Development, implementation and evaluation of an activated sludge supervisory system for the Granollers WWTP

La present tesi pret��n recollir l'experi��ncia viscuda en desenvolupar un sistema supervisor intel��ligent per a la millora de la gesti�� de plantes depuradores d'aig��es residuals., implementar-lo en planta real (EDAR Granollers) i avaluar-ne el funcionament dia a dia amb situacions t��piques de la planta. Aquest sistema supervisor combina i integra eines de control cl��ssic de les plantes depuradores (controlador autom��tic del nivell d'oxigen dissolt al reactor biol��gic, ��s de models descriptius del proc��s...) amb l'aplicaci�� d'eines del camp de la intel��lig��ncia artificial (sistemes basats en el coneixement, concretament sistemes experts i sistemes basats en casos, i xarxes neuronals). Aquest document s'estructura en 9 cap��tols diferents. Hi ha una primera part introduct��ria on es fa una revisi�� de l'estat actual del control de les EDARs i s'explica el perqu�� de la complexitat de la gesti�� d'aquests processos (cap��tol 1). Aquest cap��tol introductori juntament amb el cap��tol 2, on es pret��n explicar els antecedents d'aquesta tesi, serveixen per establir els objectius d'aquest treball (cap��tol 3). A continuaci��, el cap��tol 4 descriu les peculiaritats i especificitats de la planta que s'ha escollit per implementar el sistema supervisor. Els cap��tols 5 i 6 del present document exposen el treball fet per a desenvolupar el sistema basat en regles o sistema expert (cap��tol 6) i el sistema basat en casos (cap��tol 7). El cap��tol 8 descriu la integraci�� d'aquestes dues eines de raonament en una arquitectura multi nivell distribu��da. Finalment, hi ha una darrer cap��tol que correspon a la avaluaci�� (verificaci�� i validaci��), en primer lloc, de cadascuna de les eines per separat i, posteriorment, del sistema global en front de situacions reals que es donin a la depuradora

Integrated management of urban wastewater systems: a model-based approach

The main objective pursued in this thesis targets the development and systematization of a methodology that allows addressing management problems in the dynamic operation of Urban Wastewater Systems. The proposed methodology will suggest operational strategies that can improve the overall performance of the system under certain problematic situations through a model-based approach. The proposed methodology has three main steps: The first step includes the characterization and modeling of the case-study, the definition of scenarios, the evaluation criteria and the operational settings that can be manipulated to improve the system���s performance. In the second step, Monte Carlo simulations are launched to evaluate how the system performs for a wide range of operational settings combinations, and a global sensitivity analysis is conducted to rank the most influential operational settings. Finally, the third step consists on a screening methodology applying a multi-criteria analysis to select the best combinations of operational settings.

A deterministic model for lake clarity; application to management of Lake Tahoe (California-Nevada), USA

This dissertation has as its goal the quantitative evaluation of the application of coupled hydrodynamic, ecological and clarity models, to address the deterministic prediction of water clarity in lakes and reservoirs. Prediction of water clarity is somewhat unique, insofar as it represents the integrated and coupled effects of a broad range of individual water quality components. These include the biological components such as phytoplankton, together with the associated cycles of nutrients that are needed to sustain their popuiations, and abiotic components such as suspended particles that may be introduced by streams, atmospheric deposition or sediment resuspension. Changes in clarity induced by either component will feed back on the phytoplankton dynamics, as incident light also affects biological growth. Thus ability to successfully model changes in clarity will by necessity have to achieve the correct modeling of these other water quality parameters. Water clarity is also unique in that it may be one of the earliest and most easily detected wamings of the acceleration of the process of eutrophication in a water body.

Collaborative business networks evaluation of technological tools for decision support making

Nowadays, companies are living great difficulties on managing their business due to constant and unpredictable economic market fluctuations. Recent changes in market trends (such as the constant demand for new products and services, mass customization and the drastic reduction of delivery time) lead companies to adopt strategies of creating partnerships with other companies as a way to respond effectively to such difficult economical times. Collaborative Networks��� concept born by the consequence of companies could no longer consider their internal business processes��� management as sufficient and tend to seek for a collaborative approach with other partners for their critical processes. Information technologies (ICT) assumed a major role acting as ���enablers��� of these kinds of networks, enhancing information sharing and business process integration. Several new trends concerning ICT architectures have been created to support collaborative networks requirements, but still doesn���t exist a common platform to reduce the needed integration effort on virtual organizations. This study aims to investigate the current technological solutions available in the market which enhances the management of companies��� business processes (specially, Collaborative Planning). Finally, the research work ends with the presentation of a conceptual model to answer to the constraints evaluated.

Autoavalia����o de um agrupamento : um percurso de melhoria da qualidade de gest��o e do servi��o educativo da escola

Com o prop��sito de acompanhar a mudan��a da sociedade, em Portugal decorre a implementa����o de v��rias reformas entre as quais a da Administra����o P��blica. Melhorar o servi��o educativo prestado pelas escolas �� condi����o essencial para o aumento da qualifica����o dos alunos. A Avalia����o e a Auto Avalia����o (AA) do desempenho da escola tornam-se cada vez mais importantes no sentido de acompanhar e garantir a evolu����o e o progresso do sistema educativo. Desta forma, torna-se imprescind��vel uma reflex��o sobre os procedimentos desenvolvidos que visam suprir as necessidades das escolas. Este projeto de investiga����o, no ��mbito do Mestrado em Ci��ncias da Educa����o, especializa����o em Administra����o Escolar, tem como finalidade dar o seu contributo para esse debate, atrav��s da apresenta����o e discuss��o dos resultados de dois ciclos avaliativos, tendo sido aplicado, o modelo CAF (Common Assessment Framework). Neste sentido, pretendeu-se averiguar de que forma a AA (Auto Avalia����o) contribui para o processo global de gest��o da escola. Fazendo recurso �� metodologia de estudo de caso, num Agrupamento de Escolas no interior do pa��s, utilizou-se o paradigma qualitativo para a recolha de dados. Pela an��lise dos dados foi poss��vel concluir que a aplica����o do primeiro ciclo de avalia����o, atrav��s do desenvolvimento de processos de melhoria da qualidade de servi��o prestado, influenciou o segundo ciclo avaliativo. Esta influ��ncia foi evidente na melhoria dos planos de a����o para colmatar pontos negativos detetados no ciclo avaliativo anterior contribuindo, consequentemente, para a melhoria do processo de gest��o da escola. Desta forma, a experi��ncia adquirida, as altera����es introduzidas, a convi����o dos ��rg��os de gest��o da escola e de quase todas as pessoas que nela exercem a sua atividade permitem concluir que �� imprescind��vel a autorregula����o e que a mesma proporcionou benef��cios que levaram �� melhoria da qualidade de gest��o da escola.

O trabalho colaborativo : o Conselho de Turma e os Grupos Disciplinares, numa perspetiva integradora

A necessidade de conhecimento e reflex��o sobre a organiza����o e gest��o das escolas �� cada vez mais assumida como uma condi����o indispens��vel ao processo de desenvolvimento e melhoria do seu desempenho. O presente estudo aborda o trabalho colaborativo nas estruturas pedag��gicas interm��dias (conselho de turma e grupo disciplinar), da Escola Secund��ria de Pedro Alexandrino, tentando perceber se os procedimentos, a organiza����o e a a����o dos seus professores assentam em pr��ticas individuais ou colaborativas. Foi nosso prop��sito investigar uma parte espec��fica de um contexto educativo concreto que nos �� familiar, da�� termos enveredado por uma investiga����o naturalista ��� estudo de caso. O estudo (emp��rico) utiliza como instrumentos de recolha de dados o question��rio, abordando os modos como os professores conceptualizam a gest��o curricular, o trabalho colaborativo e a import��ncia que atribuem ao diretor de turma/conselho de turma e grupo disciplinar, no sucesso educativo dos nossos alunos. No que diz respeito ao conselho de turma, os professores reconhecem a necessidade de mudar o curr��culo como meio de trabalhar, adequando-o �� diversidade e heterogeneidade dos alunos; consideram necess��rio a ado����o de uma atitude de trabalho colaborativo e de partilha em torno de quest��es pedag��gicas e menos individualista e em torno de quest��es burocr��ticas; a necessidade da defini����o concertada de estrat��gias de adequa����o e de clarifica����o de princ��pios, atitudes e valores a desenvolver com os alunos. O estudo permitiu-nos concluir que os professores t��m pr��tica de trabalho colaborativo dentro dos grupos disciplinares. Contudo, tamb��m constat��mos que, esse trabalho conjunto circunscreve-se �� tomada de decis��es sobre aspetos inerentes �� pr��tica letiva, tais como, planifica����es, constru����o de materiais did��ticos, fichas/testes e crit��rios de avalia����o. Foram percet��veis evid��ncias de pr��ticas de diferencia����o pedag��gica, embora muito pouco significativas, da utiliza����o desta metodologia de ensino com recurso a meios did��ticos diferenciados bem como trabalho cooperativo entre os alunos da turma. Por fim, referir que a reflex��o sobre as pr��ticas e troca de experi��ncias dentro dos grupos disciplinares, constitui um incentivo �� investiga����o da pr��pria a����o e um contributo para a melhoria do desempenho docente e de valoriza����o profissional que deveria fazer parte da cultura da escola.

A lideran��a na promo����o da melhoria da organiza����o escolar

Face �� inefic��cia das mudan��as planificadas externamente, a investiga����o recente evidencia a relev��ncia da cultura organizacional de escola na qualidade dos processos educativos e dos resultados escolares, bem como a import��ncia decisiva do papel lideran��a na melhoria da escola. A partir da quest��o ���Como podem os l��deres promover a melhoria na organiza����o escolar?���, a investigadora caracteriza a escola como organiza����o, analisa a import��ncia da cultura organizacional na melhoria, afere o papel da lideran��a na melhoria da organiza����o escolar e apresenta formas de atua����o que conduzam �� melhoria escolar. O enquadramento te��rico debru��a-se sobre os conceitos de organiza����o escolar, lideran��a e melhoria. Neste trabalho de projeto, procedeu-se �� recolha e tratamento de dados a partir da leitura e an��lise dos relat��rios de avalia����o externa e de autoavalia����o de um agrupamento de escolas, seguindo a metodologia de investiga����o qualitativa. Face ao diagn��stico realizado, foram definidas tr��s ��reas de melhoria: o sucesso educativo, o desenvolvimento profissional de docentes e outros agentes educativos e a consolida����o da identidade do agrupamento e colabora����o com a comunidade. Como plano de resolu����o �� apresentado um plano de melhoria, em que constam os objetivos estrat��gicos e as a����es/din��micas a implementar no agrupamento que a investigadora dirige.

Evaluation of two soil carbon models using two Kenyan long term experimental datasets

RothC and Century are two of the most widely used soil organic matter (SOM) models. However there are few examples of specific parameterisation of these models for environmental conditions in East Africa. The aim of this study was therefore, to evaluate the ability of RothC and the Century to estimate changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) resulting from varying land use/management practices for the climate and soil conditions found in Kenya. The study used climate, soils and crop data from a long term experiment (1976-2001) carried out at The Kabete site at The Kenya National Agricultural Research Laboratories (NARL, located in a semi-humid region) and data from a 13 year experiment carried out in Machang'a (Embu District, located in a semi-arid region). The NARL experiment included various fertiliser (0, 60 and 120 kg of N and P2O5 ha(-1)), farmyard manure (FYM - 5 and 10 t ha(-1)) and plant residue treatments, in a variety of combinations. The Machang'a experiment involved a fertiliser (51 kg N ha(-1)) and a FYM (0, 5 and 10 t ha(-1)) treatment with both monocropping and intercropping. At Kabete both models showed a fair to good fit to measured data, although Century simulations for treatments with high levels of FYM were better than those without. At the Machang'a site with monocrops, both models showed a fair to good fit to measured data for all treatments. However, the fit of both models (especially RothC) to measured data for intercropping treatments at Machang'a was much poorer. Further model development for intercrop systems is recommended. Both models can be useful tools in soil C Predictions, provided time series of measured soil C and crop production data are available for validating model performance against local or regional agricultural crops. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of two hybrid metric-conceptual models, for simulating phosphorus transfer from agricultural land in the river enborne, a lowland UK catchment

Across Europe, elevated phosphorus (P) concentrations in lowland rivers have made them particularly susceptible to eutrophication. This is compounded in southern and central UK by increasing pressures on water resources, which may be further enhanced by the potential effects of climate change. The EU Water Framework Directive requires an integrated approach to water resources management at the catchment scale and highlights the need for modelling tools that can distinguish relative contributions from multiple nutrient sources and are consistent with the information content of the available data. Two such models are introduced and evaluated within a stochastic framework using daily flow and total phosphorus concentrations recorded in a clay catchment typical of many areas of the lowland UK. Both models disaggregate empirical annual load estimates, derived from land use data, as a function of surface/near surface runoff, generated using a simple conceptual rainfall-runoff model. Estimates of the daily load from agricultural land, together with those from baseflow and point sources, feed into an in-stream routing algorithm. The first model assumes constant concentrations in runoff via surface/near surface pathways and incorporates an additional P store in the river-bed sediments, depleted above a critical discharge, to explicitly simulate resuspension. The second model, which is simpler, simulates P concentrations as a function of surface/near surface runoff, thus emphasising the influence of non-point source loads during flow peaks and mixing of baseflow and point sources during low flows. The temporal consistency of parameter estimates and thus the suitability of each approach is assessed dynamically following a new approach based on Monte-Carlo analysis. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Requirements for building information modeling based lean production management systems for construction

Smooth flow of production in construction is hampered by disparity between individual trade teams' goals and the goals of stable production flow for the project as a whole. This is exacerbated by the difficulty of visualizing the flow of work in a construction project. While the addresses some of the issues in Building information modeling provides a powerful platform for visualizing work flow in control systems that also enable pull flow and deeper collaboration between teams on and off site. The requirements for implementation of a BIM-enabled pull flow construction management software system based on the Last Planner System���, called ���KanBIM���, have been specified, and a set of functional mock-ups of the proposed system has been implemented and evaluated in a series of three focus group workshops. The requirements cover the areas of maintenance of work flow stability, enabling negotiation and commitment between teams, lean production planning with sophisticated pull flow control, and effective communication and visualization of flow. The evaluation results show that the system holds the potential to improve work flow and reduce waste by providing both process and product visualization at the work face.

Participatory Farm Management methods for assessing the suitability of potential innovations. A case study on green manuring options for tomato producers in Ghana

This paper examines the potential of using Participatory Farm Management methods to examine the suitability of a technology with farmers prior to on-farm trials. A study examining the suitability of green manuring as a technology for use with wet season tomato producers in Ghana is described. Findings from this case-study demonstrate that Participatory Budgeting can be used by farmers and researchers to analyse current cultivation practices, identify the options for including green manures into the system and explore the direct and wider resource implications of the technology. Scored-Causal Diagrams can be used to identify farmers' perceptions of the relative importance of the problem that the technology seeks to address. The use of the methods in this examine evaluation process appears to have the potential to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the adaptive research process. This ensures that technologies subsequently examined in trials ate relevant to farmers' interests, existing systems and resources, thereby increasing the chances of farmer adoption. It is concluded that this process has potential for use-with other technologies and in other farming systems. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

The potential of combining Pasteuria penetrans and neem (Azadirachta indica) formulations as a management system for root-knot nematodes on tomato

Initial applications of 10(4) spores g(-1) of Pasteuria penetrans, and dried neem cake and leaves at 3 and 2% w:w, respectively, were applied to soil in pots. Juveniles of Meloidogyne javanica were added immediately to the pots (500, 5,000 or 10,000) before planting 6-week-old tomato seedlings. The tomatoes were sampled after 64 days; subsequently a second crop was grown for 59 days and a third crop for 67 days without further applications of P. penetrans and neem. There was significantly less root-galling in the P. penetrans combined with neem cake treatment at the end of the third crop and this treatment also had the greatest effect on the growth of the tomato plants. At the end of the third crop, 30% of the females were infected with P. penetrans in those treatments where spores had been applied at the start of the experiment. The effects of neem leaves and neem cake on the nematode population did not persist through the crop sequences but the potential for combining the amendments with a biological control agent such as P. penetrans is worthy of further evaluation.

Field evaluation of systemic inducing resistance chemicals at different growth stages for the control of apple (Venturia inaequalis) and pear (Venturia pirina) scab

Two field trials were conducted using established apple (Malus cv. Golden Delicious) and pear (Pyrus communis 'Williams' Bon Chretien') to assess the efficacy of three commercially available systemic inducing resistance (SIR) products, Messenger (a.i. Harpin protein), Phoenix (a.i. Potassium phosphite) and Rigel (a.i. Salicylic acid derivative) applied at four different growth stages of tree development (bud break, green cluster, 90% petal fall, early fruitlet) against the foliar pathogens Venturia inaequalis and Venturia pirina which cause apple and pear scab respectively. A conventional synthetic fungicide (penconazole) used within the UK for apple and pear scab control was included for comparison. Little efficacy as scab protectants was demonstrated when each SIR product and penconazole was applied at only two growth stages (bud break, green cluster). However when the above compounds were applied at three or more growth stages efficacy as scab protectants was confirmed. The synthetic fungicide penconazole provided greatest protection against apple and pear scab in both the 2006 and 2007 field trials. There was little difference in the magnitude of scab protection conferred by each SIR agent. Results suggest application of at least three sprays during bud break to early fruitlet formation with an appropriate SIR agent may provide a useful addition to existing methods of apple and pear scab management under field conditions. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Evaluation of film forming polymers to control apple scab (Venturia inaequalis (Cooke) G. Wint.) under laboratory and field conditions

A detached leaf bioassay was used to determine the influence of several film forming polymers and a conventional triazole fungicide on apple scab (Venturia inaequalis (Cooke) G. Wint.) development under laboratory in vitro conditions, supported by two field trials using established apple cv. Golden Delicious to further assess the efficacy of foliar applied film forming polymers as scab protectant compounds. All film forming polymers used in this investigation (Bond, Designer, Nu-Film P, Spray Gard, Moisturin, Companion PCT12) inhibited germination of conidia, subsequent formation of appressoria and reduced leaf scab severity using a detached leaf bioassay. Regardless of treatment, there were no obvious trends in the percentage of conidia with one to four appressoria 5 days after inoculation. The synthetic fungicide penconazole resulted in the greatest levels of germination inhibition, appressorium development and least leaf scab severity. Under field conditions, scab severity on leaves and fruit of apple cv. Golden Delicious treated with a film forming polymer (Bond, Spray Gard, Moisturin) was less than on untreated controls. However, greatest protection in both field trials was provided by the synthetic fungicide penconazole. Higher chlorophyll fluorescence Fv/Fm emissions in polymer and penconazole treated trees indicated less damage to the leaf photosynthetic system as a result of fungal invasion. In addition, higher SPAD values as measures of leaf chlorophyll content were recorded in polymer and penconazole treated trees. Application of a film forming polymer or penconazole resulted in a higher apple yield per tree at harvest in both the 2005 and 2006 field trials compared to untreated controls. Results suggest application of an appropriate film forming polymer may provide a useful addition to existing methods of apple scab management. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An evaluation of the costs of making specific secondary metabolites: does the yield penalty incurred by host plant resistance to insects due to competition for resources?

The presumption that the synthesis of 'defence' compounds in plants must incur some 'trade-off' or penalty in terms of annual crop yields has been used to explain observed inverse correlations between resistance to herbivores and rates of growth or photosynthesis. An analysis of the cost of making secondary compounds suggests that this accounts for only a small part of the overall carbon budget of annual crop plants. Even the highest reported amounts of secondary metabolites found in different crop species (flavonoids, allylisothiocyanates, hydroxamic acids, 2-tridecanone) represent a carbon demand that can be satisfied by less than an hour's photosynthesis. Similar considerations apply to secondary compounds containing nitrogen or sulphur, which are unlikely to represent a major investment compared to the cost of making proteins, the major demand for these elements. Decreases in growth and photosynthesis in response to stress are more likely the result of programmed down-regulation. Observed correlations between yield and low contents of unpalatable or toxic compounds may be the result of parallel selection during the refinement of crop species by humans.