Research on an evaluation approach of environmental flow for rivers

2015 ◽  
pp. 315-318
Author(s):  
J Tu ◽  
X Ai ◽  
Z Gao ◽  
J Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Flow ◽  
Evaluation Approach

The Measurement of Performance in Probabilistic Diagnosis IV. Utility Considerations in Therapeutics and Prognostics

1981 ◽  
Vol 20 (02) ◽  
pp. 80-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. F. Habbema ◽  
J. Hilden
Keyword(s):  
Decision Theory ◽  
Figure Of Merit ◽  
Acute Abdominal Pain ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Expected Loss ◽  
Patient Benefit ◽  
Evaluation Approach ◽  
Average Loss ◽  
Actual Decision ◽  
Probabilistic Diagnosis

It is argued that it is preferable to evaluate probabilistic diagnosis systems in terms of utility (patient benefit) or loss (negative benefit). We have adopted the provisional strategy of scoring performance as if the system were the actual decision-maker (not just an aid to him) and argue that a rational figure of merit is given by the average loss which patients would incur by having the system decide on treatment, the treatment being selected according to the minimum expected loss principle of decision theory.A similar approach is taken to the problem of evaluating probabilistic prognoses, but the fundamental differences between treatment selection skill and prognostic skill and their implications for the assessment of such skills are stressed. The necessary elements of decision theory are explained by means of simple examples mainly taken from the acute abdomen, and the proposed evaluation tools are applied to Acute Abdominal Pain data analysed in our previous papers by other (not decision-theoretic) means. The main difficulty of the decision theory approach, viz. that of obtaining good medical utility values upon which the analysis can be based, receives due attention, and the evaluation approach is extended to cover more realistic situations in which utility or loss values vary from patient to patient.

ASSESSMENT OF HYDROLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE ŠUŠVĖ RIVER

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gražina ŽIBIENĖ ◽  
Alvydas ŽIBAS ◽  
Goda BLAŽAITYTĖ
Keyword(s):  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
Maximum Flow ◽  
Environmental Flow ◽  
Physical Structure ◽  
River Channels ◽  
Hydrologic Alteration ◽  
Water Conditions ◽  
Flow Components ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Large Floods

The construction of dams in rivers negatively affects ecosystems because dams violate the continuity of rivers, transform the biological and physical structure of the river channels, and the most importantly – alter the hydrological regime. The impact on the hydrology of the river can occur through reducing or increasing flows, altering seasonality of flows, changing the frequency, duration and timing of flow events, etc. In order to determine the extent of the mentioned changes, The Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration (IHA) software was used in this paper. The results showed that after the construction of Angiriai dam, such changes occurred in IHA Parameters group as: the water conditions of April month decreased by 31 %; 1-day, 3-days, 7-days and 30-days maximum flow decreased; the date of minimum flow occurred 21 days later; duration of high and low pulses and the frequency of low pulses decreased, but the frequency of high pulses increased, etc. The analysis of the Environmental Flow Components showed, that the essential differences were recorded in groups of the small and large floods, when, after the establishment of the Šušvė Reservoir, the large floods no longer took place and the probability of frequency of the small floods didn’t exceed 1 time per year.

Mixed-Methods Evaluation as Scaffold to the Development of a Mobile Health Application to Support the Prescription of Wheelchairs and Postural Support Devices (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Klein ◽  
Roseli de Deus Lopes ◽  
Rodrigo Suigh
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
The Third ◽  
Evaluation Approach ◽  
Mixed Methods Evaluation ◽  
Usability Tests ◽  
Third Phase ◽  
Postural Support ◽  
Support Devices

BACKGROUND EasySeating is a mobile health (mHealth) app that supports the prescription of wheelchair and postural support devices (WPSD). It can be used by occupational therapists (OT) and physiotherapists (PT) who prescribe WPSD. The app offers a standardization of the prescription procedure, showing images, metrics and details that guide the prescriber to decide on the best equipment. It was developed with an iterative mixed-methods evaluation approach. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the processes involved in the prescription of WPSD and to propose, develop and evaluate a mHealth to support OT and PT prescribers. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the processes involved in the prescription of WPSD and to propose, develop and evaluate a mHealth to support OT and PT prescribers. METHODS This study was divided into three phases and was carried out as an iterative process composed of user consulting/testing (using a mixed-methods evaluation approach), system (re)design and software development. The first phase consisted of the collection of qualitative and quantitative data to map and understand the users requirements and of the development of the first prototype (v1) of the app. This data collection was performed through semi-structured interviews with 14 OT and PT prescribers, 5 specialized technicians and 5 WPSD users. The second phase aimed at improving the overall functionality of the app and consisted in the development, test and evaluation of the prototypes v1, v2, v3 and v4. A total of 59 prescribers tested and evaluated these prototypes by means of open interviews, semi-structured questionnaires and focus groups. The third phase focused in the usability aspects of the app. It consisted in the development and test of the prototype v5. Eight technology specialists assessed its usability through heuristics evaluation. RESULTS Data collected in phase one indicated there is a lack of standardization on the prescription of postural support devices (PSD). A divergent nomenclature for the PSDs was also found and classified in eight categories. These information guided the development of the first prototype of the EasySeating app. Phase two results pointed that the prescribers value the insertion of the app into their clinical practice, as it accelerates and increases the quality of the evaluation process and improves the organization of the prescription information. Significant suggestions for the improvement of the app were given during the users tests, including the use of images to represent the PSDs. The usability tests from the third phase revealed two strong issues that must be solved: the need of greater feedback and failures in the persistence of the input data. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that there is a lack of systematization of the WPSD prescription process. The evaluation of the developed EasySeating app demonstrated that there is a potential to standardize, integrate and organize the WPSD prescription information, supporting and facilitating the decision making process of the prescribers. CLINICALTRIAL This study was approved by the Research Ethics Board of the Universidade de São Paulo (registered protocol n°53929516.6.0000.0065) URL - http://plataformabrasil.saude.gov.br/login.jsf

GLOBAL MONTHLY ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW REQUIREMENT BASED ON THE NET PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY OF RIVERS

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (6) ◽  
pp. II_85-II_92
Author(s):  
Yui SHINOZAKI ◽  
Masashi FUJIWARA ◽  
Naoki SHIRAKAWA
Keyword(s):  
Primary Productivity ◽  
Net Primary Productivity ◽  
Environmental Flow ◽  
Flow Requirement

scholarly journals Environmental Flow Assessment Considering Inter- and Intra-Annual Streamflow Variability under the Context of Non-Stationarity

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1737 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kang Ren ◽  
Shengzhi Huang ◽  
Qiang Huang ◽  
Hao Wang ◽  
Guoyong Leng
Keyword(s):  
Kendall Test ◽  
Environmental Flow ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Test Method ◽  
Stationary Condition ◽  
Annual Streamflow ◽  
Riverine Ecosystems ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Streamflow Variability

A key challenge to environmental flow assessment in many rivers is to evaluate how much of the discharge flow should be retained in the river in order to maintain the integrity and valued features of riverine ecosystems. With the increasing impact of climate change and human activities on riverine ecosystems, the natural flow regime paradigm in many rivers has become non-stationary conditions, which is a new challenge to the assessment of environmental flow. This study presents a useful framework to (1) detect change points in runoff time series using two statistical methods (Mann-Kendall test method and heuristic segmentation method), (2) adjust data of the changed period against the original flow series into a stationary condition using a procedure of reconstruction; and (3) incorporate inter- and intra-annual streamflow variability with adjusted streamflow to evaluate environmental flow. The Jialing to Han inter-basin water transfer project was selected as the case study. Results indicate that a change point of 1994 was identified, revealing that the stationarity of annual streamflow series is invalid. The variations of reconstructed streamflow series are roughly consistent with original streamflow series, especially in the maximum/minimum values and rise/fall rates, but the mean value of reconstructed streamflow series is increased. The reconstructed streamflow series would further serve to eliminate the non-stationary of original streamflow, and incorporating the inter- and intra-annual variability would upgrade the ecosystem fitness. Selecting different criteria for the conservation of riverine ecosystems can have significantly different consequences, and we should not focus on the protection of specific objectives that will inevitably affect other aspects. This study provides a useful framework for environmental flow assessment and can be applied to a wide range of instream flow management approaches to protect the riverine ecosystem.

scholarly journals Wind speed inference from environmental flow–structure interactions

Flow ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Cardona ◽  
Katherine L. Bouman ◽  
John O. Dabiri
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Flow Structure ◽  
Environmental Flow

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