Understanding Interoperability in Collaborative Network Management： the Case of Metro High School

The-increasing importance of interoperability （IOp）--reciprocal communication and accommodation among government organizations and NGOs to develop interactive policy and programming--has become an integral part of networked organizations, now utilized beyond IOps＇s emergency management origins in public administration. Using a mixed methods approach, this paper empirically examines IOp in a networked STEM （science, technology, engineering and mathematics） secondary school that includes 16 school districts and their public agency and NGO partners, particularly in its planning and operational phases. It also identifies the growing use of lOp in a number of non-emergency management settings and raises the prospects for utilizing this type of interorganizational management in the public arena.

Kyanite far from equilibrium dissolution rate at 0–22℃ and pH of 3.5–7.5

Kyanite is an important and slow-dissolving mineral. Earlier work has measured its dissolution rate at high temperature and acidic pH, but experimental measurements at low temperature and near neutral p H were lacking. The rate equation by Palandri and Kharaka(A compilation of rate parameters of water–mineral interaction kinetics for application to geochemical modeling. US Geological Survey, Open File Report 2004-1068, 2004) indicates that the rate of kyanite dissolution at room temperature and near neutral pH is on the order of 10^-17 mol m^-2 s^-1, orders of magnitudes slower than most common silicate minerals such as albite and quartz. This study used an externallystirred mixed-flow reactor, which allows high solid:solution ratios, to measure the dissolution rate of kyanite at 0–22 ℃ and pH of 3.5–7.5. The measured dissolution rate of kyanite is 4.6–7.6 9 10-13 mol m^-2 s^-1 at 22℃, and the apparent activation energy is 73.5 kJ mol^-1. This dissolution rate is close to the rate of quartz dissolution and four orders of magnitude faster than the prediction by rate equation of Palandri and Kharaka(2004).Based on our new experimental data, we recommend the following rate equation for modeling the dissolution of kyanite at ambient temperatures.r=ke(-Ea)/R(1/T-1/(298.15))where k = 5.08 9 10-13 mol m^-2 s^-1, and Ea= 73.5 kJ mol^-1. Review of literature data(Carroll in The dissolution behavior of corundum, kaolinite, and andalusite: a surface complex reaction model for the dissolution of aluminosilicate minerals in diagenetic and weathering environs. Dissertation, Northwestern University, 1989) led to a recommended rate equation for andalusite as for T = 25℃ and pH = 2–10:r=k1aH+^n1+k2+k3aH^+^n3where k1= 4.04 9 10^-10 mol m^-2 s^-1, k2= 7.95×10^-10 mol m^-2 s^-1, k3= 1.01×10^-17 mol m^-2 s^-1, n1= 1.2 and n3=-0.6.

Waste-to-Hope: Measuring Sustainability Benefits of Product Philanthropy Partnership

This study investigates the sustainability-related impacts of the Framing Hope program, an innovative private and nonprofit sector partnership between the nonprofit Good360 and The Home Depot. Specifically, this paper estimates the energy savings, landfill space not filled, and the energy- and landfill-related cost savings associated with the Good360 product philanthropy program with The Home Depot, illustrating that benefits accrue to both company and communities by linkages between environmental, socioeconomic, and energy dimensions. Findings suggest that by redirecting products from the waste stream into usable community resources, considerable landfill space, costs, and energy savings were realized. Product donations can serve as an important platform for sustainable community development and capacity building. This research adds to the growing body of knowledge on environmental performance, corporate giving, and cross-sector partnerships in sustainable and social entrepreneurship.

Impact of Maintenance Steroids versus Rapid Steroid Withdrawal in African-American Kidney Transplant Recipients: Comparison of Two Urban Centers

Background: Rapid steroid withdrawal (RSW) is used increasingly in kidney transplantation but long-term outcomes in African-American (AA) recipients are not well known. We compared 1 and 5 year transplant outcomes in a large cohort of AA patients who were maintained on continued steroid therapy (CST) to those who underwent RSW. Methods: Post-transplant courses of A as receiving kidney allografts from 2003-2011 at two urban transplant centers in Chicago were followed. Prior to outcome analysis, we used Inverse Probability of Treatment Weights (IPTW) to match the two groups on a set of baseline risk factors. Graft and patient survival, GFR at 1 and 5 years, incidence and type of rejection, incidence of post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM), delayed graft function, CMV and BK viremia were compared. Results: There were 150 AA recipients in the CST analytic group and 157 in the RSW analytic group. Graft and patient survival was similar between the two groups. Rates of CMV viremia were higher in the RSW compared to the CST analytic group at 1 year. Biopsy-proven acute rejection and PTDM were similar between the RSW and CST groups. Conclusions: In AA recipients, RSW has similar long-term outcomes to CST.

Chinese NGOs in action against HIV/AIDS

Chinese nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have played a significant role in the battle against AIDS in the People’s Republic of China. This article provides a brief overview of the structure of these organizations, as well as an analysis of their principle accomplishments. Of great significance in this analysis is the fact that Chinese NGOs have effectively dealt with many sensitive health education areas that government authorities have felt reluctant to handle directly. As such, they have provided an indispensable component in the HIV/AIDS prevention and control calculus on the mainland.

Differential responses of carbon and water vapor fluxes to climate among evergreen needleleaf forests in the USA

Introduction:Understanding the differences in carbon and water vapor fluxes of spatially distributed evergreen needleleaf forests(ENFs)is crucial for accurately estimating regional or global carbon and water budgets and when predicting the responses of ENFs to current and future climate.Methods:We compared the fluxes of ten AmeriFlux ENF sites to investigate cross-site variability in net ecosystem exchange of carbon(NEE),gross primary production(GPP),and evapotranspiration(ET).We used wavelet cross-correlation analysis to examine responses of NEE and ET to common climatic drivers over multiple timescales and also determined optimum values of air temperature(T_(a))and vapor pressure deficit(VPD)for NEE and ET.Results:We found larger differences in the NEE spectra than in the ET spectra across sites,demonstrating that spatial(site-to-site)variability was larger for NEE than for ET.The NEE and ET were decoupled differently across ENF sites because the wavelet cospectra between ET and climate variables were similar at all sites,while the wavelet cospectra between NEE and climate variables were higher(i.e.,closer coupling between NEE and climatic drivers)in semi-arid and Mediterranean sites than in other sites.Ecosystem water use efficiency(EWUE)based on annual GPP/ET ranged from 1.3±0.18 to 4.08±0.62 g C mm^(−1) ET,while EWUE based on annual net ecosystem production(NEP)/ET ranged from 0.06±0.04 to 1.02±0.16 g C mm^(−1) ET)among ENFs.Responses of NEE and ET to T_(a) varied across climatic zones.In particular,for ENF sites in semi-arid and Mediterranean climates,the maximum NEE and ET occurred at lower ranges of T_(a) than in sites with warm and humid summers.The optimum T_(a) and VPD values were higher for ET than for NEE,and ET was less sensitive to high values of T_(a) and VPD.Conclusions:Large spatial variability in carbon and water vapor fluxes among ENFs and large variations in responses of NEE and ET to major climate variables among climatic zones necessitate sub-plant functional type parameterization based on climatic zones to better represent climate sensitivity of ENFs and to reduce uncertainty in model predictions.

Ecological risk assessment of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in water and surface sediment samples from Akaki River catchment,central Ethiopia

The current status of persistent organic pollutants in Ethiopian environment is not well monitored despite the existing pollution potential from a number of sources.Water and sediment samples collected from Akaki River catchment and Aba Samuel Reservoir,Central Ethiopia were analyzed to assess the concentrations,distribution,possible sources and potential ecological risk of eight organochlorine pesticides(OCPs)and seven polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs).Water and sediment samples were extracted by liquid-liquid and Soxhlet extraction respectively,and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy(GC-MS).The detectable OCPs and PCBs in water samples were DDT,DDE,DDD,lindane and dieldrin and PCB-28,PCB-101 and PCB-118,respectively in the rainy season.Analyzed sediment samples showed the presence of lindane in the dry and p,p’-DDT,p,p’-DDE,p,p’-DDD,a,b-endosulfan,heptachlor epoxide(B),and dieldrin in the rainy seasons.Among the indicator PCBs analyzed,sediment samples showed the presence of PCB-52,PCB-101 and PCB-118 in the dry and all indicator PCBs in the rainy seasons.Sources analysis showed that PCBs and detected OCPs were mainly from the historical input of commercial products,but there were recent discharge of DDT and lindane into the river system.Ecological risk assessment of the analyzed OCPs and PCBs using water and sediment quality guidelines indicated that lindane in the dry and p’-DDT,p,p’-DDE,p,p’-DDD,heptachlore epoxide and dieldrin in the rainy seasons in the sediment samples from Akaki river and Aba Samuel reservoir were above the limit at most of the sites.This suggests there is greater possibility of higher ecological hazards in these residues.However,the levels of total PCB concentrations and other OCPs at all sites were below the limit and thus their potential ecotoxicological risks were rather low.

Can incidental sighting data be used to elucidate habitat preferences and areas of suitable habitat for a cryptic species?

The involvement of communities in ecological studies has been shown to augment conservation efforts,especially for cryptic species.However,there is a lack of studies addressing the utility of incidental sighting records from community members in gaining knowledge on habitat preferences and distribution of suitable habitat for these organisms.This study compares preferences of the Lumholtz’s tree kangaroo(Dendrolagus lumholtzi;LTK),a cryptic rainforest folivore in northeastern Australia,for various habitat and climatic variables derived from data collected during scientific projects to those derived from incidental sighting records using ArcGIS and Maxent.Incidental sighting records suggest that the species uses a wider range of altitudes,annual rainfalls,annual mean temperatures and vegetation types than predicted by scientific studies.Incidental records also show that the species can persist in areas of lower rainfall during the wettest month and lower minimum temperature during the coldest month.Both data place the species within a comparable range of rainfalls during the driest month,maximum temperatures of the warmest month and soil types.When using identified preferences to assess the extent and distribution of suitable habitat,incidental records predicted more areas of suitable habitat than scientific records with an overlap of up to 91%between them.The present study proves that incidental sighting records can be a valuable part of the study of cryptic species and should be considered complementarily alongside scientific studies to obtain comprehensive ecological information of a species that can assist in its conservation.

Development of test scenarios and bicyclist surrogate for the evaluation of bicyclist automatic emergency braking systems

Purpose–To support the standardized evaluation of bicyclist automatic emergency braking(AEB)systems,test scenarios,test procedures and test system hardware and software tools have been investigated and developed by the Transportation Active Safety Institute(TASI)at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.This paper aims to focus on the development of test scenarios and bicyclist surrogate for evaluating vehicle–bicyclist AEB systems.Design/methodology/approach–The harmonized general estimates system(GES)/FARS 2010-2011 crash data and TASI 110-car naturalistic driving data(NDD)are used to determine the crash geometries and environmental factors of crash scenarios including lighting conditions,vehicle speeds,bicyclist speeds,etc.A surrogate bicyclist including a bicycle rider and a bicycle surrogate is designed to match the visual and radar characteristics of bicyclists in the USA.A bicycle target is designed with both leg pedaling and wheel rotation to produce proper micro-Doppler features and generate realistic motion for camera-based AEB systems.Findings–Based on the analysis of the harmonized GES/FARS crash data,five crash scenarios are recommended for performance testing of bicyclist AEB systems.Combined with TASI 110-car naturalistic driving data,the crash environmental factors including lighting conditions,obscuring objects,vehicle speed and bicyclist speed are determined.The surrogate bicyclist was designed to represent the visual and radar characteristics of the real bicyclists in the USA.The height of the bicycle rider mannequin is 173 cm,representing the weighted height of 50th percentile US male and female adults.The size and shape of the surrogate bicycle were determined as 26-inch wheel and mountain/road bicycle frame,respectively.Both leg pedaling motion and wheel rotation are suggested to produce proper micro-Doppler features and support the camera-based AEB systems.Originality/value–The results have demonstrated that the developed scenarios,test procedures and bicyclist surrogate will provide effective objective methods and necessary hardware and software tools for the evaluation and validation of bicyclist AEB systems.This is crucial for the development of advanced driver assistance systems.

Annual Maps of Forests in Australia from Analyses of Microwave and Optical Images with FAO Forest Definition

The Australian governmental agencies reported a total of 149 million ha forest in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO)in 2010,ranking sixth in the world,which is based on a forest definition with tree height>2 meters.Here,we report a new forest cover data product that used the FAO forest definition(tree cover>10%and tree height>5 meters at observation time or mature)and was derived from microwave(Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar,PALSAR)and optical(Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer,MODIS)images and validated with very high spatial resolution images,Light Detection and Ranging(LiDAR)data from the Ice,Cloud,and land Elevation Satellite(ICESat),and in situ field survey sites.The new PALSAR/MODIS forest map estimates 32 million ha of forest in 2010 over Australia.PALSAR/MODIS forest map has an overall accuracy of~95%based on the reference data derived from visual interpretation of very high spatial resolution images for forest and nonforest cover types.Compared with the canopy height and canopy coverage data derived from ICESat LiDAR strips,PALSAR/MODIS forest map has 73%of forest pixels meeting the FAO forest definition,much higher than the other four widely used forest maps(ranging from 36%to 52%).PALSAR/MODIS forest map also has a reasonable spatial consistency with the forest map from the National Vegetation Information System.This new annual map of forests in Australia could support cross-country comparison when using data from the FAO Forest Resource Assessment Reports.

Decision Making for Managing Community Flood Risks:Perspectives of United States Floodplain Managers

To reduce flood losses,floodplain managers make decisions on how to effectively manage their community’s flood risks.While there is a growing body of research that examines how individuals and households make decisions to manage their flood risks,far less attention has been directed at understanding the decision-making processes for flood management at the community level.This study aimed to narrow this research gap by examining floodplain managers’perceptions of the quality of their community’s flood management decision-making processes.Data gathered from interviews with 200 floodplain managers in the United States indicate that most floodplain managers perceive their community’s flood management decision-making processes to be good.The results also indicate that communities participating in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Community Rating System,as well as communities with a higher level of concern for flooding and a lower poverty rate,are significantly more likely to report better flood management decision-making processes.

Energy modeling and data structure framework for Sustainable Human-Building Ecosystems （SHBE）- a review

This paper contributes an inclusive review of scientific studies in the field of sustainable human building ecosystems （SHBEs）. Reducing energy consumption by making buildings more energy efficient has been touted as an easily attainable approach to promoting carbon-neutral energy societies. Yet, despite significant progress in research and technology development, for new buildings, as energy codes are getting more stringent, more and more technologies, e.g., LED lighting, VRF systems, smart plugs, occupancy-based controls, are used. Nevertheless, the adoption of energy efficient measures in buildings is still limited in the larger context of the developing countries and middle income/low-income population. The objective of Sustainable Human Building Ecosystem Research Coordination Network （SHBE-RCN） is to expand synergistic investigative podium in order to subdue barriers in engineering, architectural design, social and economic perspectives that hinder wider application, adoption and subsequent performance of sustainable building solutions by recognizing the essential role of human behaviors within building-scale ecosystems. Expected long-term outcomes of SHBE-RCN are collaborative ideas for transformative technologies, designs and methods of adoption for future design, construction and operation of sustainable buildings.

Atrazine removal from water by activated charcoal cloths

Pollution control structures may be adapted to enhance the removal of nutrients and pesticides from water. Charcoal-like material is known to sorb organic compounds in solution, including atrazine, a herbicide used to control broadleaf weeds, which persists in soils and can migrate from soils to water bodies, ultimately affecting water quality. The primary goal of this study was to investigate if activated charcoal cloths (single-weave, SW;double-weave, DW;and knitted, KT) are more efficient to remove atrazine from aqueous solutions than a cloth without activated charcoal (control) currently used in pollution control structures. The approach consisted of sorption kinetics, flow-through, and desorption/degradation experiments using 50 and 1000μg L-1 atrazine solutions. Results showed that within 30 min of contact time, the control sorbed from 22.6 to 36.1% of atrazine in solution;whereas the activated charcoal cloths sorbed from 76 to 99% of atrazine in solution (SW > KT > DW). The flow-through ex-periments showed that the SW sorbed 88.2, 76.1, and 52.2%of atrazine at the contact time of 0.75, 5, and 10 min, respectively. After 28 days of incubation, previously sorbed atrazine on the SW cloth did not degrade and <2.0% was desorbed. The results showed that activated charcoal cloths are a practical alternative for improving atrazine removal in water in pollution control structures.