimism" (p =.0005), and decreasing "calmness" (p =.0005). Investigation of championship chess game players with an ELO strength > or = 2300 in a natural field setting revealed increasing HE/HO being associated with reduced HF-HRV suggestive of vagal withdrawal. Thus, our data may help link negative mood states, autonomic nervous system disturbances, and cardiac events.

Vegetated Treatment Systems for Removing Contaminants Associated with Surface Water Toxicity in Agriculture and Urban Runoff.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Brian S; Phillips, Bryn M; Voorhees, Jennifer P; Cahn, Michael

2017-05-15

Urban stormwater and agriculture irrigation runoff contain a complex mixture of contaminants that are often toxic to adjacent receiving waters. Runoff may be treated with simple systems designed to promote sorption of contaminants to vegetation and soils and promote infiltration. Two example systems are described: a bioswale treatment system for urban stormwater treatment, and a vegetated drainage ditch for treating agriculture irrigation runoff. Both have similar attributes that reduce contaminant loading in runoff: vegetation that results in sorption of the contaminants to the soil and plant surfaces, and water infiltration. These systems may also include the integration of granulated activated carbon as a polishing step to remove residual contaminants. Implementation of these systems in agriculture and urban watersheds requires system monitoring to verify treatment efficacy. This includes chemical monitoring for specific contaminants responsible for toxicity. The current paper emphasizes monitoring of current use pesticides since these are responsible for surface water toxicity to aquatic invertebrates.

Transfer of glyphosate and its degradate AMPA to surface waters through urban sewerage systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Botta, Fabrizio; Lavison, Gwenaëlle; Couturier, Guillaume; Alliot, Fabrice; Moreau-Guigon, Elodie; Fauchon, Nils; Guery, Bénédicte; Chevreuil, Marc; Blanchoud, Hélène

2009-09-01

A study of glyphosate and aminomethyl phosphonic acid (AMPA) transfer in the Orge watershed (France) was carried out during 2007 and 2008. Water samples were collected in surface water, wastewater sewer, storm sewer and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). These two molecules appeared to be the most frequently detected ones in the rivers and usually exceeded the European quality standard concentrations of 0.1microg L(-1) for drinking water. The annual glyphosate estimated load was 1.9 kg year(-1) upstream (agricultural zone) and 179.5 kg year(-1) at the catchment outlet (urban zone). This result suggests that the contamination of this basin by glyphosate is essentially from urban origin (road and railway applications). Glyphosate reached surface water prevalently through storm sewer during rainfall event. Maximum concentrations were detected in storm sewer just after a rainfall event (75-90 microg L(-1)). High concentrations of glyphosate in surface water during rainfall events reflected urban runoff impact. AMPA was always detected in the sewerage system. This molecule reached surface water mainly via WWTP effluent and also through storm sewer. Variations in concentrations of AMPA during hydrological episodes were minor compared to glyphosate variations. Our study highlights that AMPA and glyphosate origins in urban area are different. During dry period, detergent degradation seemed to be the major AMPA source in wastewater.

Turn-Based War Chess Model and Its Search Algorithm per Turn

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hai Nan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available War chess gaming has so far received insufficient attention but is a significant component of turn-based strategy games (TBS and is studied in this paper. First, a common game model is proposed through various existing war chess types. Based on the model, we propose a theory frame involving combinational optimization on the one hand and game tree search on the other hand. We also discuss a key problem, namely, that the number of the branching factors of each turn in the game tree is huge. Then, we propose two algorithms for searching in one turn to solve the problem: (1 enumeration by order; (2 enumeration by recursion. The main difference between these two is the permutation method used: the former uses the dictionary sequence method, while the latter uses the recursive permutation method. Finally, we prove that both of these algorithms are optimal, and we analyze the difference between their efficiencies. An important factor is the total time taken for the unit to expand until it achieves its reachable position. The factor, which is the total number of expansions that each unit makes in its reachable position, is set. The conclusion proposed is in terms of this factor: Enumeration by recursion is better than enumeration by order in all situations.

Macromolecular crystallographic results obtained using a 2048x2048 CCD detector at CHESS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thiel, D.J.; Ealick, S.E.; Tate, M.W.; Gruner, S.M.; Eikenberry, E.F.

1996-01-01

We present results of macromolecular crystallographic experiments performed at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) with a new CCD-based detector. This detector, installed in January 1995, complements a 1024x1024 CCD detector that has been in continuous operation at CHESS since December 1993. The new detector is based on a 4-port, 2048x2048 pixel CCD that is directly coupled to a Gd 2 O 2 S:Tb phosphor by a 3:1 tapered fiber optic. The active area of the phosphor is a square 82 mm on an edge. The readout time is 7 seconds. In the standard mode of operation, the pixel size at the active area is 41 μm on the edge leading to the capability of resolving approximately 200 orders of diffraction across the detector face. The detector also operates in a 1024x1024 mode in which the pixel size is electronically increased by a factor of 4 in area resulting in smaller data files and faster detector readout but at the expense of spatial resolution. Most of the data that has been collected by this detector has been collected in this mode. Dozens of data sets have been collected by many experimenters using this detector at CHESS during the four month period from its installation until the start of the six-month down period of the storage ring. The capabilities of the detector will be illustrated with results from various crystallographic measurements including experiments in which the recorded diffraction patterns extend in resolution as far as 1 A. The results demonstrate that this detector is capable of collecting data of quality at least equal to that of imaging plates but, in many circumstances, with much greater beamline efficiency. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

Lithium content in potable water, surface water, ground water, and mineral water on the territory of Republic of Macedonia

OpenAIRE

Kostik, Vesna; Bauer, Biljana; Kavrakovski, Zoran

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine lithium concentration in potable water, surface water, ground, and mineral water on the territory of the Republic of Macedonia. Water samples were collected from water bodies such as multiple public water supply systems located in 13 cities, wells boreholes located in 12 areas, lakes and rivers located in three different areas. Determination of lithium concentration in potable water, surface water was performed by the technique of inductively coupl...

Primary biodegradation of veterinary antibiotics in aerobic and anaerobic surface water simulation systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ingerslev, Flemming; Toräng, Lars; Loke, M.-L.

2001-01-01

The primary aerobic and anaerobic biodegradability at intermediate concentrations (50-5000 mug/l) of the antibiotics olaquindox (OLA), metronidazole (MET), tylosin (TYL) and oxytetracycline (OTC) was studied in a simple shake flask system simulating the conditions in surface waters. The purpose...

CHESS-the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batterman, B.W.; Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY

1980-01-01

The Wilson Laboratory at Cornell University has done pioneering work on development of high energy synchrotrons. In the last decade, the 12 GeV synchrotron has been the most energetic electron synchrotron in the world. In 1975 plans were formulated to build a 4-8 GeV storage ring in the same tunnel as the synchrotron and to use the latter as the injector for the storage ring. This small radius (the normal bend magnets have R = 87 m), coupled with the relatively high electron energy of the storage ring, makes these magnets potent sources of synchrotron radiation. In June of 1978 the National Science Foundation funded a project to create CHESS, the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source. (orig./FKS)

Mechanisms and Neural Basis of Object and Pattern Recognition: A Study with Chess Experts

Science.gov (United States)

Bilalic, Merim; Langner, Robert; Erb, Michael; Grodd, Wolfgang

2010-01-01

Comparing experts with novices offers unique insights into the functioning of cognition, based on the maximization of individual differences. Here we used this expertise approach to disentangle the mechanisms and neural basis behind two processes that contribute to everyday expertise: object and pattern recognition. We compared chess experts and…

Cooperativity in Surface Bonding and Hydrogen Bonding of Water and Hydroxyl at Metal Surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schiros, T.; Ogasawara, H.; Naslund, L. A.

2010-01-01

of the mixed phase at metal surfaces. The surface bonding can be considered to be similar to accepting a hydrogen bond, and we can thereby apply general cooperativity rules developed for hydrogen-bonded systems. This provides a simple understanding of why water molecules become more strongly bonded...... to the surface upon hydrogen bonding to OH and why the OH surface bonding is instead weakened through hydrogen bonding to water. We extend the application of this simple model to other observed cooperativity effects for pure water adsorption systems and H3O+ on metal surfaces.......We examine the balance of surface bonding and hydrogen bonding in the mixed OH + H2O overlayer on Pt(111), Cu(111), and Cu(110) via density functional theory calculations. We find that there is a cooperativity effect between surface bonding and hydrogen bonding that underlies the stability...

Water systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riess, R.

1980-01-01

The present paper describes the coolant chemistry and its consequences for 1300 MWsub(e) KWU PWR plants. Some selected systems, i.e. primary heat transport system, steam water cycle and cooling water arrangements, are chosen for this description. Various aspects of coolant chemistry regarding general corrosion, selective types of corrosion and deposits on heat transfer surfaces have been discussed. The water supply systems necessary to fulfill the requirements of the coolant chemistry are discussed as well. It has been concluded that a good operating performance can only be achieved when - beside other factors - the water chemistry has been given sufficient consideration. (orig./RW)

Water systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riess, R.

1981-01-01

The present paper describes the coolant chemistry and its consequences for 1300 MWsub(e) KWU PWR plants. Some selected systems, i.e. primary heat transport system, steam water cycle and cooling water arrangements, are chosen for this description. Various aspects of coolant chemistry regarding general corrosion, selective types of corrosion and deposits on heat transfer surface have been discussed. The water supply systems necessary to fulfill the requirements of the coolant chemistry are discussed as well. It has been concluded that a good operating performance can only be achieved when - beside other factors - the water chemistry has been given sufficient consideration. (orig./RW)

Expertise and processing distorted structure in chess.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartlett, James C; Boggan, Amy L; Krawczyk, Daniel C

2013-01-01

A classic finding in research on human expertise and knowledge is that of enhanced memory for stimuli in a domain of expertise as compared to either stimuli outside that domain, or within-domain stimuli that have been degraded or distorted in some way. However, we do not understand how experts process degradation or distortion of stimuli within the expert domain (e.g., a face with the eyes, nose, and mouth in the wrong positions, or a chessboard with pieces placed randomly). Focusing on the domain of chess, we present new fMRI evidence that when experts view such distorted/within-domain stimuli, they engage an active search for structure-a kind of exploratory chunking-that involves a component of a prefrontal-parietal network linked to consciousness, attention and working memory.

Molecular computation: RNA solutions to chess problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Faulhammer, D; Cukras, A R; Lipton, R J; Landweber, L F

2000-02-15

We have expanded the field of "DNA computers" to RNA and present a general approach for the solution of satisfiability problems. As an example, we consider a variant of the "Knight problem," which asks generally what configurations of knights can one place on an n x n chess board such that no knight is attacking any other knight on the board. Using specific ribonuclease digestion to manipulate strands of a 10-bit binary RNA library, we developed a molecular algorithm and applied it to a 3 x 3 chessboard as a 9-bit instance of this problem. Here, the nine spaces on the board correspond to nine "bits" or placeholders in a combinatorial RNA library. We recovered a set of "winning" molecules that describe solutions to this problem.

The APS x-ray undulator photon beam position monitor and tests at CHESS and NSLS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shu, D.; Rodricks, B.; Barraza, J.; Sanchez, T.; Kuzay, T.M.

1992-01-01

The advent of third generation synchrotron radiation sources, like the Advanced Photon Source (APS), will provide significant increases in brilliance over existing synchrotron sources. The APS x-ray undulators will increase the brilliance in the 3-40 KeV range by several orders of magnitude. Thus, the design of the photon beam position monitor is a challenging engineering task. The beam position monitors must withstand the high thermal load, be able to achieve sub-micron spatial resolution while maintaining their stability, and be compatible with both undulators and wigglers. A preliminary APS prototype photon beam position monitor consisting of a CVD-diamond-based, tungsten-coated blade was tested on the APS/CHESS undulator at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Radiation Source (CHESS) and on the NSLS X-13 undulator beamline. Results from these tests, as well as the design of this prototype APS photon beam position monitor, will be discussed in this paper

The APS X-ray undulator photon beam position monitor and tests at CHESS and NSLS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shu, D.; Rodricks, B.; Barraza, J.; Sanchez, T.; Kuzay, T.M.

1992-01-01

The advent of thirs generation synchrotron sources, like the Advanced Photon Source (APS), will provide significant increases in brilliance over existing synchrotron sources. The APS X-ray undulators will increase the brilliance in the 3-40 keV range by several orders of magnitude. Thus, the design of the photon beam position monitor is a challenging engineering task. The beam position monitors must withstand the high thermal load, be able to achieve submicron spatial resolution while maintaining their stability, and be compatible with both undulators and wigglers. A preliminary APS prototype photon beam position monitor consisting of a CVD-diamond-based, tungsten-coated blade was tested on the APS/CHESS undulator at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Radiation Source (CHESS) and on the NSLS X-13 undulator beamline. Results from these tests, as well as the design of this prototype APS photon beam position monitor, will be discussed in this paper. (orig.)

Linking Extreme Precocity and Adult Eminence: A Study of Eight Prodigies at International Chess

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, Robert W.

2008-01-01

Do prodigies have extraordinary innate talent or do they just start very early and get much practice? Why do relatively few become eminent as adults? Is it because early and later success often need somewhat different abilities and gatekeepers rule? International chess is a good test domain for both issues because it has objective longitudinal…

Anthropogenic influence on surface water quality of the Nhue and Day sub-river systems in Vietnam.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanh, Pham Thi Minh; Sthiannopkao, Suthipong; Kim, Kyoung-Woong; Ba, Dang The; Hung, Nguyen Quang

2010-06-01

In order to investigate the temporal and spatial variations of 14 physical and chemical surface water parameters in the Nhue and Day sub-river systems of Vietnam, surface water samples were taken from 43 sampling sites during the dry and rainy seasons in 2007. The results were statistically examined by Mann-Whitney U-test and hierarchical cluster analysis. The results show that water quality of the Day River was significantly improved during the rainy season while this was not the case of the Nhue River. However, the river water did not meet the Vietnamese surface water quality standards for dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD(5)), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nutrients, total coliform, and fecal coliform. This implies that the health of local communities using untreated river water for drinking purposes as well as irrigation of vegetables may be at risk. Forty-three sampling sites were grouped into four main clusters on the basis of water quality characteristics with particular reference to geographic location and land use and revealed the contamination levels from anthropogenic sources.

Surface-Water Conditions in Georgia, Water Year 2005

Science.gov (United States)

Painter, Jaime A.; Landers, Mark N.

2007-01-01

INTRODUCTION The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Georgia Water Science Center-in cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies-collected surface-water streamflow, water-quality, and ecological data during the 2005 Water Year (October 1, 2004-September 30, 2005). These data were compiled into layers of an interactive ArcReaderTM published map document (pmf). ArcReaderTM is a product of Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc (ESRI?). Datasets represented on the interactive map are * continuous daily mean streamflow * continuous daily mean water levels * continuous daily total precipitation * continuous daily water quality (water temperature, specific conductance dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity) * noncontinuous peak streamflow * miscellaneous streamflow measurements * lake or reservoir elevation * periodic surface-water quality * periodic ecological data * historical continuous daily mean streamflow discontinued prior to the 2005 water year The map interface provides the ability to identify a station in spatial reference to the political boundaries of the State of Georgia and other features-such as major streams, major roads, and other collection stations. Each station is hyperlinked to a station summary showing seasonal and annual stream characteristics for the current year and for the period of record. For continuous discharge stations, the station summary includes a one page graphical summary page containing five graphs, a station map, and a photograph of the station. The graphs provide a quick overview of the current and period-of-record hydrologic conditions of the station by providing a daily mean discharge graph for the water year, monthly statistics graph for the water year and period of record, an annual mean streamflow graph for the period of record, an annual minimum 7-day average streamflow graph for the period of record, and an annual peak streamflow graph for the period of record. Additionally, data can be accessed through the layer's link

How Cancer Patients Use and Benefit from an Interactive Cancer Communication System.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Jeong Yeob; Hawkins, Robert; Baker, Timothy; Shah, Dhavan V; Pingree, Suzanne; Gustafson, David H

2017-10-01

Despite the mounting evidence of efficacy of eHealth interventions, their mechanisms of action remain unknown. The current study analyzed patient log data as each patient engaged in an eHealth system called the Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System (CHESS) and reports on how patients engage with different combinations of eHealth services over time. Newly diagnosed breast cancer patients (N = 443) were given access for 6 months to one of four different configurations of CHESS: (1) Information, (2) Information and Support, (3) Information, Support, and Coaching (Full CHESS), and (4) Full CHESS and Mentor. Besides a baseline survey, three follow-up posttests were administered. Action log data on how patients engaged with the CHESS were also collected and merged with surveys to examine how patients benefit during the cancer experience. The findings suggest that usage patterns were not competitive, implying that cancer patients' access to more complex tools generates more use with their time spreading out over the diverse services. Despite overall decline in usage rates, it was less severe in Full CHESS and Mentor condition, suggesting that communication functions drive long-term engagement with the system. Notably, the strongest relation between use and cancer information competence appeared late in the follow-up period.

Surface Water & Surface Drainage

Data.gov (United States)

Earth Data Analysis Center, University of New Mexico — This data set contains boundaries for all surface water and surface drainage for the state of New Mexico. It is in a vector digital data structure digitized from a...

A deformable surface model for real-time water drop animation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yizhong; Wang, Huamin; Wang, Shuai; Tong, Yiying; Zhou, Kun

2012-08-01

A water drop behaves differently from a large water body because of its strong viscosity and surface tension under the small scale. Surface tension causes the motion of a water drop to be largely determined by its boundary surface. Meanwhile, viscosity makes the interior of a water drop less relevant to its motion, as the smooth velocity field can be well approximated by an interpolation of the velocity on the boundary. Consequently, we propose a fast deformable surface model to realistically animate water drops and their flowing behaviors on solid surfaces. Our system efficiently simulates water drop motions in a Lagrangian fashion, by reducing 3D fluid dynamics over the whole liquid volume to a deformable surface model. In each time step, the model uses an implicit mean curvature flow operator to produce surface tension effects, a contact angle operator to change droplet shapes on solid surfaces, and a set of mesh connectivity updates to handle topological changes and improve mesh quality over time. Our numerical experiments demonstrate a variety of physically plausible water drop phenomena at a real-time rate, including capillary waves when water drops collide, pinch-off of water jets, and droplets flowing over solid materials. The whole system performs orders-of-magnitude faster than existing simulation approaches that generate comparable water drop effects.

The Effects of Chess Instruction on the Mathematics Achievement of Southern, Rural, Black Secondary Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, James P.; Cage. Bob N.

2000-01-01

Studied the effects of 120 hours of chess instruction on the mathematics achievement of southern, rural, black secondary students. Analysis of covariance results show the treatment group (11 females, 9 males) scored significantly higher than the control group (10 females, 10 males) in mathematics achievement. Discusses results in terms of altering…

History and Surface Condition of the Lewis Chessmen in the Collection of the National Museums Scotland (Hebrides, late 12th-early 13th centuries)

OpenAIRE

Tate, Jim; Reiche, I.; Pinzari, F.; Clark, J.; Caldwell, D.

2013-01-01

This paper summarises on-going work to examine the surface condition of the 11 chess pieces in the collection of the National Museums Scotland. The chess pieces are part of the hoard found on the isle of Lewis on the west coast of Scotland and are remarkable examples of medieval ivory carving. The aim of the work is to characterise surface features that can be used to draw new information about the materials from which the pieces were made, their history from the period of their manufacture u...

Our Move: Using Chess to Improve Math Achievement for Students Who Receive Special Education Services

Science.gov (United States)

Barrett, David C.; Fish, Wade W.

2011-01-01

This causal-comparative study evaluated a 30-week chess instructional program implemented within special education math classes for students in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades in a suburban middle school located in the southwestern United States. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was utilized to compare the adjusted means for the comparison…

Reducing dissolved inorganic nitrogen in surface runoff water from sugarcane production systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, A J; Bartley, R; Armour, J D; Brodie, J E; Thorburn, P J

2012-01-01

Nitrogen (N) lost from farms, especially as the highly bioavailable dissolved inorganic form, may be damaging Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR). As sugarcane is the dominant cropping system in GBR catchments, its N management practises are coming under increasing scrutiny. This study measured dissolved inorganic N lost in surface runoff water and sugarcane productivity over 3 years. The experiment compared the conventional fertiliser N application rate to sugarcane (average 180kg N/ha/year) and a rate based on replacing N exported in the previous crop (average 94kg N/ha/year). Dissolved inorganic N losses in surface water were 72%, 48% and 66% lower in the three monitored years in the reduced N fertiliser treatment. There was no significant difference in sugarcane yield between the two fertiliser N treatments, nor any treatment difference in soil mineral N - both of these results are indicators of the sustainability of the lower fertiliser N applications. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Calculation of heat transfer in transversely stream-lined tube bundles with chess arrangement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Migaj, V.K.

1978-01-01

A semiempirical theory of heat transfer in transversely stream-lined chess-board tube bundles has been developed. The theory is based on a single cylinder model and involves external flow parameter evaluation on the basis of the solidification principle of a vortex zone. The effect of turbulence is estimated according to experimental results. The method is extended to both average and local heat transfer coefficients. Comparison with experiment shows satisfactory agreement

Surface freezing of water

OpenAIRE

P?rez-D?az, J. L.; ?lvarez-Valenzuela, M. A.; Rodr?guez-Celis, F.

2016-01-01

Freezing, melting, evaporation and condensation of water are essential ingredients for climate and eventually life on Earth. In the present work, we show how surface freezing of supercooled water in an open container is conditioned and triggered?exclusively?by humidity in air. Additionally, a change of phase is demonstrated to be triggered on the water surface forming surface ice crystals prior to freezing of bulk. The symmetry of the surface crystal, as well as the freezing point, depend on ...

New Module to Simulate Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions in Small-Scale Alluvial Aquifer System.

Science.gov (United States)

Flores, L.

2017-12-01

Streamflow depletion can occur when groundwater pumping wells lower water table elevations adjacent to a nearby stream. Being able to accurately model the severity of this process is of critical importance in semi-arid regions where groundwater-surface water interactions affect water rights and the sustainability of water resource practices. The finite-difference flow model MODFLOW is currently the standard for estimating groundwater-surface water interactions in many regions in the western United States. However, certain limitations of the model persist when highly-resolved spatial scales are used to represent the stream-aquifer system, e.g. when the size of computational grid cells is much less than the river width. In this study, an external module is developed and linked with MODFLOW that (1) allows for multiple computational grid cells over the width of the river; (2) computes streamflow and stream stage along the length of the river using the one-dimensional (1D) steady (over a stress period) shallow water equations, which allows for more accurate stream stages when normal flow cannot be assumed or a rating curve is not available; and (3) incorporates a process for computing streamflow loss when an unsaturated zone develops under the streambed. Use of the module not only provides highly-resolved estimates of streamflow depletion, but also of streambed hydraulic conductivity. The new module is applied to the stream-aquifer alluvial system along the South Platte River south of Denver, Colorado, with results tested against field-measured groundwater levels, streamflow, and streamflow depletion.

Hydraulics and drones: observations of water level, bathymetry and water surface velocity from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bandini, Filippo

-navigable rivers and overpass obstacles (e.g. river structures). Computer vision, autopilot system and beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) flights will ensure the possibility to retrieve hyper-spatial observations of water depth, without requiring the operator to access the area. Surface water speed can......The planet faces several water-related threats, including water scarcity, floods, and pollution. Satellite and airborne sensing technology is rapidly evolving to improve the observation and prediction of surface water and thus prevent natural disasters. While technological developments require....... Although UAV-borne measurements of surface water speed have already been documented in the literature, a novel approach was developed to avoid GCPs. This research is the first demonstration that orthometric water level can be measured from UAVs with a radar system and a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite...

Surface water drainage system. Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-05-01

This Environmental Assessment (EA) is written pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The document identifies and evaluates the action proposed to correct deficiencies in, and then to maintain, the surface water drainage system serving the Department of Energy's Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (Site), located north of Golden, Colorado. Many of the activities proposed would not normally be subject to this level of NEPA documentation. However, in many cases, maintenance of the system has been deferred to the point that wetlands vegetation has become established in some ditches and culverts, creating wetlands. The proposed activities would damage or remove some of these wetlands in order to return the drainage system to the point that it would be able to fully serve its intended function - stormwater control. The Department of Energy (DOE) regulations require that activities affecting environmentally sensitive areas like wetlands be the subject of an EA. Most portions of the surface water drainage system are presently inadequate to convey the runoff from a 100-year storm event. As a result, such an event would cause flooding across much of the Site and possibly threaten the integrity of the dams at the terminal ponds. Severe flooding would not only cause damage to facilities and equipment, but could also facilitate the transport of contaminants from individual hazardous substance sites (IHSSs). Uncontrolled flow through the A- and B-series ponds could cause contaminated sediments to become suspended and carried downstream. Additionally, high velocity flood flows significantly increase erosion losses

Herschel CHESS discovery of the fossil cloud that gave birth to the Trapezium and Orion KL

NARCIS (Netherlands)

López-Sepulcre, A.; Kama, M.; Ceccarelli, C.; Dominik, C.; Caux, E.; Fuente, A.; Alonso-Albi, T.

2013-01-01

Context. The Orion A molecular complex is a nearby (420 pc), very well studied stellar nursery that is believed to contain examples of triggered star formation. Aims. As part of the Herschel guaranteed time key programme CHESS, we present the discovery of a diffuse gas component in the foreground of

RISK ASSESSMENT OF SURFACE WATERS ASSOCIATED WITH WATER CIRCULATION TECHNOLOGIES ON TROUT FARMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcin Sidoruk

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Dynamic development of aquaculture has led to an increasing impact on the status of surface waters. Fish production generates wastes that, at high concentrations, may present a serious risk to the aquatic environment. Studies on the assessment of the impact of water management technologies in trout production on the quality of surface waters were conducted in 2011. Six farms were selected for the studies and were divided into two groups based on water management solutions (n = 3: farms with a flow through system (FTS and farms with a recirculation aquaculture system (RAS. On all farms, water measurement points were set and they depicted the quality of inflow water, the quality of water in ponds and the quality of outflow water. The studies did not demonstrate any impact of applied technology on electrolyte conductivity or calcium and magnesium concentrations in outflow water from a trout operation. In addition, it was found that the use of water for production purposes resulted in a slight increase in phosphorus and total nitrogen concentrations in waste waters.

Surface freezing of water.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Díaz, J L; Álvarez-Valenzuela, M A; Rodríguez-Celis, F

2016-01-01

Freezing, melting, evaporation and condensation of water are essential ingredients for climate and eventually life on Earth. In the present work, we show how surface freezing of supercooled water in an open container is conditioned and triggered-exclusively-by humidity in air. Additionally, a change of phase is demonstrated to be triggered on the water surface forming surface ice crystals prior to freezing of bulk. The symmetry of the surface crystal, as well as the freezing point, depend on humidity, presenting at least three different types of surface crystals. Humidity triggers surface freezing as soon as it overpasses a defined value for a given temperature, generating a plurality of nucleation nodes. An evidence of simultaneous nucleation of surface ice crystals is also provided.

The tell-tale heart: heart rate fluctuations index objective and subjective events during a game of chess.

Science.gov (United States)

Leone, María J; Petroni, Agustín; Fernandez Slezak, Diego; Sigman, Mariano

2012-01-01

During a decision-making process, the body changes. These somatic changes have been related to specific cognitive events and also have been postulated to assist decision-making indexing possible outcomes of different options. We used chess to analyze heart rate (HR) modulations on specific cognitive events. In a chess game, players have a limited time-budget to make about 40 moves (decisions) that can be objectively evaluated and retrospectively assigned to specific subjectively perceived events, such as setting a goal and the process to reach a known goal. We show that HR signals events: it predicts the conception of a plan, the concrete analysis of variations or the likelihood to blunder by fluctuations before to the move, and it reflects reactions, such as a blunder made by the opponent, by fluctuations subsequent to the move. Our data demonstrate that even if HR constitutes a relatively broad marker integrating a myriad of physiological variables, its dynamic is rich enough to reveal relevant episodes of inner thought.

Energy dispersive X-ray diffraction at high pressure in CHESS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruoff, A.L.; Baublitz, M.A. Jr.

1981-01-01

Energy dispersive X-ray techniques were used with a diamond anvil cell in the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS). It was shown that quantitative relative intensity measurement could be made when the pressure was hydrostatic and the crystals were relatively defect free. The crystal structures of the high pressure polymorphs of Ge, GaAs, GaP, and AlSb were studied. Ge exhibits the β-tetragonal structure as found by Jamieson; however, the transition pressure is 80 +- 5 kbars. GaAs exhibits an orthorhombic structure above 172 +- 7 kbars, GaP the β-Sn structure above 215 +- 8 kbars, and AlSb an orthorhombic structure above 77 +- 5 kbars. (Auth.)

An economic assessment of local farm multi-purpose surface water retention systems in a Canadian Prairie setting

Science.gov (United States)

Berry, Pamela; Yassin, Fuad; Belcher, Kenneth; Lindenschmidt, Karl-Erich

2017-12-01

There is a need to explore more sustainable approaches to water management on the Canadian Prairies. Retention pond installation schemes designed to capture surface water may be a viable option that would reduce water stress during drought periods by providing water for irrigation. The retention systems would serve to capture excess spring runoff and extreme rainfall events, reducing flood potential downstream. Additionally, retention ponds may be used for biomass production and nutrient retention. The purpose of this research was to investigate the economic viability of adopting local farm surface water retention systems as a strategic water management strategy. A retention pond was analyzed using a dynamic simulation model to predict its storage capacity, installation and upkeep cost, and economic advantage to farmers when used for irrigation. While irrigation application increased crop revenue, the cost of irrigation and reservoir infrastructure and installation costs were too high for the farmer to experience a positive net revenue. Farmers who harvest cattails from retention systems for biomass and available carbon offset credits can gain 642.70/hectare of harvestable cattail/year. Cattail harvest also removes phosphorus and nitrogen, providing a monetized impact of 7014/hectare of harvestable cattail/year. The removal of phosphorus, nitrogen, carbon, and avoided flooding damages of the retention basin itself provide an additional 17,730-18,470/hectare of retention system/year. The recommended use of retention systems is for avoided flood damages, nutrient retention, and biomass production. The revenue gained from these functions can support farmers wanting to invest in irrigation while providing economic and environmental benefits to the region.

Variability in chemistry of surface and soil waters of an ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Water chemistry is important for the maintenance of wetland structure and function. Interpreting ecological patterns in a wetland system therefore requires an in-depth understanding of the water chemistry of that system. We investigated the spatial distribution of chemical solutes both in soil pore water and surface water, ...

The Impact of Chess Instruction on the Critical Thinking Ability and Mathematical Achievement of Developmental Mathematics Students

Science.gov (United States)

Berkley, Darrin K.

2012-01-01

This sequential explanatory mixed-methods study determined whether the game of chess can be used as an educational tool to improve critical thinking skills of developmental mathematics students and improve mathematics achievement for these students. Five research questions were investigated. These questions were as follows: (a) Is there a…

Concentration Dependences of the Surface Tension and Density of Solutions of Acetone-Ethanol-Water Systems at 293 K

Science.gov (United States)

Dadashev, R. Kh.; Dzhambulatov, R. S.; Mezhidov, V. Kh.; Elimkhanov, D. Z.

2018-05-01

Concentration dependences of the surface tension and density of solutions of three-component acetone-ethanol-water systems and the bounding binary systems at 273 K are studied. The molar volume, adsorption, and composition of surface layers are calculated. Experimental data and calculations show that three-component solutions are close to ideal ones. The surface tensions of these solutions are calculated using semi-empirical and theoretical equations. Theoretical equations qualitatively convey the concentration dependence of surface tension. A semi-empirical method based on the Köhler equation allows us to predict the concentration dependence of surface tension within the experimental error.

Effective use of surface-water management to control saltwater intrusion

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, J. D.; White, J.

2012-12-01

The Biscayne aquifer in southeast Florida is susceptible to saltwater intrusion and inundation from rising sea-level as a result of high groundwater withdrawal rates and low topographic relief. Groundwater levels in the Biscayne aquifer are managed by an extensive canal system that is designed to control flooding, supply recharge to municipal well fields, and control saltwater intrusion. We present results from an integrated surface-water/groundwater model of a portion of the Biscayne aquifer to evaluate the ability of the existing managed surface-water control network to control saltwater intrusion. Surface-water stage and flow are simulated using a hydrodynamic model that solves the diffusive-wave approximation of the depth-integrated shallow surface-water equations. Variable-density groundwater flow and fluid density are solved using the Oberbeck--Boussinesq approximation of the three-dimensional variable-density groundwater flow equation and a sharp interface approximation, respectively. The surface-water and variable-density groundwater domains are implicitly coupled during each Picard iteration. The Biscayne aquifer is discretized into a multi-layer model having a 500-m square horizontal grid spacing. All primary and secondary surface-water features in the active model domain are discretized into segments using the 500-m square horizontal grid. A 15-year period of time is simulated and the model includes 66 operable surface-water control structures, 127 municipal production wells, and spatially-distributed daily internal and external hydrologic stresses. Numerical results indicate that the existing surface-water system can be effectively used in many locations to control saltwater intrusion in the Biscayne aquifer resulting from increases in groundwater withdrawals or sea-level rise expected to occur over the next 25 years. In other locations, numerical results indicate surface-water control structures and/or operations may need to be modified to control

Turbulent flow over an interactive alternating land-water surface

Science.gov (United States)

Van Heerwaarden, C.; Mellado, J. P.

2014-12-01

The alternating land-water surface is a challenging surface to represent accurately in weather and climate models, but it is of great importance for the surface energy balance in polar regions. The complexity of this surface lies in the fact that secondary circulations, which form at the boundary of water and land, interact strongly with the surface energy balance. Due to its large heat capacity, the water temperature adapts slowly to the flow, thus the properties of the atmosphere determine the uptake of energy from the water. In order to study this complex system in a simpler way, retaining only the most essential physics, we have simplified the full surface energy balance including radiation. We have derived a boundary condition that mimics the full balance and can be formulated as a so-called Robin boundary condition: a linear combination of Dirichlet (fixed temperature) and Neumann (fixed temperature gradient) ones. By spatially varying the coefficients, we are able to express land and water using this boundary condition. We have done a series of direct numerical simulations in which we generate artificial land-water patterns from noise created from a Gaussian spectrum centered around a dominant wave number. This method creates realistic random patterns, but we are still in control of the length scales. We show that the system can manifest itself in three regimes: micro-, meso- and macro-scale. In the micro-scale, we find perfect mixing of the near-surface atmosphere that results in identical air properties over water and land. In the meso-scale, secondary circulations alter the heat exchange considerably by advecting air between land and water. In addition, they bring the surface temperature of the land closer to that of the air, thereby modulating the energy loss due to outgoing longwave radiation. In the macro-scale regime, the flow over land and water become independent of each other and only the large scale forcings determine the energy balance.

Anomalous water dynamics at surfaces and interfaces: synergistic effects of confinement and surface interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Biswas, Rajib; Bagchi, Biman

2018-01-01

In nature, water is often found in contact with surfaces that are extended on the scale of molecule size but small on a macroscopic scale. Examples include lipid bilayers and reverse micelles as well as biomolecules like proteins, DNA and zeolites, to name a few. While the presence of surfaces and interfaces interrupts the continuous hydrogen bond network of liquid water, confinement on a mesoscopic scale introduces new features. Even when extended on a molecular scale, natural and biological surfaces often have features (like charge, hydrophobicity) that vary on the scale of the molecular diameter of water. As a result, many new and exotic features, which are not seen in the bulk, appear in the dynamics of water close to the surface. These different behaviors bear the signature of both water-surface interactions and of confinement. In other words, the altered properties are the result of the synergistic effects of surface-water interactions and confinement. Ultrafast spectroscopy, theoretical modeling and computer simulations together form powerful synergistic approaches towards an understanding of the properties of confined water in such systems as nanocavities, reverse micelles (RMs), water inside and outside biomolecules like proteins and DNA, and also between two hydrophobic walls. We shall review the experimental results and place them in the context of theory and simulations. For water confined within RMs, we discuss the possible interference effects propagating from opposite surfaces. Similar interference is found to give rise to an effective attractive force between two hydrophobic surfaces immersed and kept fixed at a separation of d, with the force showing an exponential dependence on this distance. For protein and DNA hydration, we shall examine a multitude of timescales that arise from frustration effects due to the inherent heterogeneity of these surfaces. We pay particular attention to the role of orientational correlations and modification of the

Global modelling of Cryptosporidium in surface water

Science.gov (United States)

Vermeulen, Lucie; Hofstra, Nynke

2016-04-01

Conclusions GloWPa-Crypto is the first global model that can be used to analyse dynamics in surface water pathogen concentrations worldwide. Global human Cryptosporidium emissions are estimated at 1 x 10^17 oocysts/ year for the year 2010.We estimated future emissions for SSP1 and SSP3. Preliminary results show that for SSP1human emissions are approximately halved by 2050. The SSP3 human emissions are 1.5 times higher than the 2010 emissions due to increased population growth and urbanisation. Livestock Cryptosporidium emissions are expected to increase under both SSP1 and SSP3, as meat consumption continues to rise. We conclude that population growth, urbanization, changes in sanitation systems and treatment, and changes in livestock consumption and production systems are important processes that determine future Cryptosporidium emissions to surface water. References Hofstra N, Bouwman A F, Beusen A H W and Medema G J 2013 Exploring global Cryptosporidium emissions to surface water Sci. Total Environ. 442 10-9 Kiulia N M, Hofstra N, Vermeulen L C, Obara M A, Medema G J and Rose J B 2015 Global occurrence and emission of rotaviruses to surface waters Pathogens 4 229-55 Vermeulen L C, De Kraker J, Hofstra N, Kroeze C and Medema G J 2015 Modelling the impact of sanitation, population and urbanization estimates on human emissions of Cryptosporidium to surface waters - a case study for Bangladesh and India Environ. Res. Lett. 10

Sustaining dry surfaces under water

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jones, Paul R.; Hao, Xiuqing; Cruz-Chu, Eduardo R.

2015-01-01

Rough surfaces immersed under water remain practically dry if the liquid-solid contact is on roughness peaks, while the roughness valleys are filled with gas. Mechanisms that prevent water from invading the valleys are well studied. However, to remain practically dry under water, additional...... mechanisms need consideration. This is because trapped gas (e.g. air) in the roughness valleys can dissolve into the water pool, leading to invasion. Additionally, water vapor can also occupy the roughness valleys of immersed surfaces. If water vapor condenses, that too leads to invasion. These effects have...... not been investigated, and are critically important to maintain surfaces dry under water.In this work, we identify the critical roughness scale, below which it is possible to sustain the vapor phase of water and/or trapped gases in roughness valleys – thus keeping the immersed surface dry. Theoretical...

Surface water, particulate matter, and sediments of inland waters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mundschenk, H.

1985-01-01

The Bundesanstalt fuer Gewaesserkunde (BfG) since 1958 runs a system for monitoring the surface water and sediments of Federal German waterways in its capacity as a directing water monitoring centre. The data recorded over the years show that the radioactivity released by the various emission sources leads to radionuclide concentrations in water, particulate matter, or sediments that generally are below the detection limits defined in the relevant legal provisions governing monitoring and surveillance of nuclear facilities effluents. Representative examples of measuring methods and results (as for e.g. for H-3) are given. (DG) [de

GSFLOW - Coupled Ground-Water and Surface-Water Flow Model Based on the Integration of the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) and the Modular Ground-Water Flow Model (MODFLOW-2005)

Science.gov (United States)

Markstrom, Steven L.; Niswonger, Richard G.; Regan, R. Steven; Prudic, David E.; Barlow, Paul M.

2008-01-01

The need to assess the effects of variability in climate, biota, geology, and human activities on water availability and flow requires the development of models that couple two or more components of the hydrologic cycle. An integrated hydrologic model called GSFLOW (Ground-water and Surface-water FLOW) was developed to simulate coupled ground-water and surface-water resources. The new model is based on the integration of the U.S. Geological Survey Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) and the U.S. Geological Survey Modular Ground-Water Flow Model (MODFLOW). Additional model components were developed, and existing components were modified, to facilitate integration of the models. Methods were developed to route flow among the PRMS Hydrologic Response Units (HRUs) and between the HRUs and the MODFLOW finite-difference cells. This report describes the organization, concepts, design, and mathematical formulation of all GSFLOW model components. An important aspect of the integrated model design is its ability to conserve water mass and to provide comprehensive water budgets for a location of interest. This report includes descriptions of how water budgets are calculated for the integrated model and for individual model components. GSFLOW provides a robust modeling system for simulating flow through the hydrologic cycle, while allowing for future enhancements to incorporate other simulation techniques.

Distribution of {sup 129}I in terrestrial surface water environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Xuegao [State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098 (China); College of Hydrology and Water Resources, Hohai University, Nanjing (China); Gong, Meng [College of Hydrology and Water Resources, Hohai University, Nanjing (China); Yi, Peng, E-mail: pengyi1915@163.com [State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098 (China); College of Hydrology and Water Resources, Hohai University, Nanjing (China); Aldahan, Ala [Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala (Sweden); Department of Geology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain (United Arab Emirates); Yu, Zhongbo [State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098 (China); College of Hydrology and Water Resources, Hohai University, Nanjing (China); Possnert, Göran [Tandem Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala (Sweden); Chen, Li [State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098 (China); College of Hydrology and Water Resources, Hohai University, Nanjing (China)

2015-10-15

The global distribution of the radioactive isotope iodine-129 in surface waters (lakes and rivers) is presented here and compared with the atmospheric deposition and distribution in surface marine waters. The results indicate relatively high concentrations in surface water systems in close vicinity of the anthropogenic release sources as well as in parts of Western Europe, North America and Central Asia. {sup 129}I level is generally higher in the terrestrial surface water of the Northern hemisphere compared to the southern hemisphere. The highest values of {sup 129}I appear around 50°N and 40°S in the northern and southern hemisphere, separately. Direct gaseous and marine atmospheric emissions are the most likely avenues for the transport of {sup 129}I from the sources to the terrestrial surface waters. To apply iodine-129 as process tracer in terrestrial surface water environment, more data are needed on {sup 129}I distribution patterns both locally and globally.

Modeling The Evolution Of A Regional Aquifer System With The California Central Valley Groundwater-Surface Water Simulation Model (C2VSIM)

Science.gov (United States)

Brush, C. F.; Dogrul, E. C.; Kadir, T. N.; Moncrief, M. R.; Shultz, S.; Tonkin, M.; Wendell, D.

2006-12-01

The finite element application IWFM has been used to develop an integrated groundwater-surface water model for California's Central Valley, an area of ~50,000 km2, to simulate the evolution of the groundwater flow system and historical groundwater-surface water interactions on a monthly time step from October 1921 to September 2003. The Central Valley's hydrologic system changed significantly during this period. Prior to 1920, most surface water flowed unimpeded from source areas in the mountains surrounding the Central Valley through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to the Pacific Ocean, and groundwater largely flowed from recharge areas on the valley rim to discharge as evapotransipration in extensive marshes along the valley's axis. Rapid agricultural development led to increases in groundwater pumping from ~0.5 km3/yr in the early 1920's to 13-18 km3/yr in the 1940's to 1970's, resulting in strong vertical head gradients, significant head declines throughout the valley, and subsidence of >0.3 m over an area of 13,000 km2. Construction of numerous dams and development of an extensive surface water delivery network after 1950 altered the surface water flow regime and reduced groundwater pumping to the current ~10 km3/yr, increasing net recharge and leading to local head gradient reversals and water level recoveries. A model calibrated to the range of historical flow regimes in the Central Valley will provide robust estimations of stream-groundwater interactions for a range of projected future scenarios. C2VSIM uses the IWFM application to simulate a 3-D finite element groundwater flow process dynamically coupled with 1-D land surface, stream flow, lake and unsaturated zone processes. The groundwater flow system is represented with three layers each having 1393 elements. Land surface processes are simulated using 21 subregions corresponding to California DWR water-supply planning areas. The surface-water network is simulated using 431 stream nodes representing 72

Groundwater-surface water interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, P.A.; Clausen, B.; Hunt, B.; Cameron, S.; Weir, J.J.

2001-01-01

This chapter discusses natural and modified interactions between groundwater and surface water. Theory on recharge to groundwater from rivers is introduced, and the relative importance of groundwater recharge from rivers is illustrated with an example from the Ngaruroro River, Hawke's Bay. Some of the techniques used to identify and measure recharge to groundwater from gravel-bed rivers will be outlined, with examples from the Ngaruroro River, where the recharge reach is relatively well defined, and from the Rakaia River, where it is poorly defined. Groundwater recharged from rivers can have characteristic chemical and isotopic signatures, as shown by Waimakariri River water in the Christchurch-West Melton groundwater system. The incorporation of groundwater-river interaction in a regional groundwater flow model is outlined for the Waimea Plains, and relationships between river scour and groundwater recharge are examined for the Waimakariri River. Springs are the result of natural discharge from groundwater systems and are important water sources. The interactions between groundwater systems, springs, and river flow for the Avon River in New Zealand will be outlined. The theory of depletion of stream flow by groundwater pumpage will be introduced with a case study from Canterbury, and salt-water intrusion into groundwater systems with examples from Nelson and Christchurch. The theory of artificial recharge to groundwater systems is introduced with a case study from Hawke's Bay. Wetlands are important to flora, and the relationship of the wetland environment to groundwater hydrology will be discussed, with an example from the South Taupo wetland. (author). 56 refs., 25 figs., 3 tabs

Shallow Water Measurements Using a Single Green Laser Corrected by Building a Near Water Surface Penetration Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianhu Zhao

2017-04-01

Full Text Available To reduce the size and cost of an integrated infrared (IR and green airborne LiDAR bathymetry (ALB system, and improve the accuracy of the green ALB system, this study proposes a method to accurately determine water surface and water bottom heights using a single green laser corrected by the near water surface penetration (NWSP model. The factors that influence the NWSP of green laser are likewise analyzed. In addition, an NWSP modeling method is proposed to determine the relationship between NWSP and the suspended sediment concentration (SSC of the surface layer, scanning angle of a laser beam and sensor height. The water surface and water bottom height models are deduced by considering NWSP and using only green laser based on the measurement principle of the IR laser and green laser, as well as employing the relationship between NWSP and the time delay of the surface return of the green laser. Lastly, these methods and models are applied to a practical ALB measurement. Standard deviations of 3.0, 5.3, and 1.3 cm are obtained by the NWSP, water-surface height, and water-bottom height models, respectively. Several beneficial conclusions and recommendations are drawn through the experiments and discussions.

Surface Water Connectivity, Flow Pathways and Water Level Fluctuation in a Cold Region Deltaic Ecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, D. L.; Niemann, O.; Skelly, R.; Monk, W. A.; Baird, D. J.

2017-12-01

The Peace-Athabasca Delta (PAD) is a 6000 km2 deltaic floodplain ecosystem of international importance (Wood Buffalo National Park, Ramsar Convention, UNESCO World Heritage, and SWOT satellite water level calibration/validation site). The low-relief floodplain formed at the confluence of the Peace, Athabasca and Birch rivers with Lake Athabasca. More than 1000 wetland and lake basins have varying degrees of connectivity to the main flow system. Hydroperiod and water storage is influenced by ice-jam and open-water inundations and prevailing semi-arid climate that control water drawdown. Prior studies have identified pathways of river-to-wetland floodwater connection and historical water level fluctuation/trends as a key knowledge gaps, limiting our knowledge of deltaic ecosystem status and potential hydroecological responses to climate change and upstream water alterations to flow contributions. To address this knowledge gap, surface elevation mapping of the PAD has been conducted since 2012 using aerial remote sensing Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), plus thousands of ground based surface and bathymetric survey points tied to Global Positioning System (GPS) were obtained. The elevation information was used to develop a high resolution digital terrain model to simulate and investigate surface water connectivity. Importantly, the surveyed areas contain a set of wetland monitoring sites where ground-based surface water connectivity, water level/depth, water quality, and aquatic ecology (eg, vegetation, macroinvertebrate and muskrat) have been examined. The goal of this presentation is to present an assessment of: i) surface water fluctuation and connectivity for PAD wetland sites; ii) 40+ year inter-annual hydroperiod reconstruction for a perched basin using a combination of field measurements, remote sensing estimates, and historical documents; and iii) outline an approach to integrate newly available hydro-bio-geophysical information into a novel, multi

ERP to chess stimuli reveal expert-novice differences in the amplitudes of N2 and P3 components.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Michael J; Gobet, Fernand; Chassy, Philippe; Ramchandani, Payal Nanik

2013-10-01

ERP experiments were conducted to analyze the underlying neural events when chess players make simple judgments of a board position. Fourteen expert players and 14 age-matched novices viewed, for each of four tasks, 128 unique positions on a mini (4 × 4) chess board each presented for 0.5 s. The tasks were to respond: (a) if white king was in check, (b) if black knight was present, (c) if white king was not in check, and (d) if no black knight was present. Experts showed an enhanced N2 with check targets and a larger P3 with knight targets, relative to novices. Expert-novice differences in posterior N2 began as early as 240 ms on check-related searches. Results were consistent with the view that prolonged N2 components reflect matching of current perceptual input to memory, and thus are sensitive to experts' superior pattern recognition and memory retrieval of chunks. Copyright © 2013 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Surface Water in Hawaii

Science.gov (United States)

Oki, Delwyn S.

2003-01-01

Surface water in Hawaii is a valued resource as well as a potential threat to human lives and property. The surface-water resources of Hawaii are of significant economic, ecologic, cultural, and aesthetic importance. Streams supply more than 50 percent of the irrigation water in Hawaii, and although streams supply only a few percent of the drinking water statewide, surface water is the main source of drinking water in some places. Streams also are a source of hydroelectric power, provide important riparian and instream habitats for many unique native species, support traditional and customary Hawaiian gathering rights and the practice of taro cultivation, and possess valued aesthetic qualities. Streams affect the physical, chemical, and aesthetic quality of receiving waters, such as estuaries, bays, and nearshore waters, which are critical to the tourism-based economy of the islands. Streams in Hawaii pose a danger because of their flashy nature; a stream's stage, or water level, can rise several feet in less than an hour during periods of intense rainfall. Streams in Hawaii are flashy because rainfall is intense, drainage basins are small, basins and streams are steep, and channel storage is limited. Streamflow generated during periods of heavy rainfall has led to loss of property and human lives in Hawaii. Most Hawaiian streams originate in the mountainous interiors of the islands and terminate at the coast. Streams are significant sculptors of the Hawaiian landscape because of the erosive power of the water they convey. In geologically young areas, such as much of the southern part of the island of Hawaii, well-defined stream channels have not developed because the permeability of the surface rocks generally is so high that rainfall infiltrates before flowing for significant distances on the surface. In geologically older areas that have received significant rainfall, streams and mass wasting have carved out large valleys.

CHESS (CgHExpreSS): a comprehensive analysis tool for the analysis of genomic alterations and their effects on the expression profile of the genome.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Mikyung; Kim, Yangseok

2009-12-16

Genomic alterations frequently occur in many cancer patients and play important mechanistic roles in the pathogenesis of cancer. Furthermore, they can modify the expression level of genes due to altered copy number in the corresponding region of the chromosome. An accumulating body of evidence supports the possibility that strong genome-wide correlation exists between DNA content and gene expression. Therefore, more comprehensive analysis is needed to quantify the relationship between genomic alteration and gene expression. A well-designed bioinformatics tool is essential to perform this kind of integrative analysis. A few programs have already been introduced for integrative analysis. However, there are many limitations in their performance of comprehensive integrated analysis using published software because of limitations in implemented algorithms and visualization modules. To address this issue, we have implemented the Java-based program CHESS to allow integrative analysis of two experimental data sets: genomic alteration and genome-wide expression profile. CHESS is composed of a genomic alteration analysis module and an integrative analysis module. The genomic alteration analysis module detects genomic alteration by applying a threshold based method or SW-ARRAY algorithm and investigates whether the detected alteration is phenotype specific or not. On the other hand, the integrative analysis module measures the genomic alteration's influence on gene expression. It is divided into two separate parts. The first part calculates overall correlation between comparative genomic hybridization ratio and gene expression level by applying following three statistical methods: simple linear regression, Spearman rank correlation and Pearson's correlation. In the second part, CHESS detects the genes that are differentially expressed according to the genomic alteration pattern with three alternative statistical approaches: Student's t-test, Fisher's exact test and Chi square

Make Chess games the Lubricant of Children＇s Development%让棋类游戏成为孩子发展的润滑剂

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

陈抒

2011-01-01

棋类游戏是中华民族文化的瑰宝，被人们称为“智慧的体操”，是老少皆宜的竞赛游戏。幼儿园中班教育教学中，引入融趣味性、益智性于一体的飞行棋游戏，让孩子们在游戏中学习下棋，体验下棋带来的愉悦与成就感，不仅可以开发幼儿智力、训练幼儿思维，还可以培养幼儿的专注力、意志力、合作能力以及规则意识、创新意识等，养成做事认真、专注的好习惯。促进幼儿的全面发展。%Chess games arc a treasure of Chinese culture, known as the ＂wisdom of gymnastics,＂ is the ages of racing game. Intermediate nursery education, the introduction of f＇mancial interest, puzzle games in one flight chess, so that children learn in the game chess, chess experience the pleasure and sense of accomplishment, not only can develop children＇s intelligence, training children thought to cultivate children＇s concentration, willpower, ability to cooperate and awareness of the rules, innovation, etc., to develop a serious work, focus on good habits, to promote children＇s overall development.

A 3-D Approach for Teaching and Learning about Surface Water Systems through Computational Thinking, Data Visualization and Physical Models

Science.gov (United States)

Caplan, B.; Morrison, A.; Moore, J. C.; Berkowitz, A. R.

2017-12-01

Understanding water is central to understanding environmental challenges. Scientists use `big data' and computational models to develop knowledge about the structure and function of complex systems, and to make predictions about changes in climate, weather, hydrology, and ecology. Large environmental systems-related data sets and simulation models are difficult for high school teachers and students to access and make sense of. Comp Hydro, a collaboration across four states and multiple school districts, integrates computational thinking and data-related science practices into water systems instruction to enhance development of scientific model-based reasoning, through curriculum, assessment and teacher professional development. Comp Hydro addresses the need for 1) teaching materials for using data and physical models of hydrological phenomena, 2) building teachers' and students' comfort or familiarity with data analysis and modeling, and 3) infusing the computational knowledge and practices necessary to model and visualize hydrologic processes into instruction. Comp Hydro teams in Baltimore, MD and Fort Collins, CO are integrating teaching about surface water systems into high school courses focusing on flooding (MD) and surface water reservoirs (CO). This interactive session will highlight the successes and challenges of our physical and simulation models in helping teachers and students develop proficiency with computational thinking about surface water. We also will share insights from comparing teacher-led vs. project-led development of curriculum and our simulations.

The CHESS survey of the L1157-B1 bow-shock: high and low excitation water vapor

Science.gov (United States)

Busquet, G.; Lefloch, B.; Benedettini, M.; Ceccarelli, C.; Codella, C.; Cabrit, S.; Nisini, B.; Viti, S.; Gómez-Ruiz, A. I.; Gusdorf, A.; di Giorgio, A. M.; Wiesenfeld, L.

2014-01-01

Context. Molecular outflows powered by young protostars strongly affect the kinematics and chemistry of the natal molecular cloud through strong shocks. This results in substantial modifications of the abundance of several species. In particular, water is a powerful tracer of shocked material because of its sensitivity to both physical conditions and chemical processes. Aims: As part of the Chemical HErschel Surveys of Star-forming regions (CHESS) guaranteed time key program, we aim at investigating the physical and chemical conditions of H2O in the brightest shock region B1 of the L1157 molecular outflow. Methods: We observed several ortho- and para-H2O transitions using the HIFI and PACS instruments on board Herschel toward L1157-B1, providing a detailed picture of the kinematics and spatial distribution of the gas. We performed a large velocity gradient (LVG) analysis to derive the physical conditions of H2O shocked material, and ultimately obtain its abundance. Results: We detected 13 H2O lines with both instruments probing a wide range of excitation conditions. This is the largest data set of water lines observed in a protostellar shock and it provides both the kinematics and the spatial information of the emitting gas. The PACS maps reveal that H2O traces weak and extended emission associated with the outflow identified also with HIFI in the o-H2O line at 556.9 GHz, and a compact (~10'') bright, higher excitation region. The LVG analysis of H2O lines in the bow-shock show the presence of two gas components with different excitation conditions: a warm (Tkin ≃ 200-300 K) and dense (n(H2) ≃ (1-3) × 106 cm-3) component with an assumed extent of 10'', and a compact (~2''-5'') and hot, tenuous (Tkin ≃ 900-1400 K, n(H2) ≃ 103-4 cm-3) gas component that is needed to account for the line fluxes of high Eu transitions. The fractional abundance of the warm and hot H2O gas components is estimated to be (0.7-2) × 10-6 and (1-3) × 10-4, respectively. Finally, we

Surface water management at a mixed waste remediation site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlotzhauer, D.S.; Warbritton, K.R.

1991-01-01

The Weldon Spring Remedial Action Project (WSSRAP) deals with chemical and radiological contaminants. MK-Ferguson Company is managing the project under contract with the US Department of Energy. Remedial activities include demolishing buildings, constructing material storage and staging areas, excavating and consolidating waste materials, and treating and disposing of the materials in a land disposal facility. Due to the excavation and construction required during remediation, a well-planned surface water management system is essential. Planning involves characterization of source areas and surface water transport mechanisms and identification of applicable regulations. System components include: erosion control sediment control, flow attenuation, and management of contaminated water. Combinations of these components may be utilized during actual construction and remediation to obtain optimum control. Monitoring is performed during implementation in order to assess the effectiveness of control measures. This management scheme provides for comprehensive management of surface water at this site by providing control and/or treatment to appropriate standards. Although some treatment methodologies for contaminated water are specific to site contaminants, this comprehensive program provides a management approach which is applicable to many remedial projects in order to minimize contaminant release and meet Clean Water Act requirements

Water slip and friction at a solid surface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brigo, L; Pierno, M; Mammano, F; Sada, C; Fois, G; Pozzato, A; Zilio, S dal; Mistura, G [Dipartimento di Fisica G Galilei, Universita degli Studi di Padova, via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova (Italy); Natali, M [Istituto di Chimica Inorganica e delle Superfici (ICIS), CNR, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova (Italy); Tormen, M [TASC-INFM, CNR, S S 14 km 163.5 Area Science Park, 34012 Basovizza, Trieste (Italy)], E-mail: mistura@padova.infm.it

2008-09-03

A versatile micro-particle imaging velocimetry ({mu}-PIV) recording system is described, which allows us to make fluid velocity measurements in a wide range of flow conditions both inside microchannels and at liquid-solid interfaces by using epifluorescence and total internal reflection fluorescence excitation. This set-up has been applied to study the slippage of water over flat surfaces characterized by different degrees of hydrophobicity and the effects that a grooved surface has on the fluid flow inside a microchannel. Preliminary measurements of the slip length of water past various flat surfaces show no significant dependence on the contact angle.

Surface-Water Data, Georgia, Water Year 1999

Science.gov (United States)

Alhadeff, S. Jack; Landers, Mark N.; McCallum, Brian E.

1999-01-01

Water resources data for the 1999 water year for Georgia consists of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; and the stage and contents of lakes and reservoirs published in one volume in a digital format on a CD-ROM. This volume contains discharge records of 121 gaging stations; stage for 13 gaging stations; stage and contents for 18 lakes and reservoirs; continuous water quality records for 10 stations; and the annual peak stage and annual peak discharge for 75 crest-stage partial-record stations. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Georgia. Records of discharge and stage of streams, and contents or stage of lakes and reservoirs were first published in a series of U.S. Geological water-supply papers entitled, 'Surface-Water Supply of the United States.' Through September 30, 1960, these water-supply papers were in an annual series and then in a 5-year series for 1961-65 and 1966-70. Records of chemical quality, water temperature, and suspended sediment were published from 1941 to 1970 in an annual series of water-supply papers entitled, 'Quality of Surface Waters of the United States.' Records of ground-water levels were published from 1935 to 1974 in a series of water-supply papers entitled, 'Ground-Water Levels in the United States.' Water-supply papers may be consulted in the libraries of the principal cities in the United States or may be purchased from the U.S. Geological Survey, Branch of Information Services, Federal Center, Box 25286, Denver, CO 80225. For water years 1961 through 1970, streamflow data were released by the U.S. Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis prior to the two 5-year series water-supply papers, which cover this period. The data contained in the water-supply papers are considered the official record. Water-quality records for water years 1964 through 1970 were similarly released

Rotating Ceramic Water Filter Discs System for Water Filtration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riyadh Z. Al Zubaidy

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This work aimed to design, construct and operate a new laboratory scale water filtration system. This system was used to examine the efficiency of two ceramic filter discs as a medium for water filtration. These filters were made from two different ceramic mixtures of local red clay, sawdust, and water. The filtration system was designed with two rotating interfered modules of these filters. Rotating these modules generates shear force between water and the surfaces of filter discs of the filtration modules that works to reduce thickness of layer of rejected materials on the filters surfaces. Each module consists of seven filtration units and each unit consists of two ceramic filter discs. The average measured hydraulic conductivity of the first module was 13.7mm/day and that for the second module was 50mm/day. Results showed that the water filtration system can be operated continuously with a constant flow rate and the filtration process was controlled by a skin thin layer of rejected materials. The ceramic water filters of both filtration modules have high removal efficiency of total suspended solids up to 100% and of turbidity up to 99.94%.

Field-analysis of potable water quality and ozone efficiency in ozone-assisted biological filtration systems for surface water treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Zanacic, Enisa; Stavrinides, John; McMartin, Dena W

2016-11-01

Potable water treatment in small communities is challenging due to a complexity of factors starting with generally poor raw water sources, a smaller tax and consumption base that limit capital and operating funds, and culminating in what is typically a less sophisticated and robust water treatment plant for production and delivery of safe, high quality potable water. The design and optimization of modular ozone-assisted biological filtration systems can address some of these challenges. In surface water treatment, the removal of organic matter (e.g., dissolved organic carbon - DOC), inorganic nutrients and other exposure-related contaminants (e.g., turbidity and dissolved solids) from the raw water source is essential. Thus, a combination of chemical and biological oxidation processes can produce an effective and efficient water treatment plant design that is also affordable and robust. To that end, the ozone-assisted biological filtration water treatment plants in two communities were evaluated to determine the efficacy of oxidation and contaminant removal processes. The results of testing for in-field system performance indicate that plant performance is particularly negatively impacted by high alkalinity, high organics loading, and turbidity. Both bicarbonate and carbonate alkalinity were observed to impede ozone contact and interaction with DOC, resulting in lower than anticipated DOC oxidation efficiency and bioavailability. The ozone dosage at both water treatment plants must be calculated on a more routine basis to better reflect both the raw water DOC concentration and presence of alkalinities to ensure maximized organics oxidation and minimization of trihalomethanes production. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Uncertainty quantification of surface-water/groundwater exchange estimates in large wetland systems using Python

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, J. D.; Metz, P. A.

2014-12-01

Most watershed studies include observation-based water budget analyses to develop first-order estimates of significant flow terms. Surface-water/groundwater (SWGW) exchange is typically assumed to be equal to the residual of the sum of inflows and outflows in a watershed. These estimates of SWGW exchange, however, are highly uncertain as a result of the propagation of uncertainty inherent in the calculation or processing of the other terms of the water budget, such as stage-area-volume relations, and uncertainties associated with land-cover based evapotranspiration (ET) rate estimates. Furthermore, the uncertainty of estimated SWGW exchanges can be magnified in large wetland systems that transition from dry to wet during wet periods. Although it is well understood that observation-based estimates of SWGW exchange are uncertain it is uncommon for the uncertainty of these estimates to be directly quantified. High-level programming languages like Python can greatly reduce the effort required to (1) quantify the uncertainty of estimated SWGW exchange in large wetland systems and (2) evaluate how different approaches for partitioning land-cover data in a watershed may affect the water-budget uncertainty. We have used Python with the Numpy, Scipy.stats, and pyDOE packages to implement an unconstrained Monte Carlo approach with Latin Hypercube sampling to quantify the uncertainty of monthly estimates of SWGW exchange in the Floral City watershed of the Tsala Apopka wetland system in west-central Florida, USA. Possible sources of uncertainty in the water budget analysis include rainfall, ET, canal discharge, and land/bathymetric surface elevations. Each of these input variables was assigned a probability distribution based on observation error or spanning the range of probable values. The Monte Carlo integration process exposes the uncertainties in land-cover based ET rate estimates as the dominant contributor to the uncertainty in SWGW exchange estimates. We will discuss

Design of electric-field assisted surface plasmon resonance system for the detection of heavy metal ions in water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kyaw, Htet Htet [Department of Physics, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, P. O. Box 36, Al-Khoud 123 (Oman); Boonruang, Sakoolkan, E-mail: sakoolkan.boonruang@nectec.or.th, E-mail: waleed.m@bu.ac.th [Photonics Technology Laboratory, National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC), 112 Thailand Science Park, PathumThani 12120 (Thailand); Mohammed, Waleed S., E-mail: sakoolkan.boonruang@nectec.or.th, E-mail: waleed.m@bu.ac.th [Center of Research in Optoelectronics, Communication and Control Systems (BUCROCCS), School of Engineering, Bangkok University, PathumThani 12120 (Thailand); Dutta, Joydeep [Functional Materials Division, School of Information and Communication Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Isafjordsgatan 22, SE-164 40 Kista, Stockholm (Sweden)

2015-10-15

Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) sensors are widely used in diverse applications. For detecting heavy metal ions in water, surface functionalization of the metal surface is typically used to adsorb target molecules, where the ionic concentration is detected via a resonance shift (resonance angle, resonance wavelength or intensity). This paper studies the potential of a possible alternative approach that could eliminate the need of using surface functionalization by the application of an external electric field in the flow channel. The exerted electrical force on the ions pushes them against the surface for enhanced adsorption; hence it is referred to as “Electric-Field assisted SPR system”. High system sensitivity is achieved by monitoring the time dynamics of the signal shift. The ion deposition dynamics are discussed using a derived theoretical model based on ion mobility in water. On the application of an appropriate force, the target ions stack onto the sensor surface depending on the ionic concentration of target solution, ion mass, and flow rate. In the experimental part, a broad detection range of target cadmium ions (Cd{sup 2+}) in water from several parts per million (ppm) down to a few parts per billion (ppb) can be detected.

Effects of Surface Dipole Lengths on Evaporation of Tiny Water Aggregation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Shen; Wan Rongzheng; Fang Haiping; Tu Yusong

2013-01-01

Using molecular dynamics simulation, we compared evaporation behavior of a tiny amount of water molecules adsorbed on solid surfaces with different dipole lengths, including surface dipole lengths of 1 fold, 2 folds, 4 folds, 6 folds and 8 folds of 0.14 nm and different charges from 0.1e to 0.9e. Surfaces with short dipole lengths (1-fold system) can always maintain hydrophobic character and the evaporation speeds are not influenced, whether the surface charges are enhanced or weakened; but when surface dipole lengths get to 8 folds, surfaces become more hydrophilic as the surface charge increases, and the evaporation speeds increase gradually and monotonically. By tuning dipole lengths from 1-fold to 8-fold systems, we confirmed non-monotonic variation of the evaporation flux (first increases, then decreases) in 4 fold system with charges (0.1e–0.7e), reported in our previous paper [S. Wang, et al., J. Phys. Chem. B 116 (2012) 13863], and also show the process from the enhancement of this unexpected non-monotonic variation to its vanishment with surface dipole lengths increasing. Herein, we demonstrated two key factors to influence the evaporation flux of a tiny amount of water molecules adsorbed on solid surfaces: the exposed surficial area of water aggregation from where the water molecules can evaporate directly and the attraction potential from the substrate hindering the evaporation. In addition, more interestingly, we showed extra steric effect of surface dipoles on further increase of evaporation flux for 2-folds, 4-folds, 6-folds and 8-folds systems with charges around larger than 0.7e. (The steric effect is first reported by parts of our authors [C. Wang, et al., Sci. Rep. 2 (2012) 358]). This study presents a complete physical picture of the influence of surface dipole lengths on the evaporation behavior of the adsorbed tiny amount of water. (condensed matter: structural, mechanical, and thermal properties)

Estimates of Soil Moisture Using the Land Information System for Land Surface Water Storage: Case Study for the Western States Water Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, P. W.; Famiglietti, J. S.; Levoe, S.; Reager, J. T., II; David, C. H.; Kumar, S.; Li, B.; Peters-Lidard, C. D.

2017-12-01

Soil moisture is one of the critical factors in terrestrial hydrology. Accurate soil moisture information improves estimation of terrestrial water storage and fluxes, that is essential for water resource management including sustainable groundwater pumping and agricultural irrigation practices. It is particularly important during dry periods when water stress is high. The Western States Water Mission (WSWM), a multiyear mission project of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is operated to understand and estimate quantities of the water availability in the western United States by integrating observations and measurements from in-situ and remote sensing sensors, and hydrological models. WSWM data products have been used to assess and explore the adverse impacts of the California drought (2011-2016) and provide decision-makers information for water use planning. Although the observations are often more accurate, simulations using land surface models can provide water availability estimates at desired spatio-temporal scales. The Land Information System (LIS), developed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, integrates developed land surface models and data processing and management tools, that enables to utilize the measurements and observations from various platforms as forcings in the high performance computing environment to forecast the hydrologic conditions. The goal of this study is to implement the LIS in the western United States for estimates of soil moisture. We will implement the NOAH-MP model at the 12km North America Land Data Assimilation System grid and compare to other land surface models included in the LIS. Findings will provide insight into the differences between model estimates and model physics. Outputs from a multi-model ensemble from LIS can also be used to enhance estimated reliability and provide quantification of uncertainty. We will compare the LIS-based soil moisture estimates to the SMAP enhanced 9 km soil moisture product to understand the

Water on a Hydrophobic surface

Science.gov (United States)

Scruggs, Ryan; Zhu, Mengjue; Poynor, Adele

2012-02-01

Hydrophobicity, meaning literally fear of water, is exhibited on the surfaces of non-stick cooking pans and water resistant clothing, on the leaves of the lotus plan, or even during the protein folding process in our bodies. Hydrophobicity is directly measured by determining a contact angle between water and an objects surface. Associated with a hydrophobic surface is the depletion layer, a low density region approximately 0.2 nm thick. We study this region by comparing data found in lab using surface plasmon resonance techniques to theoretical calculations. Experiments use gold slides coated in ODT and Mercapto solutions to model both hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces respectively.

Cholesterol enhances surface water diffusion of phospholipid bilayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheng, Chi-Yuan; Kausik, Ravinath; Han, Songi, E-mail: songi@chem.ucsb.edu [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 (United States); Olijve, Luuk L. C. [Laboratory of Macromolecular and Organic Chemistry and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven (Netherlands)

2014-12-14

Elucidating the physical effect of cholesterol (Chol) on biological membranes is necessary towards rationalizing their structural and functional role in cell membranes. One of the debated questions is the role of hydration water in Chol-embedding lipid membranes, for which only little direct experimental data are available. Here, we study the hydration dynamics in a series of Chol-rich and depleted bilayer systems using an approach termed {sup 1}H Overhauser dynamic nuclear polarization (ODNP) NMR relaxometry that enables the sensitive and selective determination of water diffusion within 5–10 Å of a nitroxide-based spin label, positioned off the surface of the polar headgroups or within the nonpolar core of lipid membranes. The Chol-rich membrane systems were prepared from mixtures of Chol, dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine and/or dioctadecyl phosphatidylcholine lipid that are known to form liquid-ordered, raft-like, domains. Our data reveal that the translational diffusion of local water on the surface and within the hydrocarbon volume of the bilayer is significantly altered, but in opposite directions: accelerated on the membrane surface and dramatically slowed in the bilayer interior with increasing Chol content. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) lineshape analysis shows looser packing of lipid headgroups and concurrently tighter packing in the bilayer core with increasing Chol content, with the effects peaking at lipid compositions reported to form lipid rafts. The complementary capability of ODNP and EPR to site-specifically probe the hydration dynamics and lipid ordering in lipid membrane systems extends the current understanding of how Chol may regulate biological processes. One possible role of Chol is the facilitation of interactions between biological constituents and the lipid membrane through the weakening or disruption of strong hydrogen-bond networks of the surface hydration layers that otherwise exert stronger repulsive forces, as reflected in

Development of a test system for the determination of biodegradability in surface waters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalsch, W.; Knacker, T.; Robertz, M.; Schallnass, H.J.

1997-01-01

The study presented here describes the development of a laboratory test system for the determination of aerobic biodegradability of substances at low concentrations in surface water. It was aimed to prepare a draft guideline for a biodegradation simulation test according to OECD format. The experimental approach was based on a literature study conducted within the frame of this project. Further useful information on the possible test design was derived from the German BBA guideline 5-1. Natural water and sediments were collected. Radiolabelled Lindane or 4-Nitrophenol was added. The test vessels (reactors) were aerated and incubated under controlled conditions for up to 92 days. The results showed biological stability of the sediment/water systems even without addition of nutrients and adherence to non-reducing conditions. Mineralisation of 4-Nitrophenol was influenced by the sediment type, the method of aeration and temperature. Factors affecting the mineralisation of Lindane were the method of application and again, the sediment type and temperature. Considerable amounts of the radioactivity were bound to the sediment and were to a large extent unextractable. The potential of a reactor to mineralise a test substance could not be correlated with the biological parameters measured. (orig.) [de

Novel Americium Treatment Process for Surface Water and Dust Suppression Water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiepel, E.W.; Pigeon, P.; Nesta, S.; Anderson, J.

2006-01-01

The Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS), a former nuclear weapons production plant, has been remediated under CERCLA and decommissioned to become a National Wildlife Refuge. The site conducted this cleanup effort under the Rocky Flats Cleanup Agreement (RFCA) that established limits for the discharge of surface and process waters from the site. At the end of 2004, while a number of process buildings were undergoing decommissioning, routine monitoring of a discharge pond (Pond A-4) containing approximately 28 million gallons of water was discovered to have been contaminated with a trace amount of Americium-241 (Am-241). While the amount of Am-241 in the pond waters was very low (0.5 - 0.7 pCi/l), it was above the established Colorado stream standard of 0.15 pCi/l for release to off site drainage waters. The rapid successful treatment of these waters to the regulatory limit was important to the site for two reasons. The first was that the pond was approaching its hold-up limit. Without rapid treatment and release of the Pond A-4 water, typical spring run-off would require water management actions to other drainages onsite or a mass shuttling of water for disposal. The second reason was that this type of contaminated water had not been treated to the stringent stream standard at Rocky Flats before. Technical challenges in treatment could translate to impacts on water and secondary waste management, and ultimately, cost impacts. All of the technical challenges and specific site criteria led to the conclusion that a different approach to the treatment of this problem was necessary and a crash treatability program to identify applicable treatment techniques was undertaken. The goal of this program was to develop treatment options that could be implemented very quickly and would result in the generation of no high volume secondary waste that would be costly to dispose. A novel chemical treatment system was developed and implemented at the RFETS to treat Am

Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Water Nanodroplets on Silica Surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zambrano, Harvey A; Walther, Jens Honore; Jaffe, Richard L.

2009-01-01

and DNA microarrays technologies.4,5,6,7,8 Although extensive experimental, theoretical and computational work has been devoted to study the nature of the interaction between silica and water,2,9-16 at the molecular level a complete understanding of silica-water systems has not been reached. Contact angle...... computations of water droplets on silica surfaces offers a useful fundamental and quantitative measurement in order to study chemical and physical properties of water-silica systems.3,16,17,18 For hydrophobic systems the static and dynamic properties of the fluid-solid interface are influenced by the presence...

Numerical modeling and remote sensing of global water management systems: Applications for land surface modeling, satellite missions, and sustainable water resources

Science.gov (United States)

Solander, Kurt C.

The ability to accurately quantify water storages and fluxes in water management systems through observations or models is of increasing importance due to the expected impacts from climate change and population growth worldwide. Here, I describe three innovative techniques developed to better understand this problem. First, a model was created to represent reservoir storage and outflow with the objective of integration into a Land Surface Model (LSM) to simulate the impacts of reservoir management on the climate system. Given this goal, storage capacity represented the lone model input required that is not already available to an LSM user. Model parameterization was linked to air temperature to allow future simulations to adapt to a changing climate, making it the first such model to mimic the potential response of a reservoir operator to climate change. Second, spatial and temporal error properties of future NASA Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite reservoir operations were quantified. This work invoked the use of the SWOTsim instrument simulator, which was run over a number of synthetic and actual reservoirs so the resulting error properties could be extrapolated to the global scale. The results provide eventual users of SWOT data with a blueprint of expected reservoir error properties so such characteristics can be determined a priori for a reservoir given knowledge about its topology and anticipated repeat orbit pass over its location. Finally, data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission was used in conjunction with in-situ water use records to evaluate sustainable water use at the two-digit HUC basin scale over the contiguous United States. Results indicate that the least sustainable water management region is centered in the southwest, where consumptive water use exceeded water availability by over 100% on average for some of these basins. This work represents the first attempt at evaluating sustainable

Irradiation of Oil / Water Biphasic Systems: the Importance of Interfacial Surface Area on the Production of Hydrogen and Other Deleterious Products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Causey, Patrick-W.; Stuart, Craig-R.

2012-09-01

interfacial surface area, control of headspace gas composition, and removal of sample aliquots. Results highlight the importance of interfacial surface area in affecting the radiolytic degradation of the studied hydrocarbons. In particular, experiments having higher oil-water interfacial surface areas generate greater quantities of oil degradation products as compared with lower surface area samples. As expected, one notable result from these irradiations was the formation of significant quantities of hydrogen, which was found to be dependent on the interfacial surface area. Presented here is a review of the radiolytic degradation of insoluble organic material in aqueous systems, a summary of experimental results focusing on biphasic systems and a description of a strategy to mitigate the effects of insoluble organic material ingress and to aid in developing station-appropriate responses. (authors)

PERFORMANCE OF A SURFACE FLOW CONSTRUCTED WETLAND SYSTEM USED TO TREAT SECONDARY EFFLUENT AND FILTER BACKWASH WATER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Antonio Vidales-Contreras

2011-05-01

The performance of a surface flow wetland system used to treat activated sludge effluent and filter backwash water from a tertiary treatment facility was evaluated. Samples were collected before and after vegetation removal from the system which consists of two densely vegetated settling basins (0.35 ha, an artificial stream, and a 3-ha surface flow wetland. Bulrush (Scripus spp. and cattail (Typha domingensis were the dominant plant species. The average inflow of chlorinated secondary effluent during the first two months of the actual study was 1.9  m3 min-1 while the inflow for backwash water treatment ranged from 0.21 to 0.42 m3 min-1. The system was able to reduce TSS and BOD5 to tertiary effluent standards; however, monitoring of chloride concentrations revealed that wetland evapotranspiration is probably enriching pollutant concentrations in the wetland outflow. Coliphage removal from the filter backwash was 97 and 35% during 1999 and 2000, respectively. However, when secondary effluent entered the system, coliphage removal averaged 65%. After vegetation removal, pH and coliphage density increased significantly (p

Modeling decadal timescale interactions between surface water and ground water in the central Everglades, Florida, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Harvey, Judson W.; Newlin, Jessica T.; Krupa, Steven L.

2006-04-01

Surface-water and ground-water flow are coupled in the central Everglades, although the remoteness of this system has hindered many previous attempts to quantify interactions between surface water and ground water. We modeled flow through a 43,000 ha basin in the central Everglades called Water Conservation Area 2A. The purpose of the model was to quantify recharge and discharge in the basin's vast interior areas. The presence and distribution of tritium in ground water was the principal constraint on the modeling, based on measurements in 25 research wells ranging in depth from 2 to 37 m. In addition to average characteristics of surface-water flow, the model parameters included depth of the layer of 'interactive' ground water that is actively exchanged with surface water, average residence time of interactive ground water, and the associated recharge and discharge fluxes across the wetland ground surface. Results indicated that only a relatively thin (8 m) layer of the 60 m deep surfical aquifer actively exchanges surface water and ground water on a decadal timescale. The calculated storage depth of interactive ground water was 3.1 m after adjustment for the porosity of peat and sandy limestone. Modeling of the tritium data yielded an average residence time of 90 years in interactive ground water, with associated recharge and discharge fluxes equal to 0.01 cm d -1. 3H/ 3He isotopic ratio measurements (which correct for effects of vertical mixing in the aquifer with deeper, tritium-dead water) were available from several wells, and these indicated an average residence time of 25 years, suggesting that residence time was overestimated using tritium measurements alone. Indeed, both residence time and storage depth would be expected to be overestimated due to vertical mixing. The estimate of recharge and discharge (0.01 cm d -1) that resulted from tritium modeling therefore is still considered reliable, because the ratio of residence time and storage depth (used to

Cornell's LEPP, CHESS research labs expected to get $124 million in NSF funding for elementary particle and X-ray research

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

"Cornell University will be awarded up to $124 million over the next five years by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support research at the Laboratory for Elementary-Particle Physics (LEPP) and the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), a national user facility" (1 page).

Evaluation of Surface Water Harvesting Potential in Aq Emam Watershed System in the Golestan Province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

s. nazaryan

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction : Given its low and sparse precipitation both in spatial and temporal scales, Iran is nestled in an arid and semiarid part of the world. On the other hand, because of population growth, urbanization and the development of agriculture and industry sector is frequently encountered with increasing water demand. The increasing trend of water demand will widen the gap between water supply and demand in the future. This, in turn, necessitates urgent attention to the fundamentals of economic planning and allocation of water resources. Considering the limited resources and the declining water table and salinization of groundwater, especially in semi-arid areas forces us to exploit surface waters. When we evaluate the various methods of collecting rainwater, surface water that is the outcome of rainfall-runoff responses in a basin, is found to be a potential source of water and it can be useful to meet some of our water demand if managed properly. Water shortages in arid areas are critical, serious and persistent. Thus, water harvesting is an effective and economic goal. The most important step in the implementation of rain water harvesting systems is proper site selection that could cause significant savings in time and cost. In this study the potential of surface waters in the Aq Emam catchment in the east Golestan province was evaluated. The purpose of this study is to provide a framework for locating areas with water harvesting potential. Materials and Methods: For spatial evaluation of potential runoff, first, the amount of runoff is calculated using curve number and runoff potential maps were prepared with three classes: namely, the potential for low, medium and high levels. Finally, to identify suitable areas for rain water harvesting, rainfall maps, soil texture, slope and land use were weighted and multiplied based on their importance in order to determine the appropriate areas to collect runoff Results and Discussion : The results

Structural and dynamical properties of water confined between two hydrophilic surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Di Napoli, Solange, E-mail: dinapoli@tandar.cnea.gov.a [Depto. de Fisica - CAC, Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica, Av. Gral Paz 1499, (1650) San Martin, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (Argentina); Gamba, Zulema, E-mail: gamba@tandar.cnea.gov.a [Depto. de Fisica - CAC, Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica, Av. Gral Paz 1499, (1650) San Martin, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2009-10-01

The properties of water in the vicinity of surfaces and under confinement have been extensively studied because of the relevance of a quantitative understanding of many processes that not only take place in biological systems, like cells, membranes and microemulsions, but also in many others such as confined water in rocks, ionic channels and interestellar matter. In this work we perform molecular dynamic calculations of the nanoscopic structure of TIP5P model water confined between two hydrophilic surfaces. We calculate the diffusion coefficients and the atomic density profile of water molecules and polar ions in the system as a function of the number of water molecules per amphiphilic (n{sub W}). We also study the dependence of the water layer thickness and the profiles of water dipole orientation with this parameter.

Structural and dynamical properties of water confined between two hydrophilic surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Napoli, Solange; Gamba, Zulema

2009-01-01

The properties of water in the vicinity of surfaces and under confinement have been extensively studied because of the relevance of a quantitative understanding of many processes that not only take place in biological systems, like cells, membranes and microemulsions, but also in many others such as confined water in rocks, ionic channels and interestellar matter. In this work we perform molecular dynamic calculations of the nanoscopic structure of TIP5P model water confined between two hydrophilic surfaces. We calculate the diffusion coefficients and the atomic density profile of water molecules and polar ions in the system as a function of the number of water molecules per amphiphilic (n W ). We also study the dependence of the water layer thickness and the profiles of water dipole orientation with this parameter.

A flexible hydrological warning system in Denmark for real-time surface water and groundwater simulations

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xin; Stisen, Simon; Wiese, Marianne B.; Jørgen Henriksen, Hans

2015-04-01

In Denmark, increasing focus on extreme weather events has created considerable demand for short term forecasts and early warnings in relation to groundwater and surface water flooding. The Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) has setup, calibrated and applied a nationwide water resources model, the DK-Model, primarily for simulating groundwater and surface water flows and groundwater levels during the past 20 years. So far, the DK-model has only been used in offline historical and future scenario simulations. Therefore, challenges arise in operating such a model for online forecasts and early warnings, which requires access to continuously updated observed climate input data and forecast data of precipitation, temperature and global radiation for the next 48 hours or longer. GEUS has a close collaboration with the Danish Meteorological Institute in order to test and enable this data input for the DK model. Due to the comprehensive physical descriptions of the DK-Model, the simulation results can potentially be any component of the hydrological cycle within the models domain. Therefore, it is important to identify which results need to be updated and saved in the real-time mode, since it is not computationally economical to save every result considering the heavy load of data. GEUS have worked closely with the end-users and interest groups such as water planners and emergency managers from the municipalities, water supply and waste water companies, consulting companies and farmer organizations, in order to understand their possible needs for real time simulation and monitoring of the nationwide water cycle. This participatory process has been supported by a web based questionnaire survey, and a workshop that connected the model developers and the users. For qualifying the stakeholder engagement, GEUS has selected a representative catchment area (Skjern River) for testing and demonstrating a prototype of the web based hydrological warning system at the

Modelling surface-water depression storage in a Prairie Pothole Region

Science.gov (United States)

Hay, Lauren E.; Norton, Parker A.; Viger, Roland; Markstrom, Steven; Regan, R. Steven; Vanderhoof, Melanie

2018-01-01

In this study, the Precipitation-Runoff Modelling System (PRMS) was used to simulate changes in surface-water depression storage in the 1,126-km2 Upper Pipestem Creek basin located within the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota, USA. The Prairie Pothole Region is characterized by millions of small water bodies (or surface-water depressions) that provide numerous ecosystem services and are considered an important contribution to the hydrologic cycle. The Upper Pipestem PRMS model was extracted from the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Hydrologic Model (NHM), developed to support consistent hydrologic modelling across the conterminous United States. The Geospatial Fabric database, created for the USGS NHM, contains hydrologic model parameter values derived from datasets that characterize the physical features of the entire conterminous United States for 109,951 hydrologic response units. Each hydrologic response unit in the Geospatial Fabric was parameterized using aggregated surface-water depression area derived from the National Hydrography Dataset Plus, an integrated suite of application-ready geospatial datasets. This paper presents a calibration strategy for the Upper Pipestem PRMS model that uses normalized lake elevation measurements to calibrate the parameters influencing simulated fractional surface-water depression storage. Results indicate that inclusion of measurements that give an indication of the change in surface-water depression storage in the calibration procedure resulted in accurate changes in surface-water depression storage in the water balance. Regionalized parameterization of the USGS NHM will require a proxy for change in surface-storage to accurately parameterize surface-water depression storage within the USGS NHM.

Using Flux Site Observations to Calibrate Root System Architecture Stencils for Water Uptake of Plant Functional Types in Land Surface Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Bouda, M.

2017-12-01

Root system architecture (RSA) can significantly affect plant access to water, total transpiration, as well as its partitioning by soil depth, with implications for surface heat, water, and carbon budgets. Despite recent advances in land surface model (LSM) descriptions of plant hydraulics, RSA has not been included because of its three-dimensional complexity, which makes RSA modelling generally too computationally costly. This work builds upon the recently introduced "RSA stencil," a process-based 1D layered model that captures the dynamic shifts in water potential gradients of 3D RSA in response to heterogeneous soil moisture profiles. In validations using root systems calibrated to the rooting profiles of four plant functional types (PFT) of the Community Land Model, the RSA stencil predicts plant water potentials within 2% of the outputs of full 3D models, despite its trivial computational cost. In transient simulations, the RSA stencil yields improved predictions of water uptake and soil moisture profiles compared to a 1D model based on root fraction alone. Here I show how the RSA stencil can be calibrated to time-series observations of soil moisture and transpiration to yield a water uptake PFT definition for use in terrestrial models. This model-data integration exercise aims to improve LSM predictions of soil moisture dynamics and, under water-limiting conditions, surface fluxes. These improvements can be expected to significantly impact predictions of downstream variables, including surface fluxes, climate-vegetation feedbacks and soil nutrient cycling.

Evaluation of surface water dynamics for water-food security in seasonal wetlands, north-central Namibia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Hiyama

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Agricultural use of wetlands is important for food security in various regions. However, land-use changes in wetland areas could alter the water cycle and the ecosystem. To conserve the water environments of wetlands, care is needed when introducing new cropping systems. This study is the first attempt to evaluate the water dynamics in the case of the introduction of rice-millet mixed-cropping systems to the Cuvelai system seasonal wetlands (CSSWs in north-central Namibia. We first investigated seasonal changes in surface water coverage by using satellite remote sensing data. We also assessed the effect of the introduction of rice-millet mixed-cropping systems on evapotranspiration in the CSSWs region. For the former investigation, we used MODIS and AMSR-E satellite remote sensing data. These data showed that at the beginning of the wet season, surface water appears from the southern (lower part and then expands to the northern (higher part of the CSSWs. For the latter investigation, we used data obtained by the classical Bowen ratio-energy balance (BREB method at an experimental field site established in September 2012 on the Ogongo campus, University of Namibia. This analysis showed the importance of water and vegetation conditions when introducing mixed-cropping to the region.

Diffusion-weighted imaging of the rat pelvis using 3D water-excitation MP-RAGE MR sequence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Numano, Tomokazu; Homma, Kazuhiro; Hyodo, Koji; Nitta, Naotaka; Iwasaki, Nobuaki

2008-01-01

We developed a novel technique for fat-saturated, 3-dimensional (3D) diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging sequencing based upon the 3D magnetization-prepared, rapid gradient-echo (3D-MP-RAGE) method. We saturated fat using 2 techniques, chemical shift selective (CHESS; FatSat)-3D-DWI sequence versus water excitation (WE)-3D-DWI method, then compared the 2 sequences in terms of degree of fat suppression. In preparing the FatSat-3D-DWI sequence, we used a ''CHESS-90deg radiofrequency (RF)-motion probing gradient (MPG)-180deg RFMPG-90deg RF'' pulse-train, to sensitize the magnetization to fat-saturated diffusion. In contrast, in the WE-3D-DWI sequence, we selected a RAGE-excitation pulse with a binominal-pulse 1-1 or 1-2-1 for water-excited (fat-saturated) diffusion imaging. Experimental results in a phantom confirmed the effects of diffusion weighting and of fat saturation. Fat saturation was much better in the WE-3D-DWI sequence than the CHESS-3D-DWI sequence. From results from animal (rat pelvis) experiments using WE-3D-DWI, we obtained fat-saturated DWI. This sequence was useful for in vivo imaging. (author)

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Surface Water Protection: A Watershed Approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coty, J

2009-03-16

is largely developed yet its surface water system encompasses two arroyos, an engineered detention basin (Lake Haussmann), storm channels, and wetlands. Conversely, the more rural Site 300 includes approximately 7,000 acres of largely undeveloped land with many natural tributaries, riparian habitats, and wetland areas. These wetlands include vernal pools, perennial seeps, and emergent wetlands. The watersheds within which the Laboratory's sites lie provide local and community ecological functions and services which require protection. These functions and services include water supply, flood attenuation, groundwater recharge, water quality improvement, wildlife and aquatic habitats, erosion control, and (downstream) recreational opportunities. The Laboratory employs a watershed approach to protect these surface water systems. The intent of this approach, presented in this document, is to provide an integrated effort to eliminate or minimize any adverse environmental impacts of the Laboratory's operations and enhance the attributes of these surface water systems, as possible and when reasonable, to protect their value to the community and watershed. The Laboratory's watershed approach to surface water protection will use the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Watershed Framework and guiding principles of geographic focus, scientifically based management and partnerships1 as a foundation. While the Laboratory's unique site characteristics result in objectives and priorities that may differ from other industrial sites, these underlying guiding principles provide a structure for surface water protection to ensure the Laboratory's role in environmental stewardship and as a community partner in watershed protection. The approach includes pollution prevention, continual environmental improvement, and supporting, as possible, community objectives (e.g., protection of the San Francisco Bay watershed).

Silver disinfection in water distribution systems

Science.gov (United States)

Silvestry Rodriguez, Nadia

Silver was evaluated as disinfectant to maintain water quality in water distribution system. It was used to inhibit growth of two opportunistic bacteria in planktonik form and in biofilm formation in Robbins devices with stainless steel and PVC surfaces. The results of this work show that silver is a potential secondary disinfectant to be used in water distribution systems.

Tracer experiment by using radioisotope in surface water environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suh, K.S.; Kim, K.C.; Chun, I.Y.; Jung, S.H.; Lee, C.W.

2007-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. 1. Objective An expansion of industrial activities and urbanization result in still increasing amount of pollutants discharged into surface water. Discharged pollutants in surface water have harmful effects on the ecology of a river system and human beings. Pollutants discharged into surface water is transported and dispersed under conditions characteristic to particular natural water receiver. Radiotracer method is a useful tool for monitoring the pollutant dispersion and description of mixing process taking place in natural streams. A tracer experiment using radioisotope was carried out to investigate the characteristics of a pollutant transport and a determination of the diffusion coefficients in a river system. 2. Methods The upper area of the Keum river was selected for the tracer experiment, which is located in a mid west of Korea. The measurements of the velocity and bathymetry before a tracer experiment were performed to select the sampling lines for a detection of the radioisotope. The radioisotope was instantaneously injected into a flow as a point source by an underwater glass-vial crusher. The detection was made with 60 2inch NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors at 3 transverse lines at a downstream position. The multi-channel data acquisition systems were used to collect and process the signals transmitted from the detectors. Two-dimensional numerical models were used to simulate the hydraulic parameters and the concentration distributions of the radioisotope injected into the river. 3. Results and Conclusion The calculated results such as velocity and concentrations were compared with the measured ones. The dispersion characteristics of the radioisotope were analyzed according to a variation of the flow rate, water level and diffusion coefficients. Also, the diffusion coefficients were calculated by using the measured concentrations and the coefficients obtained from the field experiment were compared with the ones

Documentation of the Santa Clara Valley regional ground-water/surface-water flow model, Santa Clara Valley, California

Science.gov (United States)

Hanson, R.T.; Li, Zhen; Faunt, C.C.

2004-01-01

The Santa Clara Valley is a long, narrow trough extending about 35 miles southeast from the southern end of San Francisco Bay where the regional alluvial-aquifer system has been a major source of water. Intensive agricultural and urban development throughout the 20th century and related ground-water development resulted in ground-water-level declines of more than 200 feet and land subsidence of as much as 12.7 feet between the early 1900s and the mid-1960s. Since the 1960s, Santa Clara Valley Water District has imported surface water to meet growing demands and reduce dependence on ground-water supplies. This importation of water has resulted in a sustained recovery of the ground-water flow system. To help support effective management of the ground-water resources, a regional ground-water/surface-water flow model was developed. This model simulates the flow of ground water and surface water, changes in ground-water storage, and related effects such as land subsidence. A numerical ground-water/surface-water flow model of the Santa Clara Valley subbasin of the Santa Clara Valley was developed as part of a cooperative investigation with the Santa Clara Valley Water District. The model better defines the geohydrologic framework of the regional flow system and better delineates the supply and demand components that affect the inflows to and outflows from the regional ground-water flow system. Development of the model includes revisions to the previous ground-water flow model that upgraded the temporal and spatial discretization, added source-specific inflows and outflows, simulated additional flow features such as land subsidence and multi-aquifer wellbore flow, and extended the period of simulation through September 1999. The transient-state model was calibrated to historical surface-water and ground-water data for the period 197099 and to historical subsidence for the period 198399. The regional ground-water flow system consists of multiple aquifers that are grouped

BIOFILMS IN DRINKING WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS

Science.gov (United States)

Virtually anywhere a surface comes into contact with the water in a distribution system, one can find biofilms. Biofilms are formed in distribution system pipelines when microbial cells attach to pipe surfaces and multiply to form a film or slime layer on the pipe. Probably withi...

Presence of active pharmaceutical ingredients in the continuum of surface and ground water used in drinking water production.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahkola, Heidi; Tuominen, Sirkku; Karlsson, Sanja; Perkola, Noora; Huttula, Timo; Saraperä, Sami; Artimo, Aki; Korpiharju, Taina; Äystö, Lauri; Fjäder, Päivi; Assmuth, Timo; Rosendahl, Kirsi; Nysten, Taina

2017-12-01

Anthropogenic chemicals in surface water and groundwater cause concern especially when the water is used in drinking water production. Due to their continuous release or spill-over at waste water treatment plants, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are constantly present in aquatic environment and despite their low concentrations, APIs can still cause effects on the organisms. In the present study, Chemcatcher passive sampling was applied in surface water, surface water intake site, and groundwater observation wells to estimate whether the selected APIs are able to end up in drinking water supply through an artificial groundwater recharge system. The API concentrations measured in conventional wastewater, surface water, and groundwater grab samples were assessed with the results obtained with passive samplers. Out of the 25 APIs studied with passive sampling, four were observed in groundwater and 21 in surface water. This suggests that many anthropogenic APIs released to waste water proceed downstream and can be detectable in groundwater recharge. Chemcatcher passive samplers have previously been used in monitoring several harmful chemicals in surface and wastewaters, but the path of chemicals to groundwater has not been studied. This study provides novel information on the suitability of the Chemcatcher passive samplers for detecting APIs in groundwater wells.

Copepod communities from surface and ground waters in the everglades, south Florida

Science.gov (United States)

Bruno, M.C.; Cunningham, K.J.; Perry, S.A.

2003-01-01

We studied species composition and individual abundance of copepods in the surficial aquifer northeast of Everglades National Park. We identified the spatial distribution of subsurface habitats by assessing the depth of the high porosity layers in the limestone along a canal system, and we used copepods to assess the exchange between surface water and ground water along canal banks, at levels in the wells where high porosity connections to the canals exist. Surface- and ground-water taxa were defined, and species composition was related to areal position, sampling depth, and time. Subsurface copepod communities were dominated by surface copepods that disperse into the aquifer following the groundwater seepage along canal L-31N. The similarities in species composition between wells along canal reaches, suggest that copepods mainly enter ground water horizontally along canals via active and passive dispersal. Thus, the copepod populations indicate continuous connections between surface- and ground waters. The most abundant species were Orthocyclops modestus, Arctodiaptomus floridanus, Mesocyclops edax, and Thermocyclops parvus, all known in literature from surface habitats; however, these species have been collected in ground water in ENP. Only two stygophiles were collected: Diacylcops nearcticus and Diacyclops crassicaudis brachycercus. Restoration of the Everglades ecosystem requires a mosaic of data to reveal a complete picture of this complex system. The use of copepods as indicators of seepage could be a tool in helping to assess the direction and the duration of surface and ground water exchange.

Treatment and utilization of waste waters of surface mines in Ukraine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khmel' , N S

1981-01-01

Waste water of brown coal surface mines in the Dnieper basin is characterized. The water's pH value is 7, alkalinity ranges from 5.1 to 5.9 mg equivalent/1, it has no odor, a low mineralization level ranging from 1000 to 1100 mg/l. Concentration of mechanical impurities (suspended matter) ranges from 90 to 900 mg/l, and its maximum level can reach 5000 mg/l. An improved design of tanks in which waste water from surface mines is treated, and mechanical impurities settle, is proposed. Conventional design of a water sedimentation tank consists of a long ditch in which suspended matter settles, and a rectangular water reservoir at its end. In the improved version the long ditch is enlarged in some places to create additional tanks and to reduce velocity of flowing waste water. This improvement increases the amount of suspended matter which settles in the ditch and in its enlarged zones. When water reaches the rectangular sedimentation tank at the end of the system its suspended matter content is reduced to 40-45 mg/l. Formulae used to calculate dimensions of water treatment system, gradient of the ditch and size of sedimentation tank are presented. Methods of discharging treated waste water to surface water, rivers and stagnant waters, are evaluated. (In Russian)

Basin scale management of surface and ground water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tracy, J.C.; Al-Sharif, M.

1993-01-01

An important element in the economic development of many regions of the Great Plains is the availability of a reliable water supply. Due to the highly variable nature of the climate through out much of the Great Plains region, non-controlled stream flow rates tend to be highly variable from year to year. Thus, the primary water supply has tended towards developing ground water aquifers. However, in regions where shallow ground water is extracted for use, there exists the potential for over drafting aquifers to the point of depleting hydraulically connected stream flows, which could adversely affect the water supply of downstream users. To prevent the potential conflict that can arise when a basin's water supply is being developed or to control the water extractions within a developed basin requires the ability to predict the effect that water extractions in one region will have on water extractions from either surface or ground water supplies else where in the basin. This requires the ability to simulate ground water levels and stream flows on a basin scale as affected by changes in water use, land use practices and climatic changes within the basin. The outline for such a basin scale surface water-ground water model has been presented in Tracy (1991) and Tracy and Koelliker (1992), and the outline for the mathematical programming statement to aid in determining the optimal allocation of water on a basin scale has been presented in Tracy and Al-Sharif (1992). This previous work has been combined into a computer based model with graphical output referred to as the LINOSA model and was developed as a decision support system for basin managers. This paper will present the application of the LINOSA surface-ground water management model to the Rattlesnake watershed basin that resides within Ground Water Management District Number 5 in south central Kansas

Mechanical Balance Laws for Boussinesq Models of Surface Water Waves

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Alfatih; Kalisch, Henrik

2012-06-01

Depth-integrated long-wave models, such as the shallow-water and Boussinesq equations, are standard fare in the study of small amplitude surface waves in shallow water. While the shallow-water theory features conservation of mass, momentum and energy for smooth solutions, mechanical balance equations are not widely used in Boussinesq scaling, and it appears that the expressions for many of these quantities are not known. This work presents a systematic derivation of mass, momentum and energy densities and fluxes associated with a general family of Boussinesq systems. The derivation is based on a reconstruction of the velocity field and the pressure in the fluid column below the free surface, and the derivation of differential balance equations which are of the same asymptotic validity as the evolution equations. It is shown that all these mechanical quantities can be expressed in terms of the principal dependent variables of the Boussinesq system: the surface excursion η and the horizontal velocity w at a given level in the fluid.

Roles of surface water areas for water and solute cycle in Hanoi city, Viet Nam

Science.gov (United States)

Hayashi, Takeshi; Kuroda, Keisuke; Do Thuan, An; Tran Thi Viet, Nga; Takizawa, Satoshi

2013-04-01

Hanoi city, the capital of Viet Nam, has developed beside the Red river. Recent rapid urbanization of this city has reduced a large number of natural water areas such as lakes, ponds and canals not only in the central area but the suburban area. Contrary, the urbanization has increased artificial water areas such as pond for fish cultivation and landscaping. On the other hand, the urbanization has induced the inflow of waste water from households and various kinds of factories to these water areas because of delay of sewerage system development. Inflow of the waste water has induced eutrophication and pollution of these water areas. Also, there is a possibility of groundwater pollution by infiltration of polluted surface water. However, the role of these water areas for water cycle and solute transport is not clarified. Therefore, this study focuses on the interaction between surface water areas and groundwater in Hanoi city to evaluate appropriate land development and groundwater resource management. We are carrying out three approaches: a) understanding of geochemical characteristics of surface water and groundwater, b) monitoring of water levels of pond and groundwater, c) sampling of soil and pond sediment. Correlation between d18O and dD of precipitation (after GNIP), the Red River (after GNIR) and the water samples of this study showed that the groundwater is composed of precipitation, the Red River and surface water that has evaporation process. Contribution of the surface water with evaporation process was widely found in the study area. As for groundwater monitoring, the Holocene aquifers at two sites were in unconfined condition in dry season and the groundwater levels in the aquifer continued to increase through rainy season. The results of isotopic analysis and groundwater level monitoring showed that the surface water areas are one of the major groundwater sources. On the other hand, concentrations of dissolved Arsenic (filtered by 0.45um) in the pore

Tapering of the CHESS-APS undulator: Results and modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai, B.; Viccaro, P.J.; Dejus, R.; Gluskin, E.; Yun, W.B.; McNulty, I.; Henderson, C.; White, J.; Shen, Q.; Finkelstein, K.

1992-01-01

When the magnetic gap of an undulator is tapered along the beam direction, the slowly varying peak field B o introduces a spread in the value of the deflection parameter K. The result is a broad energy-band undulator that still maintains high degree of spatial collimation. These properties are very useful for EXAFS and energy dispersive techniques. We have characterized the CHESS-APS undulator (1 υ = 3.3cm) at one tapered configuration (10% change of the magnetic gap from one end of the undulator to the other). Spatial distribution and energy spectra of the first three harmonics through a pinhole were measured. The on-axis first harmonic width increased from 0.27 keV to 0.61 keV (FWHM) at the central energy of E 1 = 6.6 keV (K average = 0.69). Broadening in the angular distribution due to tapering was minimal. These results will be compared with computer modelling which simulates the actual electron trajectory in the tapered case

Water quality control system and water quality control method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itsumi, Sachio; Ichikawa, Nagayoshi; Uruma, Hiroshi; Yamada, Kazuya; Seki, Shuji

1998-01-01

In the water quality control system of the present invention, portions in contact with water comprise a metal material having a controlled content of iron or chromium, and the chromium content on the surface is increased than that of mother material in a state where compression stresses remain on the surface by mechanical polishing to form an uniform corrosion resistant coating film. In addition, equipments and/or pipelines to which a material controlling corrosion potential stably is applied on the surface are used. There are disposed a cleaning device made of a material less forming impurities, and detecting intrusion of impurities and removing them selectively depending on chemical species and/or a cleaning device for recovering drain from various kinds of equipment to feedwater, connecting a feedwater pipeline and a condensate pipeline and removing impurities and corrosion products. Then, water can be kept to neutral purified water, and the concentrations of oxygen and hydrogen in water are controlled within an optimum range to suppress occurrence of corrosion products. (N.H.)

Groundwater–Surface Water Exchange

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karan, Sachin

The exchange of groundwater-surface water has been invetigated in the western part of Denmark. Holtum AA provides the framework for all the performed investigations. Several methods are used, primarily eld based measurements ombined with numerical models to achieve insight to the governing...... processes of interaction between groundwater and surface water. By using heat as a tracer it has been possible to use temperature directly as calibrationtargets in a groundwater and heat transport model. Thus, it is possible to use heat investigate the change in groundwater discharge in dynamic conditions...... by using simple temperature devices along a stream to delineate the areas of interest in regard to GW{SW exchange. Thus, at several locations in a stream a temperature data logger was placed in the water column and right at the streambed-water interface. By looking at the correlation of streambed...

Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Water Droplets On Hydrophilic Silica Surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zambrano, Harvey A; Walther, Jens Honore; Jaffe, Richard L.

2009-01-01

and DNA microarrays technologies.Although extensive experimental, theoretical and computational work has been devoted to study the nature of the interaction between silica and water, at the molecular level a complete understanding of silica-water systems has not been reached. Contact angle computations...... dynamics (MD) simulations of a hydrophilic air-water-silica system using the MD package FASTTUBE. We employ quantum chemistry calculation to obtain air-silica interaction parameters for the simulations. Our simulations are based in the following force fields: i) The silica-silica interaction is based...... of water droplets on silica surfaces offers a useful fundamental and quantitative measurement in order to study chemical and physical properties of water-silica systems. For hydrophobic systems the static and dynamic properties of the fluid-solid interface are influenced by the presence of air. Hence...

Atomic structure of diamond {111} surfaces etched in oxygen water vapor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theije, F.K. de; Reedijk, M.F.; Arsic, J.; Enckevort, W.J.P. van; Vlieg, E.

2001-01-01

The atomic structure of the {111} diamond face after oxygen-water-vapor etching is determined using x-ray scattering. We find that a single dangling bond diamond {111} surface model, terminated by a full monolayer of -OH fits our data best. To explain the measurements it is necessary to add an ordered water layer on top of the -OH terminated surface. The vertical contraction of the surface cell and the distance between the oxygen atoms are generally in agreement with model calculations and results on similar systems. The OH termination is likely to be present during etching as well. This model experimentally confirms the atomic-scale mechanism we proposed previously for this etching system

Impact of Water Withdrawals from Groundwater and Surface Water on Continental Water Storage Variations

Science.gov (United States)

Doell, Petra; Hoffmann-Dobrev, Heike; Portmann, Felix T.; Siebert, Stefan; Eicker, Annette; Rodell, Matthew; Strassberg, Gil

2011-01-01

Humans have strongly impacted the global water cycle, not only water flows but also water storage. We have performed a first global-scale analysis of the impact of water withdrawals on water storage variations, using the global water resources and use model WaterGAP. This required estimation of fractions of total water withdrawals from groundwater, considering five water use sectors. According to our assessment, the source of 35% of the water withdrawn worldwide (4300 cubic km/yr during 1998-2002) is groundwater. Groundwater contributes 42%, 36% and 27% of water used for irrigation, households and manufacturing, respectively, while we assume that only surface water is used for livestock and for cooling of thermal power plants. Consumptive water use was 1400 cubic km/yr during 1998-2002. It is the sum of the net abstraction of 250 cubic km/yr of groundwater (taking into account evapotranspiration and return flows of withdrawn surface water and groundwater) and the net abstraction of 1150 km3/yr of surface water. Computed net abstractions indicate, for the first time at the global scale, where and when human water withdrawals decrease or increase groundwater or surface water storage. In regions with extensive surface water irrigation, such as Southern China, net abstractions from groundwater are negative, i.e. groundwater is recharged by irrigation. The opposite is true for areas dominated by groundwater irrigation, such as in the High Plains aquifer of the central USA, where net abstraction of surface water is negative because return flow of withdrawn groundwater recharges the surface water compartments. In intensively irrigated areas, the amplitude of seasonal total water storage variations is generally increased due to human water use; however, in some areas, it is decreased. For the High Plains aquifer and the whole Mississippi basin, modeled groundwater and total water storage variations were compared with estimates of groundwater storage variations based on

Surface composition and surface properties of water hyacinth ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Surface composition and surface properties of water hyacinth ( Eichhornia ... (2/1, v/v) followed by ethanol, using Fourier Transform Infra-red (FT-IR) spectroscopy, ... polar organic solvents and non-polar n-alkane hydrocarbons is discussed.

Influence of surface topology and electrostatic potential on water/electrode systems

Science.gov (United States)

Siepmann, J. Ilja; Sprik, Michiel

1995-01-01

We have used the classical molecular dynamics technique to simulate the ordering of a water film adsorbed on an atomic model of a tip of a scanning tunneling microscope approaching a planar metal surface. For this purpose, we have developed a classical model for the water-substrate interactions that solely depends on the coordinates of the particles and does not require the definition of geometrically smooth boundary surfaces or image planes. The model includes both an electrostatic induction for the metal atoms (determined by means of an extended Lagrangian technique) and a site-specific treatment of the water-metal chemisorption. As a validation of the model we have investigated the structure of water monolayers on metal substrates of various topology [the (111), (110), and (100) crystallographic faces] and composition (Pt, Ag, Cu, and Ni), and compared the results to experiments. The modeling of the electrostatic induction is compatible with a finite external potential imposed on the metal. This feature is used to investigate the structural rearrangements of the water bilayer between the pair of scanning tunneling microscope electrodes in response to an applied external voltage difference. We find significant asymmetry in the dependence on the sign of the applied voltage. Another result of the calculation is an estimate of the perturbation to the work function caused by the wetting film. For the conditions typical for operation of a scanning tunneling microscope probe, the change in the work function is found to be comparable to the applied voltage (a few hundred millivolts).

Surface-Water and Ground-Water Interactions in the Central Everglades, Florida

Science.gov (United States)

Harvey, Judson W.; Newlin, Jessica T.; Krest, James M.; Choi, Jungyill; Nemeth, Eric A.; Krupa, Steven L.

2004-01-01

Everglades restoration. A century of water management for flood control and water storage in the Everglades resulted in the creation of the Water Conservation Areas (WCAs). Construction of the major canals began in the 1910s and the systems of levees that enclose the basins and structures that move water between basins were largely completed by the 1950s. The abandoned wetlands that remained outside of the Water Conservation areas tended to dry out and subside by 10 feet or more, which created abrupt transitions in land-surface elevations and water levels across the levees. The increases in topographic and hydraulic gradients near the margins of the WCAs, along with rapid pumping of water between basins to achieve management objectives, have together altered the patterns of recharge and discharge in the Everglades. The most evident change is the increase in the magnitude of recharge (on the upgradient side) and discharge (on the downgradient side) of levees separating WCA-2A from other basins or areas outside. Recharge and discharge in the vast interior of WCA-2A also likely have increased, but fluxes in the interior wetlands are more subtle and more difficult to quantify compared with areas close to the levees. Surface-water and ground-water interactions differ in fundamental ways between wetlands near WCA-2A's boundaries and wetlands in the basin's interior. The levees that form the WCA's boundaries have introduced step functions in the topographic and hydraulic gradients that are important as a force to drive water flow across the wetland ground surface. The resulting recharge and discharge fluxes tend to be unidirectional (connecting points of recharge on the upgradient side of the levee with points of discharge on the downgradient side), and fluxes are also relatively steady in magnitude compared with fluxes in the interior. Recharge flow paths are also relatively deep in their extent near levees, with fluxes passing entirely through the 1-m peat layer and inte

Infiltration of pesticides in surface water into nearby drinking water supply wells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malaguerra, Flavio; Albrechtsen, Hans-Jørgen; Binning, Philip John

Drinking water wells are often placed near streams because streams often overly permeable sediments and the water table is near the surface in valleys, and so pumping costs are reduced. The lowering of the water table by pumping wells can reverse the natural flow from the groundwater to the stream......, inducing infiltration of surface water to groundwater and consequently to the drinking water well. Many attenuation processes can take place in the riparian zone, mainly due to mixing, biodegradation and sorption. However, if the water travel time from the surface water to the pumping well is too short......, or if the compounds are poorly degradable, contaminants can reach the drinking water well at high concentrations, jeopardizing drinking water quality. Here we developed a reactive transport model to evaluate the risk of contamination of drinking water wells by surface water pollution. The model was validated using...

Assessment of radioecological state of surface waters in the Gomel and Mogilev regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khvaley, O.D.; Datskevich, P.I.; Komissarov, F.D.; Levosechko, S.I.

2000-01-01

Article states that aplication of the republican Admissible Levels (RAL-96) in practice and their juxtaposition with the obtained results of analyses are not always justified because water of the studied systems is excluded from economic water supply to population in resettlement zone. The radioecological criteria of quality of surface waters were developed in 1993 by Ukrainian hydrobiologists O.P.Oksiyuk, V.N.Zhukinsky and others contain six levels (classes) of radioecological pollution of water: 1 - non-polluted, 2 - lowly polluted, 3 - moderately polluted, 4 - highly polluted, 5 - very high pollution, 6 - utmost pollution; three classes of water quality and six categories of water quality. It is believed that according to this complex clasification of quality of surface terrestrial waters, water of the studied systems of Gomel and Mogilev regions very often has exceeded the RAL-96 for 90Sr. According to the proposed complex classification of quality of surface terrestrial waters, water of the studied systems belongs mainly - for 137Cs and 90Sr - to the quality categories: 3b ''lowly polluted'' and 4a ''moderately polluted'' independent on sampling period. On some sites of 30...10 km zone, water quality corresponds to categories 5a ''very high pollution'' and 5b ''utmost pollution'' for 90Sr (rivers Slovechna, Nesvich and Pogonyansky channel). Thus, in the studied water systems, in radioecological relation, there is not a single one with water quality corresponding to indices 3a, i.e.sufficiently clean. 90Sr has high migration ability and is able to participate in different migration cycles including biological (food chains). The cases of exceeding the RAL indices for 90Sr in water indicate the necessity to study also other components of water systems of Belarus relating to this isotope

Water and Regolith Shielding for Surface Reactor Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Poston, David I.; Ade, Brian J.; Sadasivan, Pratap; Leichliter, Katrina J.; Dixon, David D.

2006-01-01

This paper investigates potential shielding options for surface power fission reactors. The majority of work is focused on a lunar shield that uses a combination of water in stainless-steel cans and lunar regolith. The major advantage of a water-based shield is that development, testing, and deployment should be relatively inexpensive. This shielding approach is used for three surface reactor concepts: (1) a moderated spectrum, NaK cooled, Hastalloy/UZrH reactor, (2) a fast-spectrum, NaK-cooled, SS/UO2 reactor, and (3) a fast-spectrum, K-heat-pipe-cooled, SS/UO2 reactor. For this study, each of these reactors is coupled to a 25-kWt Stirling power system, designed for 5 year life. The shields are designed to limit the dose both to the Stirling alternators and potential astronauts on the surface. The general configuration used is to bury the reactor, but several other options exist as well. Dose calculations are presented as a function of distance from reactor, depth of buried hole, water boron concentration (if any), and regolith repacked density.

Water and Regolith Shielding for Surface Reactor Missions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poston, David I.; Sadasivan, Pratap; Dixon, David D.; Ade, Brian J.; Leichliter, Katrina J.

2006-01-01

This paper investigates potential shielding options for surface power fission reactors. The majority of work is focused on a lunar shield that uses a combination of water in stainless-steel cans and lunar regolith. The major advantage of a water-based shield is that development, testing, and deployment should be relatively inexpensive. This shielding approach is used for three surface reactor concepts: (1) a moderated spectrum, NaK cooled, Hastalloy/UZrH reactor, (2) a fast-spectrum, NaK-cooled, SS/UO2 reactor, and (3) a fast-spectrum, K-heat-pipe-cooled, SS/UO2 reactor. For this study, each of these reactors is coupled to a 25-kWt Stirling power system, designed for 5 year life. The shields are designed to limit the dose both to the Stirling alternators and potential astronauts on the surface. The general configuration used is to bury the reactor, but several other options exist as well. Dose calculations are presented as a function of distance from reactor, depth of buried hole, water boron concentration (if any), and regolith repacked density

Development of an integrated laboratory system for the monitoring of cyanotoxins in surface and drinking waters.

Science.gov (United States)

Triantis, Theodoros; Tsimeli, Katerina; Kaloudis, Triantafyllos; Thanassoulias, Nicholas; Lytras, Efthymios; Hiskia, Anastasia

2010-05-01

A system of analytical processes has been developed in order to serve as a cost-effective scheme for the monitoring of cyanobacterial toxins on a quantitative basis, in surface and drinking waters. Five cyclic peptide hepatotoxins, microcystin-LR, -RR, -YR, -LA and nodularin were chosen as the target compounds. Two different enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were validated in order to serve as primary quantitative screening tools. Validation results showed that the ELISA methods are sufficiently specific and sensitive with limits of detection (LODs) around 0.1 microg/L, however, matrix effects should be considered, especially with surface water samples or bacterial mass methanolic extracts. A colorimetric protein phosphatase inhibition assay (PPIA) utilizing protein phosphatase 2A and p-nitrophenyl phosphate as substrate, was applied in microplate format in order to serve as a quantitative screening method for the detection of the toxic activity associated with cyclic peptide hepatotoxins, at concentration levels >0.2 microg/L of MC-LR equivalents. A fast HPLC/PDA method has been developed for the determination of microcystins, by using a short, 50mm C18 column, with 1.8 microm particle size. Using this method a 10-fold reduction of sample run time was achieved and sufficient separation of microcystins was accomplished in less than 3 min. Finally, the analytical system includes an LC/MS/MS method that was developed for the determination of the 5 target compounds after SPE extraction. The method achieves extremely low limits of detection (<0.02 microg/L), in both surface and drinking waters and it is used for identification and verification purposes as well as for determinations at the ppt level. An analytical protocol that includes the above methods has been designed and validated through the analysis of a number of real samples. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surface-water investigations at Barrow, Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Stanley H.

1972-01-01

The U.S. Public Health Service is currently developing plans for a long-term water supply and sewage treatment system for the village of Barrow, Alaska. To assist in planning, the U.S. Geological Survey was requested to initiate a cooperative streamflow data-collection program with the U.S. Public Health Service in June 1972 to determine the availability of surface water and the areal distribution of runoff in the Barrow area. This basic-data report summarizes the streamflow data collected from June 1 through July 10, 1972, at three gaging stations in the Barrow area (fig. 1) and discusses the future data-collection program.

ArcNLET: A GIS-based software to simulate groundwater nitrate load from septic systems to surface water bodies

Science.gov (United States)

Rios, J. Fernando; Ye, Ming; Wang, Liying; Lee, Paul Z.; Davis, Hal; Hicks, Rick

2013-03-01

Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS), or septic systems, can be a significant source of nitrates in groundwater and surface water. The adverse effects that nitrates have on human and environmental health have given rise to the need to estimate the actual or potential level of nitrate contamination. With the goal of reducing data collection and preparation costs, and decreasing the time required to produce an estimate compared to complex nitrate modeling tools, we developed the ArcGIS-based Nitrate Load Estimation Toolkit (ArcNLET) software. Leveraging the power of geographic information systems (GIS), ArcNLET is an easy-to-use software capable of simulating nitrate transport in groundwater and estimating long-term nitrate loads from groundwater to surface water bodies. Data requirements are reduced by using simplified models of groundwater flow and nitrate transport which consider nitrate attenuation mechanisms (subsurface dispersion and denitrification) as well as spatial variability in the hydraulic parameters and septic tank distribution. ArcNLET provides a spatial distribution of nitrate plumes from multiple septic systems and a load estimate to water bodies. ArcNLET's conceptual model is divided into three sub-models: a groundwater flow model, a nitrate transport and fate model, and a load estimation model which are implemented as an extension to ArcGIS. The groundwater flow model uses a map of topography in order to generate a steady-state approximation of the water table. In a validation study, this approximation was found to correlate well with a water table produced by a calibrated numerical model although it was found that the degree to which the water table resembles the topography can vary greatly across the modeling domain. The transport model uses a semi-analytical solution to estimate the distribution of nitrate within groundwater, which is then used to estimate a nitrate load using a mass balance argument. The estimates given by ArcNLET are

Studying groundwater and surface water interactions using airborne remote sensing in Heihe River basin, northwest China

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, C.; Liu, J.; Hu, Y.; Zheng, C.

2015-05-01

Managing surface water and groundwater as a unified system is important for water resource exploitation and aquatic ecosystem conservation. The unified approach to water management needs accurate characterization of surface water and groundwater interactions. Temperature is a natural tracer for identifying surface water and groundwater interactions, and the use of remote sensing techniques facilitates basin-scale temperature measurement. This study focuses on the Heihe River basin, the second largest inland river basin in the arid and semi-arid northwest of China where surface water and groundwater undergoes dynamic exchanges. The spatially continuous river-surface temperature of the midstream section of the Heihe River was obtained by using an airborne pushbroom hyperspectral thermal sensor system. By using the hot spot analysis toolkit in the ArcGIS software, abnormally cold water zones were identified as indicators of the spatial pattern of groundwater discharge to the river.

Studying groundwater and surface water interactions using airborne remote sensing in Heihe River basin, northwest China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Liu

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Managing surface water and groundwater as a unified system is important for water resource exploitation and aquatic ecosystem conservation. The unified approach to water management needs accurate characterization of surface water and groundwater interactions. Temperature is a natural tracer for identifying surface water and groundwater interactions, and the use of remote sensing techniques facilitates basin-scale temperature measurement. This study focuses on the Heihe River basin, the second largest inland river basin in the arid and semi-arid northwest of China where surface water and groundwater undergoes dynamic exchanges. The spatially continuous river-surface temperature of the midstream section of the Heihe River was obtained by using an airborne pushbroom hyperspectral thermal sensor system. By using the hot spot analysis toolkit in the ArcGIS software, abnormally cold water zones were identified as indicators of the spatial pattern of groundwater discharge to the river.

Estimation of real-time N load in surface water using dynamic data driven application system

Science.gov (United States)

Y. Ouyang; S.M. Luo; L.H. Cui; Q. Wang; J.E. Zhang

2011-01-01

Agricultural, industrial, and urban activities are the major sources for eutrophication of surface water ecosystems. Currently, determination of nutrients in surface water is primarily accomplished by manually collecting samples for laboratory analysis, which requires at least 24 h. In other words, little to no effort has been devoted to monitoring real-time variations...

Women Managers in Higher Education: Summary Report of the ACU-CHESS Steering Committee Meeting (London, England, United Kingdom, May 25-27, 1993).

Science.gov (United States)

Commonwealth Secretariat, London (England).

This publication describes a meeting of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and the Commonwealth Higher Education Support Scheme (CHESS) to design an agenda to facilitate the advancement of women administrators in Commonwealth universities, to further use of their skills in contributing to university development, and to increasing…

Innovative coatings and surface modification of titanium for sea water condenser applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

George, R.P.; Anandkumar, B.; Vanithakumari, S.C.; Kamachi Mudali, U.

2016-01-01

Effectiveness of cooling water systems in various power plants to maintain highest electrical energy output per tonne of fuel is important as part of good energy management. Cooling water systems of nuclear power plants using seawater for cooling comes under constant attack from the marine and sea water environment. Many metallic components and civil structures in the cooling water systems like bridges, intake wells, intake pipes, pump house wells, water boxes, condenser pipes are subjected to severe fouling and corrosion which limits the service life and availability of power plants. The experience with a coastal water cooled power plant at Kalpakkam (MAPS), India, showed that chlorination and screening control macrofouling to a great extend by controlling protozoans, invertebrates, algae and fungi. However 90% of marine bacteria are resistant to such control measures, and they cause microfouling of condenser pipes leading to poor heat transfer and microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) failures. Titanium is used as condenser for Indian nuclear power plants employing sea water cooling, including the PFBR at Kalpakkam. Though titanium is excellent with respect to corrosion behavior under sea water conditions, its biocompatible nature results in biofouling and MIC during service. Therefore innovative antifouling coatings and surface modification techniques for titanium condenser applications in seawater and marine environments are the need of the hour. Extensive investigations were carried out by different methods including nanostructuring of surfaces for making them antibacterial. The microroughness of titanium was produced by repeated pickling and polishing which by itself reduced microbial adhesion. To utilize photocatalytic activity for antibacterial property, anodization of titanium surfaces followed by heat treatment was adopted and this also has controlled microbial fouling. Electroless plating of nanofilm of copper-nickel alloy decreased biofouling of

Waste water treatment in surface mines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Navasardyants, M A; Esipov, V Z; Ryzhkov, Yu A

1981-01-01

This paper evaluates problems associated with waste water from coal surface mines of the Kemerovougol' association in the Kuzbass. Waste water treatment in the Kuzbass is of major importance as the region is supplied with water from only one river, the Tom river. Water influx to Kemerovougol' surface mines in a year amounts to 136 million m/sup 3/. The water is used during technological processes, for fire fighting, and spraying to prevent dusting; the rest, about 82.1 million m/sup 3/, is discharged into surface waters. Of this amount, 25.1 million m/sup 3/ is heavily polluted water, 46.6 million m3 are polluted but within limits, and 10.4 million m/sup 3/ are characterized as relatively clean. Waste water is polluted with: suspended matters, oils and oil products, nitrates, nitrides and chlorides. Suspended matter content sometimes reaches 4,000 and 5,000 mg/l, and oil product content in water amounts to 2.17 mg/l. Water treatment in surface mines is two-staged: sumps and sedimentation tanks are used. Water with suspended matter content of 50 to 100 mg/l in winter and summer, and 200 to 250 mg/l in spring and autumn is reduced in sumps to 25 to 30 mg/l in summer and winter and to 40 to 50 mg/l in autumn and spring. During the first stage water treatment efficiency ranges from 50 to 80%. During the second stage water is collected in sedimentation tanks. It is noted that so-called secondary pollution is one of the causes of the relatively high level of suspended matter in discharged water. Water discharged from sedimentation tanks carries clay and loam particles from the bottom and walls of water tanks and channels.

Evaluation and comparison of closed-loop wash-water system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitney, P.M.; Greer, C.R.

1991-01-01

Effluent from vehicle and equipment cleaning is known to contain a variety of potential pollutants, the most common being hydrocarbons and suspended solids. Proper treatment and discharge of this effluent is a growing concern as environmental awareness increases. In the United States, discharge of this effluent to municipal sewage treatment systems requires a permit from local authorities, discharge to surface waters requires a federal permit and, in most cases, discharge to the ground in prohibited. Furthermore, discharge to ground and surface waters can cause soil or groundwater contamination resulting in property devaluation, adverse impact on human health, fines from regulatory agencies, expensive cleanup and negative publicity. Effluent from vehicle washing typically does not meet the minimum pollutant levels allowed by regulatory agencies for discharge to surface waters or sewage treatment plants. Because of the liability associated with discharge to ground and surface waters and the difficulty in meeting municipal sewer discharge permit requirements, closed-loop wastewater treatment is an attractive alternative to discharge. Evaluation and comparison of systems from each category constitute the basis of this paper. Factors involved in selecting a system and available water-treatment technologies are discussed. The conclusion summarizes the results of the system comparison and makes recommendations for selecting and installing closed-loop water treatment systems for vehicle and equipment cleaning

Re-examining data-intensive surface water models with high-resolution topography derived from unmanned aerial system photogrammetry

Science.gov (United States)

Pai, H.; Tyler, S.

2017-12-01

Small, unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) are quickly becoming a cost-effective and easily deployable tool for high spatial resolution environmental sensing. Land surface studies from sUAS imagery have largely focused on accurate topographic mapping, quantifying geomorphologic changes, and classification/identification of vegetation, sediment, and water quality tracers. In this work, we explore a further application of sUAS-derived topographic mapping to a two-dimensional (2-d), depth-averaged river hydraulic model (Flow and Sediment Transport with Morphological Evolution of Channels, FaSTMECH) along a short, meandering reach of East River, Colorado. On August 8, 2016, we flew a sUAS as part of the Center for Transformative Environmental Monitoring Programs with a consumer-grade visible camera and created a digital elevation map ( 1.5 cm resolution; 5 cm accuracy; 500 m long river corridor) with Agisoft Photoscan software. With the elevation map, we created a longitudinal water surface elevation (WSE) profile by manually delineating the bank-water interface and river bathymetry by applying refraction corrections for more accurate water depth estimates, an area of ongoing research for shallow and clear river systems. We tested both uncorrected and refraction-corrected bathymetries with the steady-state, 2-d model, applying sensitivities for dissipation parameters (bed roughness and eddy characteristics). Model performance was judged from the WSE data and measured stream velocities. While the models converged, performance and insights from model output could be improved with better bed roughness characterization and additional water depth cross-validation for refraction corrections. Overall, this work shows the applicability of sUAS-derived products to a multidimensional river model, where bathymetric data of high resolution and accuracy are key model input requirements.

Biofilm formation in surface and drinking water distribution systems in Mafikeng, South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suma George Mulamattathil

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Poor quality source water and poorly treated reused wastewater may result in poor quality drinking water that has a higher potential to form biofilms. A biofilm is a group of microorganisms which adhere to a surface. We investigated biofilm growth in the drinking water distribution systems in the Mafikeng area, in the North- West Province of South Africa. Analysis was conducted to determine the presence of faecal coliforms, total coliforms, Pseudomonas spp. and Aeromonas spp. in the biofilms. Biofilms were grown on a device that contained copper and galvanised steel coupons. A mini tap filter – a point-of-use treatment device which can be used at a single faucet – was also used to collect samples. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that multi-species biofilms developed on all the coupons as well as on the point-of-use filters. Galvanised steel and carbon filters had the highest density of biofilm. Total coliforms, faecal coliforms and Pseudomonas spp. were isolated from raw water biofilm coupons only. Aeromonas spp. and Pseudomonas spp. were isolated from filters. The susceptibility of selected isolates was tested against 11 antibiotics of clinical interest. The most prevalent antibiotic resistance phenotype observed was KF-AP-C-E-OT-K-TM-A. The presence of virulence genes was determined using the polymerase chain reaction. These results indicate that bacteria present in the water have the ability to colonise as biofilms and drinking water biofilms may be a reservoir for opportunistic bacteria including Pseudomonas and Aeromonas species.

Observation of dynamic water microadsorption on Au surface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Xiaokang, E-mail: xiaokang.huang@tqs.com; Gupta, Gaurav; Gao, Weixiang; Tran, Van; Nguyen, Bang; McCormick, Eric; Cui, Yongjie; Yang, Yinbao; Hall, Craig; Isom, Harold [TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc., 500 W Renner Road, Richardson, Texas 75080 (United States)

2014-05-15

Experimental and theoretical research on water wettability, adsorption, and condensation on solid surfaces has been ongoing for many decades because of the availability of new materials, new detection and measurement techniques, novel applications, and different scales of dimensions. Au is a metal of special interest because it is chemically inert, has a high surface energy, is highly conductive, and has a relatively high melting point. It has wide applications in semiconductor integrated circuitry, microelectromechanical systems, microfluidics, biochips, jewelry, coinage, and even dental restoration. Therefore, its surface condition, wettability, wear resistance, lubrication, and friction attract a lot of attention from both scientists and engineers. In this paper, the authors experimentally investigated Au{sub 2}O{sub 3} growth, wettability, roughness, and adsorption utilizing atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, reflectance spectrometry, and contact angle measurement. Samples were made using a GaAs substrate. Utilizing a super-hydrophilic Au surface and the proper surface conditions of the surrounding GaAs, dynamic microadsorption of water on the Au surface was observed in a clean room environment. The Au surface area can be as small as 12 μm{sup 2}. The adsorbed water was collected by the GaAs groove structure and then redistributed around the structure. A model was developed to qualitatively describe the dynamic microadsorption process. The effective adsorption rate was estimated by modeling and experimental data. Devices for moisture collection and a liquid channel can be made by properly arranging the wettabilities or contact angles of different materials. These novel devices will be very useful in microfluid applications or biochips.

Indices of quality surface water bodies in the planning of water resources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodríguez-Miranda, Juan Pablo

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper considers a review of the literature major and significant methods of quality indices of water applied in surface water bodies, used and proposed for assessing the significance of parameters of water quality in the assessment of surface water currents and they are usually used in making decisions for intervention and strategic prevention measures for those responsible for the conservation and preservation of watersheds where these water bodies belong. An exploratory methodology was applied to realize the conceptualization of each water quality index. As a result, it is observed that there are several important methods for determining the water quality index applied in surface water bodies.

Insight into Chemistry on Cloud/Aerosol Water Surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Jie; Kumar, Manoj; Francisco, Joseph S; Zeng, Xiao Cheng

2018-05-15

Cloud/aerosol water surfaces exert significant influence over atmospheric chemical processes. Atmospheric processes at the water surface are observed to follow mechanisms that are quite different from those in the gas phase. This Account summarizes our recent findings of new reaction pathways on the water surface. We have studied these surface reactions using Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations. These studies provide useful information on the reaction time scale, the underlying mechanism of surface reactions, and the dynamic behavior of the product formed on the aqueous surface. According to these studies, the aerosol water surfaces confine the atmospheric species into a specific orientation depending on the hydrophilicity of atmospheric species or the hydrogen-bonding interactions between atmospheric species and interfacial water. As a result, atmospheric species are activated toward a particular reaction on the aerosol water surface. For example, the simplest Criegee intermediate (CH 2 OO) exhibits high reactivity toward the interfacial water and hydrogen sulfide, with the reaction times being a few picoseconds, 2-3 orders of magnitude faster than that in the gas phase. The presence of interfacial water molecules induces proton-transfer-based stepwise pathways for these reactions, which are not possible in the gas phase. The strong hydrophobicity of methyl substituents in larger Criegee intermediates (>C1), such as CH 3 CHOO and (CH 3 ) 2 COO, blocks the formation of the necessary prereaction complexes for the Criegee-water reaction to occur at the water droplet surface, which lowers their proton-transfer ability and hampers the reaction. The aerosol water surface provides a solvent medium for acids (e.g., HNO 3 and HCOOH) to participate in reactions via mechanisms that are different from those in the gas and bulk aqueous phases. For example, the anti-CH 3 CHOO-HNO 3 reaction in the gas phase follows a direct reaction between anti-CH 3 CHOO and HNO 3

Potential for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Applications for Identifying Groundwater-Surface Water Exchange in a Meandering River Reach

Science.gov (United States)

Pai, H.; Malenda, H. F.; Briggs, M. A.; Singha, K.; González-Pinzón, R.; Gooseff, M. N.; Tyler, S. W.

2017-12-01

The exchange of groundwater and surface water (GW-SW), including dissolved constituents and energy, represents a critical yet challenging characterization problem for hydrogeologists and stream ecologists. Here we describe the use of a suite of high spatial resolution remote sensing techniques, collected using a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS), to provide novel and complementary data to analyze GW-SW exchange. sUAS provided centimeter-scale resolution topography and water surface elevations, which are often drivers of exchange along the river corridor. Additionally, sUAS-based vegetation imagery, vegetation-top elevation, and normalized difference vegetation index mapping indicated GW-SW exchange patterns that are difficult to characterize from the land surface and may not be resolved from coarser satellite-based imagery. We combined these data with estimates of sediment hydraulic conductivity to provide a direct estimate of GW "shortcutting" through meander necks, which was corroborated by temperature data at the riverbed interface.

Modeling, control and optimization of water systems systems engineering methods for control and decision making tasks

CERN Document Server

2016-01-01

This book provides essential background knowledge on the development of model-based real-world solutions in the field of control and decision making for water systems. It presents system engineering methods for modelling surface water and groundwater resources as well as water transportation systems (rivers, channels and pipelines). The models in turn provide information on both the water quantity (flow rates, water levels) of surface water and groundwater and on water quality. In addition, methods for modelling and predicting water demand are described. Sample applications of the models are presented, such as a water allocation decision support system for semi-arid regions, a multiple-criteria control model for run-of-river hydropower plants, and a supply network simulation for public services.

Convergent surface water distributions in U.S. cities

Science.gov (United States)

M.K. Steele; J.B. Heffernan; N. Bettez; J. Cavender-Bares; P.M. Groffman; J.M. Grove; S. Hall; S.E. Hobbie; K. Larson; J.L. Morse; C. Neill; K.C. Nelson; J. O' Neil-Dunne; L. Ogden; D.E. Pataki; C. Polsky; R. Roy Chowdhury

2014-01-01

Earth's surface is rapidly urbanizing, resulting in dramatic changes in the abundance, distribution and character of surface water features in urban landscapes. However, the scope and consequences of surface water redistribution at broad spatial scales are not well understood. We hypothesized that urbanization would lead to convergent surface water abundance and...

Monitoring of Water and Contaminant Migration at the Groundwater-Surface Water Interface

Science.gov (United States)

2008-08-01

seepage is occurring in a freshwater lake environment and to map the lateral extent of any subsurface contamination at the groundwater –surface water ...and Contaminant Migration at the Groundwater -Surface Water Interface August 2008 Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public...4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Monitoring of Water and Contaminant Migration at the Groundwater -Surface Water Interface 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER

Friendship through Interaction and Interaction through Friendship: Manifestations of Positive Politeness and Footing Changes in the Interaction of Two Friends Playing Chess

Science.gov (United States)

Shigenaga, Yasumasa

2016-01-01

The present study uses a video recording of two friends playing chess to observe, through the concept of "positive politeness, what strategies the participants employ to construct and maintain their relationship as close friends during an activity that includes moments of heightened tension. The study also examines the dynamics of the…

Innovative Technique for High-Accuracy Remote Monitoring of Surface Water

Science.gov (United States)

Gisler, A.; Barton-Grimley, R. A.; Thayer, J. P.; Crowley, G.

2016-12-01

Lidar (light detection and ranging) provides absolute depth and topographic mapping capability compared to other remote sensing methods, which is useful for mapping rapidly changing environments such as riverine systems and agricultural waterways. Effectiveness of current lidar bathymetric systems is limited by the difficulty in unambiguously identifying backscattered lidar signals from the water surface versus the bottom, limiting their depth resolution to 0.3-0.5 m. Additionally these are large, bulky systems that are constrained to expensive aircraft-mounted platforms and use waveform-processing techniques requiring substantial computation time. These restrictions are prohibitive for many potential users. A novel lidar device has been developed that allows for non-contact measurements of water depth down to 1 cm with an accuracy and precision of shallow to deep water allowing for shoreline charting, measuring water volume, mapping bottom topology, and identifying submerged objects. The scalability of the technique opens up the ability for handheld or UAS-mounted lidar bathymetric systems, which provides for potential applications currently unavailable to the community. The high laser pulse repetition rate allows for very fine horizontal resolution while the photon-counting technique permits real-time depth measurement and object detection. The enhanced measurement capability, portability, scalability, and relatively low-cost creates the opportunity to perform frequent high-accuracy monitoring and measuring of aquatic environments which is crucial for monitoring water resources on fast timescales. Results from recent campaigns measuring water depth in flowing creeks and murky ponds will be presented which demonstrate that the method is not limited by rough water surfaces and can map underwater topology through moderately turbid water.

Biofilm formation in a hot water system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bagh, L.K.; Albrechtsen, Hans-Jørgen; Arvin, Erik

2002-01-01

The biofilm formation rate was measured in situ in a hot water system in an apartment building by specially designed sampling equipment, and the net growth of the suspended bacteria was measured by incubation of water samples with the indigeneous bacteria. The biofilm formation rate reached......, in the sludge, or in the water from the distribution system was negligible. This indicated that bacterial growth took place on the inner surfaces in the hot water system and biofilm formation and detachment of bacteria could account for most of the suspended bacteria actually measured in hot water. Therefore...

Phosphorus retention in surface-flow constructed wetlands targeting agricultural drainage water

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dantas Mendes, Lipe Renato; Tonderski, Karin; Iversen, Bo Vangsø

2018-01-01

Surface-flow constructed wetlands (CWs) are potential cost-efficient solutions to mitigate phosphorus (P) loads from agricultural areas to surface waters. Hydraulic and phosphorus loading rates (HLR and PLR) are critical parameters that regulate P retention in these systems. The present study aim...

Playing off the curve - testing quantitative predictions of skill acquisition theories in development of chess performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaschler, Robert; Progscha, Johanna; Smallbone, Kieran; Ram, Nilam; Bilalić, Merim

2014-01-01

Learning curves have been proposed as an adequate description of learning processes, no matter whether the processes manifest within minutes or across years. Different mechanisms underlying skill acquisition can lead to differences in the shape of learning curves. In the current study, we analyze the tournament performance data of 1383 chess players who begin competing at young age and play tournaments for at least 10 years. We analyze the performance development with the goal to test the adequacy of learning curves, and the skill acquisition theories they are based on, for describing and predicting expertise acquisition. On the one hand, we show that the skill acquisition theories implying a negative exponential learning curve do a better job in both describing early performance gains and predicting later trajectories of chess performance than those theories implying a power function learning curve. On the other hand, the learning curves of a large proportion of players show systematic qualitative deviations from the predictions of either type of skill acquisition theory. While skill acquisition theories predict larger performance gains in early years and smaller gains in later years, a substantial number of players begin to show substantial improvements with a delay of several years (and no improvement in the first years), deviations not fully accounted for by quantity of practice. The current work adds to the debate on how learning processes on a small time scale combine to large-scale changes.

Studying groundwater and surface water interactions using airborne remote sensing in Heihe River basin, northwest China

OpenAIRE

Liu, C.; Liu, J.; Hu, Y.; Zheng, C.

2015-01-01

Managing surface water and groundwater as a unified system is important for water resource exploitation and aquatic ecosystem conservation. The unified approach to water management needs accurate characterization of surface water and groundwater interactions. Temperature is a natural tracer for identifying surface water and groundwater interactions, and the use of remote sensing techniques facilitates basin-scale temperature measurement. This study focuses on the Heihe River basin, the second...

Water sensors with cellular system eliminate tail water drainage in alfalfa irrigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajat Saha

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Alfalfa is the largest consumer of water among all crops in California. It is generally flood-irrigated, so any system that decreases runoff can improve irrigation efficiency and conserve water. To more accurately manage the water flow at the tail (bottom end of the field in surface-irrigated alfalfa crops, we developed a system that consists of wetting-front sensors, a cellular communication system and a water advance model. This system detects the wetting front, determines its advance rate and generates a cell-phone alert to the irrigator when the water supply needs to be cut off, so that tail water drainage is minimized. To test its feasibility, we conducted field tests during the 2008 and 2009 alfalfa growing seasons. The field experiments successfully validated the methodology, producing zero tail water drainage.

Using IR Imaging of Water Surfaces for Estimating Piston Velocities

Science.gov (United States)

Gålfalk, M.; Bastviken, D.; Arneborg, L.

2013-12-01

The transport of gasses dissolved in surface waters across the water-atmosphere interface is controlled by the piston velocity (k). This coefficient has large implications for, e.g., greenhouse gas fluxes but is challenging to quantify in situ. At present, empirical k-wind speed relationships from a small number of studies and systems are often extrapolated without knowledge of model performance. It is therefore of interest to search for new methods for estimating k, and to compare the pros and cons of existing and new methods. Wind speeds in such models are often measured at a height of 10 meters. In smaller bodies of water such as lakes, wind speeds can vary dramatically across the surface through varying degrees of wind shadow from e.g. trees at the shoreline. More local measurements of the water surface, through wave heights or surface motion mapping, could give improved k-estimates over a surface, also taking into account wind fetch. At thermal infrared (IR) wavelengths water has very low reflectivity (depending on viewing angle) than can go below 1%, meaning that more than 99% is heat radiation giving a direct measurement of surface temperature variations. Using an IR camera at about 100 frames/s one could map surface temperature structures at a fraction of a mm depth even with waves present. In this presentation I will focus on IR imaging as a possible tool for estimating piston velocities. Results will be presented from IR field measurements, relating the motions of surface temperature structures to k calculated from other simultaneous measurements (flux chamber and ADV-Based Dissipation Rate), but also attempting to calculate k directly from the IR surface divergence. A relation between wave height and k will also be presented.

Standard criteria for disposal of liquid radioactive wastes from nuclear power plants into surface waters (river systems)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pisarev, V.V.; Tsybizov, I.S.

1976-01-01

Radioactive products discharge into natural water streams results in the necessity to regulate nuclear power plant discharges to ensure radiation safety (RS) for population using a river and surrounding river territory. To ensure RS it is necessary to set scientific-founded standards of permissible discharge level of liquid radioactive wastes (LRW) from nuclear power plant assuring observance of hygienic requirements for surface water puring. Volume of permissible LRW discharge into river systems must be set both with provision for concrete physical-geographycal conditions, specficity of utilizing the river and river valley and social-economical peculiarities of crtical population groups. The value of permissible LRW discharge into river systems is determined by three criterion groups: radiological, ecological and hydrological ones. By means of radiological group the internal and external irradiation doses for the whole body and its separate organs are set and RS of population is determined. Ecological criteria include a number of parameters (coefficients of accumulation, distribution and transition) determining quantitative ratios between radioactive element contents in water and separate links of biological chains: soil/water, fish/water, vegetables/water and others. Hydrological criteria determine the degree of waste dilution in rivers, control radioactive contamination of flood-lands areas and in common with ecological criteria determine radionuclide contents in soil and food products. A method of determining average annual values of LRW dilution in river waters is presented [ru

Using SWAT-MODFLOW to simulate groundwater flow and groundwater-surface water interactions in an intensively irrigated stream-aquifer system

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, X.; Bailey, R. T.

2017-12-01

Agricultural irrigated watersheds in semi-arid regions face challenges such as waterlogging, high soil salinity, reduced crop yield, and leaching of chemical species due to extreme shallow water tables resulting from long-term intensive irrigation. Hydrologic models can be used to evaluate the impact of land management practices on water yields and groundwater-surface water interactions in such regions. In this study, the newly developed SWAT-MODFLOW, a coupled surface/subsurface hydrologic model, is applied to a 950 km2 watershed in the Lower Arkansas River Valley (southeastern Colorado). The model accounts for the influence of canal diversions, irrigation applications, groundwater pumping, and earth canal seepage losses. The model provides a detailed description of surface and subsurface flow processes, thereby enabling detailed description of watershed processes such as runoff, infiltration, in-streamflow, three-dimensional groundwater flow in a heterogeneous aquifer system with sources and sinks (e.g. pumping, seepage to subsurface drains), and spatially-variable surface and groundwater exchange. The model was calibrated and tested against stream discharge from 5 stream gauges in the Arkansas River and its tributaries, groundwater levels from 70 observation wells, and evapotranspiration (ET) data estimated from satellite (ReSET) data during the 1999 to 2007 period. Since the water-use patterns within the study area are typical of many other irrigated river valleys in the United States and elsewhere, this modeling approach is transferable to other regions.

Household pasteurization of drinking-water: the chulli water-treatment system.

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, Mohammad Fakhrul; Johnston, Richard B

2006-09-01

A simple flow-through system has been developed which makes use of wasted heat generated in traditional clay ovens (chullis) to pasteurize surface water. A hollow aluminium coil is built into the clay chulli, and water is passed through the coil during normal cooking events. By adjusting the flow rate, effluent temperature can be maintained at approximately 70 degrees C. Laboratory testing, along with over 400 field tests on chulli systems deployed in six pilot villages, showed that the treatment completely inactivated thermotolerant coliforms. The chulli system produces up to 90 litres per day of treated water at the household level, without any additional time or fuel requirement. The technology has been developed to provide a safe alternative source of drinking-water in arsenic-contaminated areas, but can also have wide application wherever people consume microbiologically-contaminated water.

Horizon effects with surface waves on moving water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rousseaux, Germain; Maissa, Philippe; Mathis, Christian; Coullet, Pierre [Universite de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Laboratoire J-A Dieudonne, UMR CNRS-UNS 6621, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex 02 (France); Philbin, Thomas G; Leonhardt, Ulf, E-mail: Germain.Rousseaux@unice.f [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9SS (United Kingdom)

2010-09-15

Surface waves on a stationary flow of water are considered in a linear model that includes the surface tension of the fluid. The resulting gravity-capillary waves experience a rich array of horizon effects when propagating against the flow. In some cases, three horizons (points where the group velocity of the wave reverses) exist for waves with a single laboratory frequency. Some of these effects are familiar in fluid mechanics under the name of wave blocking, but other aspects, in particular waves with negative co-moving frequency and the Hawking effect, were overlooked until surface waves were investigated as examples of analogue gravity (Schuetzhold R and Unruh W G 2002 Phys. Rev. D 66 044019). A comprehensive presentation of the various horizon effects for gravity-capillary waves is given, with emphasis on the deep water/ short wavelength case kh>>1, where many analytical results can be derived. A similarity of the state space of the waves to that of a thermodynamic system is pointed out.

Oxide/water interfaces: how the surface chemistry modifies interfacial water properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaigeot, Marie-Pierre; Sprik, Michiel; Sulpizi, Marialore

2012-01-01

The organization of water at the interface with silica and alumina oxides is analysed using density functional theory-based molecular dynamics simulation (DFT-MD). The interfacial hydrogen bonding is investigated in detail and related to the chemistry of the oxide surfaces by computing the surface charge density and acidity. We find that water molecules hydrogen-bonded to the surface have different orientations depending on the strength of the hydrogen bonds and use this observation to explain the features in the surface vibrational spectra measured by sum frequency generation spectroscopy. In particular, ‘ice-like’ and ‘liquid-like’ features in these spectra are interpreted as the result of hydrogen bonds of different strengths between surface silanols/aluminols and water. (paper)

Documentation of the Surface-Water Routing (SWR1) Process for modeling surface-water flow with the U.S. Geological Survey Modular Ground-Water Model (MODFLOW-2005)

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Joseph D.; Langevin, Christian D.; Chartier, Kevin L.; White, Jeremy T.

2012-01-01

. The SWR1 Process has been benchmarked against one- and two-dimensional numerical solutions from existing one- and two-dimensional numerical codes that solve the dynamic-wave approximation of the Saint-Venant equations. Two-dimensional solutions test the ability of the SWR1 Process to simulate the response of a surface-water system to (1) steady flow conditions for an inclined surface (solution of Manning's equation), and (2) transient inflow and rainfall for an inclined surface. The one-dimensional solution tests the ability of the SWR1 Process to simulate a looped network with multiple upstream inflows and several control structures. The SWR1 Process also has been compared to a level-pool reservoir solution. A synthetic test problem was developed to evaluate a number of different SWR1 solution options and simulate surface-water/groundwater interaction. The solution approach used in the SWR1 Process may not be applicable for all surface-water/groundwater problems. The SWR1 Process is best suited for modeling long-term changes (days to years) in surface-water and groundwater flow. Use of the SWR1 Process is not recommended for modeling the transient exchange of water between streams and aquifers when local and convective acceleration and other secondary effects (for example, wind and Coriolis forces) are substantial. Dam break evaluations and two-dimensional evaluations of spatially extensive domains are examples where acceleration terms and secondary effects would be significant, respectively.

Optimizing water resources management in large river basins with integrated surface water-groundwater modeling: A surrogate-based approach

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Bin; Zheng, Yi; Wu, Xin; Tian, Yong; Han, Feng; Liu, Jie; Zheng, Chunmiao

2015-04-01

Integrated surface water-groundwater modeling can provide a comprehensive and coherent understanding on basin-scale water cycle, but its high computational cost has impeded its application in real-world management. This study developed a new surrogate-based approach, SOIM (Surrogate-based Optimization for Integrated surface water-groundwater Modeling), to incorporate the integrated modeling into water management optimization. Its applicability and advantages were evaluated and validated through an optimization research on the conjunctive use of surface water (SW) and groundwater (GW) for irrigation in a semiarid region in northwest China. GSFLOW, an integrated SW-GW model developed by USGS, was employed. The study results show that, due to the strong and complicated SW-GW interactions, basin-scale water saving could be achieved by spatially optimizing the ratios of groundwater use in different irrigation districts. The water-saving potential essentially stems from the reduction of nonbeneficial evapotranspiration from the aqueduct system and shallow groundwater, and its magnitude largely depends on both water management schemes and hydrological conditions. Important implications for water resources management in general include: first, environmental flow regulation needs to take into account interannual variation of hydrological conditions, as well as spatial complexity of SW-GW interactions; and second, to resolve water use conflicts between upper stream and lower stream, a system approach is highly desired to reflect ecological, economic, and social concerns in water management decisions. Overall, this study highlights that surrogate-based approaches like SOIM represent a promising solution to filling the gap between complex environmental modeling and real-world management decision-making.

High heat load performance of an inclined crystal monochromator with liquid gallium cooling on the CHESS-ANL undulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macrander, A.T.; Lee, W.K.; Smither, R.K.; Mills, D.M.

1992-01-01

Recent results for the performance of a novel double crystal monochromator subjected to high heat loads on an APS prototype undulator at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) are presented. The monochromator was designed to achieve symmetric diffraction from asymmetric planes to spread out the beam footprint thereby lowering the incident power density. Both crystals had (111) oriented surfaces and were arranged such that the beam was diffracted from the (11 bar 1) planes at 5 KeV. Rocking curves with minimal distortion were obtained at a ring electron current of 100 mA. This corresponded to 380 Watts total power and an average power density of 40 Watts/mm 2 normal to the incident beam. These results are compared to data obtained from the same crystals in the standard geometry (diffracting planes parallel to surface). The footprint area in the inclined case was three times that of the standard case. We also obtained rocking curve data for the (333) reflection at 15 KeV for both standard and inclined cases, and these data also showed a minimal distortion only for the inclined case. In addition, thermal data were obtained via infrared pyrometry. Liquid gallium flow rates of up to 2 gallons per minute were investigated. The diffraction data revealed a dramatically improved performance for the inclined crystal case

Water's Interfacial Hydrogen Bonding Structure Reveals the Effective Strength of Surface-Water Interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Sucheol; Willard, Adam P

2018-06-05

We combine all-atom molecular dynamics simulations with a mean field model of interfacial hydrogen bonding to analyze the effect of surface-water interactions on the structural and energetic properties of the liquid water interface. We show that the molecular structure of water at a weakly interacting ( i.e., hydrophobic) surface is resistant to change unless the strength of surface-water interactions are above a certain threshold. We find that below this threshold water's interfacial structure is homogeneous and insensitive to the details of the disordered surface, however, above this threshold water's interfacial structure is heterogeneous. Despite this heterogeneity, we demonstrate that the equilibrium distribution of molecular orientations can be used to quantify the energetic component of the surface-water interactions that contribute specifically to modifying the interfacial hydrogen bonding network. We identify this specific energetic component as a new measure of hydrophilicity, which we refer to as the intrinsic hydropathy.

An ontology design pattern for surface water features

Science.gov (United States)

Sinha, Gaurav; Mark, David; Kolas, Dave; Varanka, Dalia; Romero, Boleslo E.; Feng, Chen-Chieh; Usery, E. Lynn; Liebermann, Joshua; Sorokine, Alexandre

2014-01-01

Surface water is a primary concept of human experience but concepts are captured in cultures and languages in many different ways. Still, many commonalities exist due to the physical basis of many of the properties and categories. An abstract ontology of surface water features based only on those physical properties of landscape features has the best potential for serving as a foundational domain ontology for other more context-dependent ontologies. The Surface Water ontology design pattern was developed both for domain knowledge distillation and to serve as a conceptual building-block for more complex or specialized surface water ontologies. A fundamental distinction is made in this ontology between landscape features that act as containers (e.g., stream channels, basins) and the bodies of water (e.g., rivers, lakes) that occupy those containers. Concave (container) landforms semantics are specified in a Dry module and the semantics of contained bodies of water in a Wet module. The pattern is implemented in OWL, but Description Logic axioms and a detailed explanation is provided in this paper. The OWL ontology will be an important contribution to Semantic Web vocabulary for annotating surface water feature datasets. Also provided is a discussion of why there is a need to complement the pattern with other ontologies, especially the previously developed Surface Network pattern. Finally, the practical value of the pattern in semantic querying of surface water datasets is illustrated through an annotated geospatial dataset and sample queries using the classes of the Surface Water pattern.

[Water-saving mechanisms of intercropping system in improving cropland water use efficiency].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Feng-Yun; Wu, Pu-Te; Zhao, Xi-Ning; Cheng, Xue-Feng

2012-05-01

Based on the multi-disciplinary researches, and in terms of the transformation efficiency of surface water to soil water, availability of cropland soil water, crop canopy structure, total irrigation volume needed on a given area, and crop yield, this paper discussed the water-saving mechanisms of intercropping system in improving cropland water use efficiency. Intercropping system could promote the full use of cropland water by plant roots, increase the water storage in root zone, reduce the inter-row evaporation and control excessive transpiration, and create a special microclimate advantageous to the plant growth and development. In addition, intercropping system could optimize source-sink relationship, provide a sound foundation for intensively utilizing resources temporally and spatially, and increase the crop yield per unit area greatly without increase of water consumption, so as to promote the crop water use efficiency effectively.

How to repel hot water from a superhydrophobic surface?

KAUST Repository

Yu, Zhejun

2014-01-01

Superhydrophobic surfaces, with water contact angles greater than 150° and slide angles less than 10°, have attracted a great deal of attention due to their self-cleaning ability and excellent water-repellency. It is commonly accepted that a superhydrophobic surface loses its superhydrophobicity in contact with water hotter than 50 °C. Such a phenomenon was recently demonstrated by Liu et al. [J. Mater. Chem., 2009, 19, 5602], using both natural lotus leaf and artificial leaf-like surfaces. However, our work has shown that superhydrophobic surfaces maintained their superhydrophobicity, even in water at 80 °C, provided that the leaf temperature is greater than that of the water droplet. In this paper, we report on the wettability of water droplets on superhydrophobic thin films, as a function of both their temperatures. The results have shown that both the water contact and slide angles on the surfaces will remain unchanged when the temperature of the water droplet is greater than that of the surface. The water contact angle, or the slide angle, will decrease or increase, however, with droplet temperatures increasingly greater than that of the surfaces. We propose that, in such cases, the loss of superhydrophobicity of the surfaces is caused by evaporation of the hot water molecules and their condensation on the cooler surface. © 2014 the Partner Organisations.

Integrated modelling for assessing the risk of groundwater contaminants to human health and surface water ecosystems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McKnight, Ursula S.; Rasmussen, Jes; Funder, Simon G.

2010-01-01

for evaluating the impact of a TCE groundwater plume, located in an area with protected drinking water interests, to human health and surface water ecosystems. This is accomplished by coupling the system dynamicsbased decision support system CARO-Plus to the aquatic ecosystem model AQUATOX via an analytical......The practical implementation of the European Water Framework Directive has resulted in an increased focus on the groundwater-surface water interaction zone. A gap exists with respect to preliminary assessment methodologies that are capable of evaluating and prioritising point sources...... volatilisation model for the stream. The model is tested on a Danish case study involving a 750 m long TCE groundwater plume discharging into a stream. The initial modelling results indicate that TCE contaminant plumes with μgL-1 concentrations entering surface water systems do not pose a significant risk...

Water and Ethanol Droplet Wetting Transition during Evaporation on Omniphobic Surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xuemei; Weibel, Justin A.; Garimella, Suresh V.

2015-01-01

Omniphobic surfaces with reentrant microstructures have been investigated for a range of applications, but the evaporation of high- and low-surface-tension liquid droplets placed on such surfaces has not been rigorously studied. In this work, we develop a technique to fabricate omniphobic surfaces on copper substrates to allow for a systematic examination of the effects of surface topography on the evaporation dynamics of water and ethanol droplets. Compared to a water droplet, the ethanol droplet not only evaporates faster, but also inhibits Cassie-to-Wenzel wetting transitions on surfaces with certain geometries. We use an interfacial energy-based description of the system, including the transition energy barrier and triple line energy, to explain the underlying transition mechanism and behaviour observed. Suppression of the wetting transition during evaporation of droplets provides an important metric for evaluating the robustness of omniphobic surfaces requiring such functionality. PMID:26603940

Adsorption of surface functionalized silica nanoparticles onto mineral surfaces and decane/water interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metin, Cigdem O.; Baran, Jimmie R.; Nguyen, Quoc P.

2012-01-01

The adsorption of silica nanoparticles onto representative mineral surfaces and at the decane/water interface was studied. The effects of particle size (the mean diameters from 5 to 75 nm), concentration and surface type on the adsorption were studied in detail. Silica nanoparticles with four different surfaces [unmodified, surface modified with anionic (sulfonate), cationic (quaternary ammonium (quat)) or nonionic (polyethylene glycol (PEG)) surfactant] were used. The zeta potential of these silica nanoparticles ranges from −79.8 to 15.3 mV. The shape of silica particles examined by a Hitachi-S5500 scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) is quite spherical. The adsorption of all the nanoparticles (unmodified or surface modified) on quartz and calcite surfaces was found to be insignificant. We used interfacial tension (IFT) measurements to investigate the adsorption of silica nanoparticles at the decane/water interface. Unmodified nanoparticles or surface modified ones with sulfonate or quat do not significantly affect the IFT of the decane/water interface. It also does not appear that the particle size or concentration influences the IFT. However, the presence of PEG as a surface modifying material significantly reduces the IFT. The PEG surface modifier alone in an aqueous solution, without the nanoparticles, yields the same IFT reduction for an equivalent PEG concentration as that used for modifying the surface of nanoparticles. Contact angle measurements of a decane droplet on quartz or calcite plate immersed in water (or aqueous nanoparticle dispersion) showed a slight change in the contact angle in the presence of the studied nanoparticles. The results of contact angle measurements are in good agreement with experiments of adsorption of nanoparticles on mineral surfaces or decane/water interface. This study brings new insights into the understanding and modeling of the adsorption of surface-modified silica nanoparticles onto mineral surfaces and

Radioactivity in surface waters and its effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoeber, I.

1987-01-01

In consequence of the reactor accident in Chernobyl, the State Office for Water and Waste Disposal of North-Rhine Westphalia implemented immediate programmes for monitoring radioactivity in surface waters, including their sediments and organisms. Of the initially-measured radionuclides, only cesium-137, with its long half-life of 30 years, is of interest. Only trace amounts of the almost equally long-lived strontium 90 (half-life 28 years) were present in rainfall. Cs-137 is a non-natural-radionuclide, occurring solely as a by-product of nuclear installations and atomic bomb tests. Following the ban on surface testing of nuclear weapons, the Cs-137 content of surface waters had fallen significantly up to April 1986. The load due to the reactor disaster is of the same order of magnitude as that produced by atomic testing at the end of the nineteen-sixties. The paper surveys radioactive pollution of surface waters in North-Rhine Westphalia and its effects on water use, especially in regard to potable water supplies and the fish population. (orig./HSCH) [de

The Impact of Scholastic Instrumental Music and Scholastic Chess Study on the Standardized Test Scores of Students in Grades Three, Four, and Five

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Edwin E.

2012-01-01

This study examines the impact of instrumental music study and group chess lessons on the standardized test scores of suburban elementary public school students (grades three through five) in Levittown, New York. The study divides the students into the following groups and compares the standardized test scores of each: a) instrumental music…

Monitoring for Pesticides in Groundwater and Surface Water in Nevada, 2008

Science.gov (United States)

Thodal, Carl E.; Carpenter, Jon; Moses, Charles W.

2009-01-01

Commercial pesticide applicators, farmers, and homeowners apply about 1 billion pounds of pesticides annually to agricultural land, non-crop land, and urban areas throughout the United States (Gilliom and others, 2006, p. 1). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) defines a pesticide as any substance used to kill or control insects, weeds, plant diseases, and other pest organisms. Although there are important benefits from the proper use of pesticides, like crop protection and prevention of human disease outbreaks, there are also risks. One risk is the contamination of groundwater and surface-water resources. Data collected during 1992-2001 from 51 major hydrologic systems across the United States indicate that one or more pesticide or pesticide breakdown product was detected in more than 50 percent of 5,057 shallow (less than 20 feet below land surface) wells and in all of the 186 stream sites that were sampled in agricultural and urban areas (Gilliom and others, 2006, p. 2-4). Pesticides can contaminate surface water and groundwater from both point sources and non-point sources. Point sources are from specific locations such as spill sites, disposal sites, pesticide drift during application, and application of pesticides to control aquatic pests. Non-point sources represent the dominant source of surface water and groundwater contamination and may include agricultural and urban runoff, erosion, leaching from application sites, and precipitation that has become contaminated by upwind applications. Pesticides typically enter surface water when rainfall or irrigation exceeds the infiltration capacity of soil and resulting runoff then transports pesticides to streams, rivers, and other surface-water bodies. Contamination of groundwater may result directly from spills near poorly sealed well heads and from pesticide applications through improperly designed or malfunctioning irrigation systems that also are used to apply pesticides (chemigation; Carpenter and

Online decision support system for surface irrigation management

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wenchao; Cui, Yuanlai

2017-04-01

Irrigation has played an important role in agricultural production. Irrigation decision support system is developed for irrigation water management, which can raise irrigation efficiency with few added engineering services. An online irrigation decision support system (OIDSS), in consist of in-field sensors and central computer system, is designed for surface irrigation management in large irrigation district. Many functions have acquired in OIDSS, such as data acquisition and detection, real-time irrigation forecast, water allocation decision and irrigation information management. The OIDSS contains four parts: Data acquisition terminals, Web server, Client browser and Communication system. Data acquisition terminals are designed to measure paddy water level, soil water content in dry land, ponds water level, underground water level, and canals water level. A web server is responsible for collecting meteorological data, weather forecast data, the real-time field data, and manager's feedback data. Water allocation decisions are made in the web server. Client browser is responsible for friendly displaying, interacting with managers, and collecting managers' irrigation intention. Communication system includes internet and the GPRS network used by monitoring stations. The OIDSS's model is based on water balance approach for both lowland paddy and upland crops. Considering basic database of different crops water demands in the whole growth stages and irrigation system engineering information, the OIDSS can make efficient decision of water allocation with the help of real-time field water detection and weather forecast. This system uses technical methods to reduce requirements of user's specialized knowledge and can also take user's managerial experience into account. As the system is developed by the Browser/Server model, it is possible to make full use of the internet resources, to facilitate users at any place where internet exists. The OIDSS has been applied in

Influence of Road Surface Microtexture on Thin Water Film Traction

OpenAIRE

BEAUTRU , Yannick; Kane , Malal; Do , Minh Tan; Cerezo , Véronique

2012-01-01

This paper deals with the contribution of road surface microtexture to the relationship between tire/road friction and water depth. The main objectives are the estimation of local water depths trapped at the tire/road interface and the definition of a critical water depth which can be used for driver assistance and information systems. Tests are performed in laboratory. Specimens are slabs made of asphalt concrete and mosaics composed of coarse aggregates. The aggregate mosaics are sandblaste...

Presence and risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in surface water and drinking water

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sanderson, Hans

2011-01-01

Trace amounts of pharmaceuticals have been detected in surface waters in the nano- to microgram per liter range, and in drinking water in the nanogram/L range. The environmental risks of pharmaceuticals in surface waters have been evaluated and generally found to be low if the wastewater is treated...

Reconnaissance blind multi-chess: an experimentation platform for ISR sensor fusion and resource management

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, Andrew J.; Richardson, Casey L.; Kain, Sean M.; Stankiewicz, Paul G.; Guseman, Paul R.; Schreurs, Blake A.; Dunne, Jeffrey A.

2016-05-01

This paper introduces the game of reconnaissance blind multi-chess (RBMC) as a paradigm and test bed for understanding and experimenting with autonomous decision making under uncertainty and in particular managing a network of heterogeneous Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) sensors to maintain situational awareness informing tactical and strategic decision making. The intent is for RBMC to serve as a common reference or challenge problem in fusion and resource management of heterogeneous sensor ensembles across diverse mission areas. We have defined a basic rule set and a framework for creating more complex versions, developed a web-based software realization to serve as an experimentation platform, and developed some initial machine intelligence approaches to playing it.

Improving the apo-state detergent stability of NTS1 with CHESS for pharmacological and structural studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Daniel J; Kummer, Lutz; Egloff, Pascal; Bathgate, Ross A D; Plückthun, Andreas

2014-11-01

The largest single class of drug targets is the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family. Modern high-throughput methods for drug discovery require working with pure protein, but this has been a challenge for GPCRs, and thus the success of screening campaigns targeting soluble, catalytic protein domains has not yet been realized for GPCRs. Therefore, most GPCR drug screening has been cell-based, whereas the strategy of choice for drug discovery against soluble proteins is HTS using purified proteins coupled to structure-based drug design. While recent developments are increasing the chances of obtaining GPCR crystal structures, the feasibility of screening directly against purified GPCRs in the unbound state (apo-state) remains low. GPCRs exhibit low stability in detergent micelles, especially in the apo-state, over the time periods required for performing large screens. Recent methods for generating detergent-stable GPCRs, however, offer the potential for researchers to manipulate GPCRs almost like soluble enzymes, opening up new avenues for drug discovery. Here we apply cellular high-throughput encapsulation, solubilization and screening (CHESS) to the neurotensin receptor 1 (NTS1) to generate a variant that is stable in the apo-state when solubilized in detergents. This high stability facilitated the crystal structure determination of this receptor and also allowed us to probe the pharmacology of detergent-solubilized, apo-state NTS1 using robotic ligand binding assays. NTS1 is a target for the development of novel antipsychotics, and thus CHESS-stabilized receptors represent exciting tools for drug discovery. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recycling of drinking water treatment residue as an additional medium in columns for effective P removal from eutrophic surface water.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Changhui; Wu, Yu; Bai, Leilei; Zhao, Yaqian; Yan, Zaisheng; Jiang, Helong; Liu, Xin

2018-07-01

This study assesses the feasibility of recycling drinking water treatment residue (DWTR) to treat eutrophic surface water in a one-year continuous flow column test. Heat-treated DWTR was used as an additional medium (2%-4%) in columns in case excessive organic matter and N were released from the DWTR to surface water. The results indicated that with minimal undesirable effects on other water properties, DWTR addition substantially enhanced P removal, rendering P concentrations in treated water oligotrophic and treated water unsuitable for Microcystis aeruginosa breeding. Long-term stable P removal by DWTR-column treatment was mainly attributed to the relatively low P levels in raw water (cycles and multiple pollution control (e.g., Dechloromonas, Geobacter, Leucobacter, Nitrospira, Rhodoplanes, and Sulfuritalea); an apparent decrease in Mycobacterium with potential pathogenicity was observed in DWTR-columns. Regardless, limited denitrification of DWTR-columns was observed as a result of low bioavailability of C in surface water. This finding indicates that DWTR can be used with other methods to ensure denitrification for enhanced treatment effects. Overall, the use of DWTR as an additional medium in column systems can potentially treat eutrophic surface water. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Water Cycle from Space: Use of Satellite Data in Land Surface Hydrology and Water Resource Management

Science.gov (United States)

Laymon, Charles; Blankenship, Clay; Khan, Maudood; Limaye, Ashutosh; Hornbuckle, Brian; Rowlandson, Tracy

2010-01-01

This slide presentation reviews how our understanding of the water cycle is enhanced by our use of satellite data, and how this informs land surface hydrology and water resource management. It reviews how NASA's current and future satellite missions will provide Earth system data of unprecedented breadth, accuracy and utility for hydrologic analysis.

Impacts of thermal and chemical discharges to surface water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stober, Q.J.

1974-01-01

Various aspects of thermal and chemical discharges to surface water are outlined. The major impacts of nuclear power plants on aquatic resources are disruption during construction, intake of cooling water, discharge problems, and interactions with other water users. The following topics are included under the heading, assessment of aquatic ecology: identification of flora and fauna; abundance of aquatic organisms; species-environment relationships; and identification of pre-existing environmental stress. The following topics are included under the heading, environmental effects of plant operation: entrapment of fish by cooling water; passage of plankton through cooling system; discharge area and thermal plume; chemical effluents; and plant construction. (U.S.)

40 CFR 257.3-3 - Surface water.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Surface water. 257.3-3 Section 257.3-3... and Practices § 257.3-3 Surface water. (a) For purposes of section 4004(a) of the Act, a facility... Water Act, as amended. (b) For purposes of section 4004(a) of the Act, a facility shall not cause a...

Metals content in surface waters of an upwelling system of the northern Humboldt Current (Mejillones Bay, Chile)

Science.gov (United States)

Valdés, Jorge; Román, Domingo; Alvarez, Gabriel; Ortlieb, Luc; Guiñez, Marcos

Physical-chemical parameters (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, and chlorophyll concentration) of surface waters were used to evaluate the influence of biological and physical processes over the metal concentrations (Cd, Ni, V, Mo, Mn, and Fe) in different periods of a normal annual cycle (June 2002 and April 2003), in Mejillones Bay (23° S), one of northern Chile's strongest upwelling cells. Two points were sampled every 2 months, but statistical analysis of these parameters did not show any spatial differences in surface water composition (annual average) in this bay. The order of total and dissolved metals by abundance (annual mean) in the Mejillones Bay surface waters during the sampling period was Cd Oxygen Minimum Zone which characterizes the Mejillones bay should have an important influence on surface distribution of trace metals and can explain the high temporal variability observed in most of the metals analyzed in this work. A two-box conceptual model is proposed to suggest possible influences on metals in surface waters of this coastal ecosystem.

Atmospheric Water Harvesting: Role of Surface Wettability and Edge Effect

KAUST Repository

Jin, Yong

2017-06-23

Atmospheric water is emerging as an important potable water source. The present work experimentally and theoretically investigates water condensation and collection on flat surfaces with contrasting contact angles and contact angle hysteresis (CAH) to elucidate their roles on water mass collection efficiency. The experimental results indicate that a hydrophilic surface promotes nucleation and individual droplets growth, and a surface with a low CAH tends to let a smaller droplet to slide down, but the overall water mass collection efficiency is independent of both surface contact angle and CAH. The experimental results agree well with our theoretical calculations. During water condensation, a balance has to be struck between single droplet growth and droplet density on a surface so as to maintain a constant water droplet surface coverage ratio, which renders the role of both surface wettability and hysteresis insignificant to the ultimate water mass collection. Moreover, water droplets on the edges of a surface grow much faster than those on the non-edge areas and thus dominate the contribution to the water mass collection by the entire surface, directly pointing out the very important role of edge effect on water condensation and collection.

Screening of multiple hormonal activities in surface water and sediment from the Pearl River system, South China, using effect-directed in vitro bioassays.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jian-Liang; Ying, Guang-Guo; Yang, Bin; Liu, Shan; Zhou, Li-Jun; Chen, Zhi-Feng; Lai, Hua-Jie

2011-10-01

This paper reports screening of multiple hormonal activities (estrogenic and androgenic activities, antiestrogenic and antiandrogenic activities) for surface water and sediment from the Pearl River system (Liuxi, Zhujiang, and Shijing rivers) in South China, using in vitro recombinant yeast bioassays. The detection frequencies for estrogenic and antiandrogenic activities were both 100% in surface water and 81 and 93% in sediment, respectively. The levels of estrogenic activity were 0.23 to 324 ng 17β-estradiol equivalent concentration (EEQ)/L in surface water and 0 to 101 ng EEQ/g in sediment. Antiandrogenic activities were in the range of 20.4 to 935 × 10(3) ng flutamide equivalent concentration (FEQ)/L in surface water and 0 to 154 × 10(3) ng FEQ/g in sediment. Moreover, estrogenic activity and antiandrogenic activity in sediment showed good correlation (R(2) = 0.7187), suggesting that the agonists of estrogen receptor and the antagonists of androgen receptor co-occurred in sediment. The detection frequencies for androgenic and antiestrogenic activities were 41 and 29% in surface water and 61 and 4% in sediment, respectively. The levels of androgenic activities were 0 to 45.4 ng dihydrotestosterone equivalent concentration (DEQ)/L in surface water, and the potency was very weak in the only detected sediment site. The levels of antiestrogenic activity were 0 to 1,296 × 10(3) ng tamoxifen equivalent concentration (TEQ)/L in surface water and 0 to 89.5 × 10(3) ng TEQ/g in sediment. The Shijing River displayed higher levels of hormonal activities than the Zhujiang and Liuxi rivers, indicating that the Shijing River had been suffering from heavy contamination with endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The equivalent concentrations of hormonal activities in some sites were greater than the lowest-observed-effect concentrations reported in the literature, suggesting potential adverse effects on aquatic organisms. Copyright © 2011 SETAC.

Engineering bacterial efflux pumps for solar-powered bioremediation of surface waters.

Science.gov (United States)

Kapoor, Vikram; Wendell, David

2013-05-08

Antibiotics are difficult to selectively remove from surface waters by present treatment methods. Bacterial efflux pumps have evolved the ability to discriminately expel antibiotics and other noxious agents via proton and ATP driven pathways. Here, we describe light-dependent removal of antibiotics by engineering the bacterial efflux pump AcrB into a proteovesicle system. We have created a chimeric protein with the requisite proton motive force by coupling AcrB to the light-driven proton pump Delta-rhodopsin (dR) via a glycophorin A transmembrane domain. This creates a solar powered protein material capable of selectively capturing antibiotics from bulk solutions. Using environmental water and direct sunlight, our AcrB-dR vesicles removed almost twice as much antibiotic as the treatment standard, activated carbon. Altogether, the AcrB-dR system provides an effective means of extracting antibiotics from surface waters as well as potential antibiotic recovery through vesicle solubilization.

Sodium-water reaction product flow system