Whole System Approach for in-situ research on Life Supporting Systems in the Anthropocene (WAILS)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Mirtl ◽  
Ingolf Kuhn ◽  
Don Montheith ◽  
Jaana Bäck ◽  
Daniel Orenstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
System Approach ◽  
Feedback Loops ◽  
Research Infrastructure ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Research Teams ◽  
Scientific Disciplines ◽  
Infrastructure Design ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
Practical Implications

<p>Driven by the increasing awareness that innovative approaches to solving the problems at hand in our complex human-environment interactions require closer collaboration among scientific disciplines and communities, inter- and transdisciplinary integration is continuously gaining importance in R&D agendas and Research Infrastructure (RI) development strategies. In addition, the complexity and costs of RIs have substantively increased in many realms triggered by technological developments and the need to organize beyond national and continental boundaries. This suggests cross-disciplinary collaborations, sharing and multiple usage of infrastructures. Alignments of infrastructure developments needed for this purpose require a conceptual framework for disciplinary integration suited for identifying common approaches and resulting infrastructure design and service components. We will report on recent advancements in building a common theoretical base between major communities that is – inter alia - underlying the ongoing implementation of the Integrated European Ecosystem, critical zone and socio-ecological Research Infrastructure (eLTER RI). An overview of considered theories  on within- and cross-scale interactions and feedback loops will be given and the pathway to the “Whole System Approach for in-situ research on Life Supporting Systems in the Anthropocene” (WAILS) will be presented. We will also expand on the potential of such unifying approach in theory-guided integration and division of tasks amongst related environmental RIs. Expected practical implications are answers to questions like where concretely existing and planned European environmental RIs are challenged to interact in response to common overarching questions, and what practical fora and mechanisms (across RIs) would be needed to bridge the gap between research teams driven (bottom-up) efforts and the centralistic RI design and operations.</p>

scholarly journals The roots of ecological dominance orientation: Assessing individual preferences for an anthropocentric and hierarchically organized world

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatih Uenal ◽  
Jim Sidanius ◽  
Sander van der Linden
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Work ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Modern Racism ◽  
Empirical Inquiry ◽  
Scientific Disciplines ◽  
Relational Domains ◽  
Personal Ideology ◽  
Ecological Dominance ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Ecological dominance is a central concept in the study of interspecies and species- environment relations. Yet, although theoretical and empirical work on ecological dominance has progressed in many scientific disciplines, the psychology of ecological dominance remains understudied. The present research attempts to advance theoretical and empirical inquiry on ecological dominance as a psychological predisposition, examining how and why it influences humans’ perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors across different relational domains (i.e., intraspecies, interspecies, human-environment). To this end, we validate a novel measure, the Ecological Dominance Orientation (EDO) scale, based on the popular iconic depiction of eco-centric vs. anthropocentric arrangements of the relationship between humans, non-human animals, and the natural environment. In two pre-registered studies conducted across 2 countries (N = 1,312), we demonstrate that EDO a) shapes attitudes in a similar fashion both within and between different relational domains (i.e., intergroup, interspecies, human-environment relations), b) is uniquely predictive of numerous socially consequential attitudes across relational domains (i.e., modern sexism, modern racism, speciesism, anthropocentrism) over and above established measures of personal ideology and beliefs, and c) is reliable over time. This research extends classical Social Dominance Theory (Sidanius and Pratto, 1999) by theorizing about the socio-ecological roots of intergroup, interspecies, and human-environment relations as hierarchically structured power relations. Theoretical and practical implications of social and ecological dominance orientations are discussed.

Getting to know a new protocol in hypertension care

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona Lundin
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Interaction Analysis ◽  
Medical Discourse ◽  
Graphical Form ◽  
Graph Data ◽  
Average Blood Pressure ◽  
Infrastructure Design

This study explores the use of a new protocol in hypertension care, in which continuous patient-generated data reported through digital technology are presented in graphical form and discussed in follow-up consultations with nurses. This protocol is part of an infrastructure design project in which patients and medical professionals are co-designers. The approach used for the study was interaction analysis, which rendered possible detailed in situ examination of local variations in how nurses relate to the protocol. The findings show three distinct engagements: (1) teasing out an average blood pressure, (2) working around the protocol and graph data and (3) delivering an analysis. It was discovered that the graphical representations structured the consultations to a great extent, and that nurses mostly referred to graphs that showed blood pressure values, which is a measurement central to the medical discourse of hypertension. However, it was also found that analysis of the data alone was not sufficient to engage patients: nurses' invisible and inclusion work through eliciting patients' narratives played an important role here. A conclusion of the study is that nurses and patients both need to be more thoroughly introduced to using protocols based on graphs for more productive consultations to be established. 

Failure by corrosion in PC bridges: a case history of a viaduct in Italy

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Piero Colajanni ◽  
Antonino Recupero ◽  
Giuseppe Ricciardi ◽  
Nino Spinella
Keyword(s):  
Prestressed Concrete ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Progressive Collapse ◽  
Numerical Analyses ◽  
Existing Structures ◽  
History Of ◽  
Progressive Collapse Analysis ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Post Tensioned

Purpose The paper illustrates a viaduct collapse due to corrosion phenomena. Moreover, a contribution to the issues related to both the control of existing structures and design methods to be followed for the construction of new buildings is provided. Design/methodology/approach The objectives were achieved by in situ observations and numerical analyses. The effects of corrosion phenomena are investigated, and the progressive collapse analysis is provided to be helpful in this case. Findings The damages induced by corrosion phenomena have caused the collapse of the viaduct taken in to account. The performed numerical analyses were able to reproduce the effects of corrosion in terms of reduction of wires diameter. Research limitations/implications The research is limited to prestressed concrete viaduct with post-tensioned cables. Practical implications A monitoring plan, subdivided in several phases, is suggested, to avoid critical situations as these described. Originality/value The case study brought useful information on the effects of corrosion on the decks section, showing how the technology in post-tensioned cables is usually insidious and prone to the issues relating to corrosion of the wires

scholarly journals Advanced experimental approaches to marine water-column biogeochemical processes

2017 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis Legendre ◽  
Richard B Rivkin ◽  
Nianzhi Jiao
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Free Water ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Biogeochemical Processes ◽  
In Situ Experiments ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
Approaches To Study ◽  
Experimental Approaches

Abstract This “Food for Thought” article examines the potential uses of several novel scientific and technological developments, which are currently available or being developed, to significantly advance or supplement existing experimental approaches to study water-column biogeochemical processes (WCB-processes). After examining the complementary roles of observation, experiments and numerical models to study WCB-processes, we focus on the main experimental approaches of free-water in situ experiments, and at-sea and on-land meso- and macrocosms. We identify some of the incompletely resolved aspects of marine WCB-processes, and explore advanced experimental approaches that could be used to reduce their uncertainties. We examine three such approaches: free-water experiments of lengthened duration using bioArgo floats and gliders, at-sea mesocosms deployed several 100s m below the sea-surface using new biogeochemical sensors, and 50 m-tall on-land macrocosms. These approaches could lead to significant progress in concepts related to marine WCB-processes.

scholarly journals The importance of specificity in occupation‐based social classifications

2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 179-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul S. Lambert ◽  
Koon Leai Larry Tan ◽  
Kenneth Prandy ◽  
Vernon Gayle ◽  
Manfred Max Bergman
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Grid ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
Specific Occupation ◽  
Data Environment ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis paper aims to present reasons why social classifications which use occupations should seek to adopt “specific” approaches which are tailored to the country, time period and gender of the subjects under study.Design/methodology/approachThe relative motivations for adopting a specific approach to social classifications are discussed and theoretical perspectives on specificity and empirical evidence on the contribution of specific approaches are reviewed. Also the practical costs of implementing specific social classifications are evaluated, and the authors' development of the “GEODE” data service (grid‐enabled occupational data environment), which seeks to assist this process, is discussed.FindingsSpecific approaches make a non‐trivial difference to the conclusions drawn from analyses of occupation‐based social classifications. It is argued that the GEODE service has reduced the practical challenges of implementing specific measures.Research limitations/implicationsThere remain conceptual and pragmatic challenges in working with specific occupation‐based social classifications. Non‐specific (“universal”) measures are adequate for many purposes.Practical implicationsThe paper argues that there are few excuses for ignoring specific occupation‐based social classifications.Originality/valueThe paper demonstrates that recent technological developments have shifted the balance in the long‐standing debate between universal and specific approaches to occupation‐based social classifications.

In quest of goldilocks ranges in searching for information on the web

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Matysek ◽  
Jacek Tomaszczyk
Keyword(s):  
Information Search ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Search Task ◽  
Web Searching ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Scientific Disciplines ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
The Right ◽  
User Experiment ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe quest to discover optimal conditions or amounts has been carried out in many scientific disciplines and practical fields. In astrophysics, biology, medicine, psychology and education, the quest has resulted in finding the right amount of something, a desirable middle between extremes, a balance between conditions or the optimal state of a system. The results are referred to as the Goldilocks principle, which is based on the idea of being “just right”. The aim of our study was to find out if there are any measures in information search that could be identified as Goldilocks ranges.Design/methodology/approachWe conducted a user experiment in which 68 participants carried out a time-unlimited, topical search task involving finding relevant websites on the basis of which the participants were supposed to prepare a presentation on a given topic. We examined aspects of their search behavior.FindingsWe found that information search Goldilocks ranges can be identified for a length of a search session, number of relevant results, number of queries submitted and number of search engine results pages (SERPs) visited. This preliminary study has resulted in indicating the following dominant ranges: Number of relevant documents found: 5–8; Time spent searching: 21–35 min; Number of queries submitted: 3–7; Number of SERPs viewed: 1–3.Originality/valueTill now, no one has studied Goldilocks ranges in information retrieval. The Goldilocks ranges have some practical implications for improving the effectiveness of web searching.

scholarly journals Sensors and instruments for oceanic dissolved carbon measurements

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 491-524 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Schuster ◽  
A. Hannides ◽  
L. Mintrop ◽  
A. Körtzinger
Keyword(s):  
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Analytical Techniques ◽  
Dissolved Carbon ◽  
Autonomous Mode ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
Further Development ◽  
Temporal Coverage ◽  
Manual Mode

Abstract. Highly accurate and precise measurements of marine carbon components are required in the study of the marine carbon cycle, particularly when investigating the causes for its variability from seasonal to interannual timescales. This is especially true in the investigation of the consequences of anthropogenic influences. The analysis of any component requires elaborate instrumentation, most of which is currently used onboard ships, either in manual mode or autonomous mode. Technological developments result in more and more instruments that have long-term reliability so that they can be deployed on surface moorings and buoys, whilst the great technological and operational challenges mean that only few sensors have been developed that can be used for sub-surface in situ measurements on floats, robots, or gliders. There is a special need for autonomous instruments and sensors that are able to measure a combination of different components, in order to increase the spatial and temporal coverage of marine carbon data. This paper describes analytical techniques used for the detection of the marine dissolved carbon components, both inorganic and organic: the fugacity of CO2, total dissolved inorganic carbon, pH, alkalinity, and dissolved organic carbon. By pointing out advantages, disadvantages, and challenges of the techniques employed in the analysis of each component, we aim to aid non-carbon marine scientists, sensor developers and technologists, in the decision where to tackle the challenges of further development.

Beobachtung von Windprofilen mittels Wolkenradar und Dopplerlidar 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernhard Pospichal ◽  
Marcus Müller ◽  
Stefan Kneifel
Keyword(s):  
Research Infrastructure ◽  
Trace Gas ◽  
Aerosol Cloud ◽  
Cloud Evolution

<p>Die Messung des 3D-Windprofils erfordert – abgesehen von in-situ Messungen – ein aktives Fernerkundungsverfahren (meist Radar oder Lidar), welches mit geneigten Strahlen unter verschiedenen, mindestens drei Azimutwinkeln Pulse ausstrahlt („Doppler beam swinging“). Aus den gemessenen Doppler-Radialgeschwindigkeiten entlang der Strahlen kann dann das dreidimensionale Windfeld abgeleitet werden. Dies ist nur möglich, sofern Partikel vorhanden sind, die bei der gegebenen Wellenlänge ein Rückstreusignal erzeugen.</p> <p>Bereits seit mehreren Jahrzehnten sind Radar-Windprofiler im Einsatz, die bei Wellenlängen zwischen 50 und 1000 MHz arbeiten und mittels Bragg-Streuung an Fluktuationen des Brechungsindex ein Rückstreusignal erhalten. Durch die lange Wellenlänge sind große Antennen erforderlich, was dazu führt, dass die Geräte nicht flexibel einsetzbar sind.</p> <p>Innerhalb des Netzwerks der europäischen Forschungsinfrastruktur ACTRIS (Aerosol, Cloud and Trace Gas Research Infrastructure) sind mehrere Standorte für Wolkenbeobachtungen mit einem scannenden Wolkenradar und einem Doppler-Windlidar ausgestattet, die auch zur Beobachtung von Windprofilen in der Troposphäre herangezogen werden können. Diese Messgeräte ergänzen sich, da das Lidar besonders in der Grenzschicht bzw. unterhalb von Wolken messen kann. Das Wolkenradar hingegen liefert Signale hauptsächlich aus Wolkenschichten, von welchen das Lidar aufgrund der starken Extinktion der Strahlung in Wolken keine Information erhält. Zusätzlich können beim Wolkenradar in der warmen Jahreszeit auch Insekten als Tracer verwendet werden, die häufig bis in Höhen von 3-4 km beobachtet werden können. </p> <p>Diese Präsentation zeigt anhand von Beobachtungen über mehr als zwei Jahre an der Messplattform JOYCE (Jülich Observatory for Cloud Evolution) eine neue Methode zur Kombination der Windprofile aus Wolkenradar und Lidar. Neben einer Betrachtung der Genauigkeit, sowie möglicher Fehlerquellen, werden auch die generellen Bedingungen für die Anwendung der Methode diskutiert. Es werden Anwendungsbeispiele gezeigt, wie diese kombinierten Windprofile zur Validierung von Satellitenbeobachtungen (z.B. Aeolus) oder zur Evaluation von atmosphärischen Modellen genutzt werden können. </p> <p> </p>

Operationelle in-situ Messungen von Luftschadstoffen und Klimagasen im nationalen und internationalen Kontext

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Steinbacher ◽  
Christoph Hueglin ◽  
Stefan Reimann ◽  
Brigitte Buchmann ◽  
Lukas Emmenegger
Keyword(s):  
Trace Gases ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
Research Infrastructure ◽  
Observation System ◽  
Atmospheric Gases ◽  
Evaluation Programme ◽  
Infrastructure Network

<p>Im Unterschied zu Forschungsinfrastrukturen in anderen Disziplinen, zeichnen sich Forschungsinfrastrukturen für Umweltbeobachtungen in der Regel durch langfristige Messungen zahlreicher Parameter mit verschiedenen Instrumenten an unterschiedlichen Orten aus. Bodengestützte, atmosphärische Beobachtungen von Luftschadstoffen und Klimagasen können unterschiedliche Ziele verfolgen, wie zum Beispiel die Überwachung regulatorischer Massnahmen und die Einhaltung von Grenzwerten, die wissenschaftliche Untersuchung von Variabilitäten und Trends, die Validierung von Modellrechnungen und Satellitenbeobachtungen oder die Früherkennung von neu auftretenden Substanzen. Die Qualitätskontrolle und Qualitätssicherung müssen nicht nur dem dezentralen Charakter der Beobachtungen Rechnung tragen, sondern auch sicherstellen, dass die der Fragestellung angepassten Datenqualitätsziele erreicht werden. Zusätzlich müssen Beobachtungen, die Teil von mehreren Messnetzen und Infrastrukturen sind, verschiedene Kriterien erfüllen, z.B. im Hinblick auf das Normal der Rückführbarkeit, die Präzision, aber auch bezüglich Dokumentation und Bereitstellung der Resultate in Datenbanken.</p> <p>Die Präsentation gibt einen Überblick über die langfristigen Luftqualitätsmessungen in der Schweiz im Rahmen des Nationalen Beobachtungsnetzes für Luftfremdstoffe (NABEL), ihre Einbettung in das European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP), die Kooperation mit den europäischen Forschungsinfrastrukturen ICOS (Integrated Carbon Observation System) und ACTRIS (Aerosols, Clouds, and Trace gases Research Infrastructure Network), und die Zusammenarbeit in globalen Aktivitäten wie dem Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (AGAGE) zur kontinuierlichen Messung von klimawirksamen und ozonabbauenden Substanzen und dem von der Weltorganisation für Meteorologie (WMO) koordinierten Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Programm.</p>

Using Agent Technology for Company Knowledge Management

2011 ◽  
pp. 1862-1879
Author(s):  
Victoria Yoon ◽  
Barbara Broome ◽  
Rahul Singh ◽  
Tor Guimaraes
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Expert System ◽  
System Approach ◽  
Systems Development ◽  
Decision Processes ◽  
Agent Technology ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Complex Decision ◽  
A Company ◽  
Practical Implications

Emerging agent-based systems offer a new means of effectively managing knowledge to address complex decision processes, thereby enabling solutions to many real problems that have heretofore appeared intractable. This article presents an overview of expert system and agent technologies, and shows the latter as a powerful extension of artificial intelligence for systems development. To illustrate, a system developed first using an expert system approach and then an agent-based approach is used to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the agent-based approach. Last, the practical implications of a company adoption of agent-based technology for systems development are addressed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document