Integrated analysis of policy options for protection of groundwater quality

This paper is directed at providing an integrated framework that a regional authority should use when assessing the potential impacts of any policy initiative directed at improving groundwater quality. In particular, a policy model is developed relying on three decision components (a farm-level production decisions model, a household decisions model and a regional policy decision model) where the objective is one of identifying the trade-offs that a regional authority will be confronted with as it strives to balance the preferences of farmers and households while endeavoring to maximize net economic welfare. The basic rule developed indicates that the regional authority must choose a policy whereby any increase (decrease) in regional income is just equal to the decrease (increase) in net benefits to households.The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the views of other U.S. Department of Agriculture staff members.     

The origins of kriging

In this article, kriging is equated with spatial optimal linear prediction, where the unknown random-process mean is estimated with the best linear unbiased estimator. This allows early appearances of (spatial) prediction techniques to be assessed in terms of how close they came to kriging.     

The origins of kriging

In this article, kriging is equated with spatial optimal linear prediction, where the unknown random-process mean is estimated with the best linear unbiased estimator. This allows early appearances of (spatial) prediction techniques to be assessed in terms of how close they came to kriging.     

Thermophysical properties of the α–β–γ polymorphs of Mg<Subscript>2</Subscript>SiO<Subscript>4</Subscript>: a computational study

Thermophysical properties of the various polymorphs (i.e. α-, β- and γ) of Mg₂SiO₄ were computed with the CRYSTAL06 code within the framework of CO-LCAO-GTF approach by using the hybrid B3LYP density functional method. Potential wells were calculated through a symmetry preserving, variable cell-shape structure relaxation procedure. Vibrational frequencies were computed at the long-wavelength limit corresponding to the center of the Brillouin zone (k → 0). Thermodynamic properties were estimated through a semiclassical approach that combines B3LYP vibrational frequencies for optic modes and the Kieffer’s model for the dispersion relation of acoustic modes. All computed values except volume (i.e. electronic energy, zero point energy, optical vibrational modes, thermal corrections to internal energy, standard state enthalpy and Gibbs free energy of reaction, bulk modulus and its P and T derivatives, entropy, C _V, C _P) are consistent with available experimental data and/or reasonable estimates. Volumes are slightly overestimated relative to those determined directly by X-ray diffraction. A set of optimized volumetric properties that are consistent with the other semiclassical properties of the phases α, β and γ have been derived by optimization procedure such that the calculated boundaries for the α/β and β/γ equilibria have the best overall agreement with the experimental data for these transitions. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Multivariate Intrinsic Random Functions for Cokriging

In multivariate geostatistics, suppose that we relax the usual second-order-stationarity assumptions and assume that the component processes are intrinsic random functions of general orders. In this article, we introduce a generalized cross-covariance function to describe the spatial cross-dependencies in multivariate intrinsic random functions. A nonparametric method is then proposed for its estimation. Based on this class of generalized cross-covariance functions, we give cokriging equations for multivariate intrinsic random functions in the presence of measurement error. A simulation is presented that demonstrates the accuracy of the proposed nonparametric estimation method. Finally, an application is given to a dataset of plutonium and americium concentrations collected from a region of the Nevada Test Site used for atomic-bomb testing.     

Mapping rates associated with polygons

Suppose that geographic data under investigation are rates associated with polygons. For example, disease incidence, mortality, and census undercount data may be displayed as rates. Spatial analysis of data of this sort can be handled very naturally through Bayesian hierarchical statistical modeling, where there is a measurement process at the first level, an explanatory process at the second level, and a prior probability distribution on unknowns at the third level. In our paper, we shall feature epidemiological data, specifically disease-incidence rates, and the “polygons” referred to in the title are typically states or counties.     

Biological and ecological mechanisms for overcoming sperm limitation in invasive dreissenid mussels

Many broadcast-spawning benthic invertebrates are subject to sperm limitation yet achieve high population densities, as for example dreissenid mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and Dreisssena bugensis) that were introduced into the Laurentian Great Lakes. The question remains whether biological or ecological/physical mechanisms reduce sperm limitation. Gamete dilution/longevity experiments were undertaken to determine whether dreissenid mussels are subject to sperm limitation, and computational fluid dynamic modeling was used to determine the potential influence of bottom roughness on sperm dilution in nature. Results indicated that dreissenid mussels may be sperm limited, but the extent to which sperm dilution affects them is lower than what was reported for other broadcast spawning invertebrates. Importantly, model mussel clusters influenced external fertilization by retaining sperm in downstream eddies but allowing downstream transport from one cluster to another. This, in addition to high sperm potency at low sperm concentrations, may help to explain the success of dreissenid mussels as invasive species.     

Main sequence models for massive Zero-metal stars

Zero-age main-sequence models for stars of 20, 10, 5 and 2M _⊙ with no heavy elements are constructed for three different possible primordial helium abundances:Y=0.00,Y=0.23, andY=0.30. The latter two values ofY bracket the range of primordial helium abundances cited by Wagoner. With the exceptions of the two 20M _⊙ models that contain helium, these models are found to be self-consistent in the sense that the formation of carbon through the triple-alpha process during pre-main sequence contraction is not sufficient to bring the CN cycle into competition with the proton-proton chain on the ZAMS. The zero-metal models of the present study have higher surface and central temperatures, higher central densities, smaller radii, and smaller convective cores than do the population I models with the same masses. If galaxies containing the zero-metal stars were formed as recently as one third the Hubble time, they would likely appear very blue today — perhaps bluer even that most known quasars — and their redshifted effective temperatures could range as high as 3×10⁴ K to 4×10⁴ K.     

Archaeological investigation by electrical resistivity tomography: a preliminary study

b
This paper describes a method in which vertical resistivity sections are generated tomographically from measurements on a linear array of equally spaced electrodes inserted at the ground surface. The array is multiplexed to a resistivity meter which gathers one set of all possible independent apparent resistivity measurements and the geophysical section is then reconstructed by backprojecting these weighted data, along equipotentials, into the subsurface. The technique has been evaluated numerically and in field trials over shallow archaeological structures at Fountains Abbey.