Numerical Feasibility Study for Treated Wastewater Recharge as a Tool to Impede Saltwater Intrusion in the Coastal Aquifer of Gaza – Palestine

The ongoing depletion of the coastal aquifer in the Gaza strip due to groundwater overexploitation has led to the process of seawater intrusion, which is continually becoming a serious problem in Gaza, as the seawater has further invaded into many sections along the coastal shoreline. As a first step to get a hold on the problem, the artificial neural network (ANN)-model has been applied as a new approach and an attractive tool to study and predict groundwater levels without applying physically based hydrologic parameters, and also for the purpose to improve the understanding of complex groundwater systems and which is able to show the effects of hydrologic, meteorological and anthropogenic impacts on the groundwater conditions. Prediction of the future behaviour of the seawater intrusion process in the Gaza aquifer is thus of crucial importance to safeguard the already scarce groundwater resources in the region. In this study the coupled three-dimensional groundwater flow and density-dependent solute transport model SEAWAT, as implemented in Visual MODFLOW, is applied to the Gaza coastal aquifer system to simulate the location and the dynamics of the saltwater–freshwater interface in the aquifer in the time period 2000-2010. A very good agreement between simulated and observed TDS salinities with a correlation coefficient of 0.902 and 0.883 for both steady-state and transient calibration is obtained. After successful calibration of the solute transport model, simulation of future management scenarios for the Gaza aquifer have been carried out, in order to get a more comprehensive view of the effects of the artificial recharge planned in the Gaza strip for some time on forestall, or even to remedy, the presently existing adverse aquifer conditions, namely, low groundwater heads and high salinity by the end of the target simulation period, year 2040. To that avail, numerous management scenarios schemes are examined to maintain the ground water system and to control the salinity distributions within the target period 2011-2040. In the first, pessimistic scenario, it is assumed that pumping from the aquifer continues to increase in the near future to meet the rising water demand, and that there is not further recharge to the aquifer than what is provided by natural precipitation. The second, optimistic scenario assumes that treated surficial wastewater can be used as a source of additional artificial recharge to the aquifer which, in principle, should not only lead to an increased sustainable yield of the latter, but could, in the best of all cases, revert even some of the adverse present-day conditions in the aquifer, i.e., seawater intrusion. This scenario has been done with three different cases which differ by the locations and the extensions of the injection-fields for the treated wastewater. The results obtained with the first (do-nothing) scenario indicate that there will be ongoing negative impacts on the aquifer, such as a higher propensity for strong seawater intrusion into the Gaza aquifer. This scenario illustrates that, compared with 2010 situation of the baseline model, at the end of simulation period, year 2040, the amount of saltwater intrusion into the coastal aquifer will be increased by about 35 %, whereas the salinity will be increased by 34 %. In contrast, all three cases of the second (artificial recharge) scenario group can partly revert the present seawater intrusion. From the water budget point of view, compared with the first (do nothing) scenario, for year 2040, the water added to the aquifer by artificial recharge will reduces the amount of water entering the aquifer by seawater intrusion by 81, 77and 72 %, for the three recharge cases, respectively. Meanwhile, the salinity in the Gaza aquifer will be decreased by 15, 32 and 26% for the three cases, respectively.

A Reinforcement-Learning Approach to Power Management

We describe an adaptive, mid-level approach to the wireless device power management problem. Our approach is based on reinforcement learning, a machine learning framework for autonomous agents. We describe how our framework can be applied to the power management problem in both infrastructure and ad~hoc wireless networks. From this thesis we conclude that mid-level power management policies can outperform low-level policies and are more convenient to implement than high-level policies. We also conclude that power management policies need to adapt to the user and network, and that a mid-level power management framework based on reinforcement learning fulfills these requirements.

Enhancing fault management performance of two-step QoS routing algorithms in GMPLS networks

In this paper a novel methodology aimed at minimizing the probability of network failure and the failure impact (in terms of QoS degradation) while optimizing the resource consumption is introduced. A detailed study of MPLS recovery techniques and their GMPLS extensions are also presented. In this scenario, some features for reducing the failure impact and offering minimum failure probabilities at the same time are also analyzed. Novel two-step routing algorithms using this methodology are proposed. Results show that these methods offer high protection levels with optimal resource consumption

An improved method for discovering link criticality in transport networks

Quantitatively assessing the importance or criticality of each link in a network is of practical value to operators, as that can help them to increase the network's resilience, provide more efficient services, or improve some other aspect of the service. Betweenness is a graph-theoretical measure of centrality that can be applied to communication networks to evaluate link importance. However, as we illustrate in this paper, the basic definition of betweenness centrality produces inaccurate estimations as it does not take into account some aspects relevant to networking, such as the heterogeneity in link capacity or the difference between node-pairs in their contribution to the total traffic. A new algorithm for discovering link centrality in transport networks is proposed in this paper. It requires only static or semi-static network and topology attributes, and yet produces estimations of good accuracy, as verified through extensive simulations. Its potential value is demonstrated by an example application. In the example, the simple shortest-path routing algorithm is improved in such a way that it outperforms other more advanced algorithms in terms of blocking ratio

Availability analysis of GMPLS connections based on physical network topology

This paper presents a study of connection availability in GMPLS over optical transport networks (OTN) taking into account different network topologies. Two basic path protection schemes are considered and compared with the no protection case. The selected topologies are heterogeneous in geographic coverage, network diameter, link lengths, and average node degree. Connection availability is also computed considering the reliability data of physical components and a well-known network availability model. Results show several correspondences between suitable path protection algorithms and several network topology characteristics

Lightweight monitoring of label switched paths for bandwidth management

The purpose of resource management is the efficient and effective use of network resources, for instance bandwidth. In this article, a connection oriented network scenario is considered, where a certain amount of bandwidth is reserved for each label switch path (LSP), which is a logical path, in a MPLS or GMPLS environment. Assuming there is also some kind of admission control (explicit or implicit), these environments typically provide quality of service (QoS) guarantees. It could happen that some LSPs become busy, thus rejecting connections, while other LSPs may be under-utilised. We propose a distributed lightweight monitoring technique, based on threshold values, the objective of which is to detect congestion when it occurs in an LSP and activate the corresponding alarm which will trigger a dynamic bandwidth reallocation mechanism

Visual management of sags and incidents gathered in distribution substations for power quality management

Monitor a distribution network implies working with a huge amount of data coining from the different elements that interact in the network. This paper presents a visualization tool that simplifies the task of searching the database for useful information applicable to fault management or preventive maintenance of the network

The Bogota – sabana region : the political economy behind the struggle to implement a sustainable urban development model

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Estudio logístico en la empresa COMERFRUTAS de Colombia S.A.S para la exportación de pulpa de limón al mercado holandés

El presente documento ofrece una guía logística y análisis financiero para las pequeñas y medianas empresas (PyMES) de Colombia que deseen exportar pulpa de limón al mercado Europeo. Para el desarrollo de este trabajo se ha tomado el caso de la micro empresa COMERFRUTAS de Colombia S.A.S. (productora de pulpa de limón) y se ha realizado un estudio de competitividad de puertos, agentes de carga tanto terrestre como marítimos para dar las bases necesarias de exportación a las PyMES colombianas en un marco legal establecido.

Anonymisation, Deanonymisation and Data Management

Speaker: Dr Kieron O'Hara Organiser: Time: 04/02/2015 11:00-11:45 Location: B32/3077 Abstract In order to reap the potential societal benefits of big and broad data, it is essential to share and link personal data. However, privacy and data protection considerations mean that, to be shared, personal data must be anonymised, so that the data subject cannot be identified from the data. Anonymisation is therefore a vital tool for data sharing, but deanonymisation, or reidentification, is always possible given sufficient auxiliary information (and as the amount of data grows, both in terms of creation, and in terms of availability in the public domain, the probability of finding such auxiliary information grows). This creates issues for the management of anonymisation, which are exacerbated not only by uncertainties about the future, but also by misunderstandings about the process(es) of anonymisation. This talk discusses these issues in relation to privacy, risk management and security, reports on recent theoretical tools created by the UKAN network of statistics professionals (on which the author is one of the leads), and asks how long anonymisation can remain a useful tool, and what might replace it.

Plataforma Tecnológica Colaborativa Comunidad de Negocios San Antonio, Chile, red de aprovisionamiento local: OpenSupply

El proyecto que se quiere plantear es la creación de una Plataforma electrónica a través de la cual se pretende agrupar a los diferentes proveedores que intervienen en la cadena de abastecimiento de la comunidad logística de San Antonio, abriendo la posibilidad de participación de empresas grandes y pequeñas y más aun promoviendo la creación de las mismas por parte de los ciudadanos de la región, de esta manera, se eliminan las brechas asimétricas existentes entre la oferta y la demanda permitiendo que las empresas medianas y grandes accedan a ofertas y transacciones con empresas proveedoras medianas y pequeñas. Dicho proyecto, tiene como objetivo general el consolidar los procesos de abastecimiento implementados por las empresas a través de la organización y estandarización de los mismos mediante el uso del portal, planteado en el presente proyecto, como apoyo tecnológico. Existen dos conceptos básicos a analizar de manera teórica dentro del proyecto, el primero de ellos es el de clúster logístico-portuario, lo cuales son reconocidos como instrumentos importantes para el progreso del desarrollo industrial, innovación, competitividad y crecimiento, tomando como ejemplos a los puertos de Valencia y Long Beach en la ciudad de Los Ángeles. El segundo concepto es el de E-Procurement, el cual se desarrolla siguiendo los pasos básicos de una cadena de abastecimiento tradicional, sin embargo, lo que genera un cambio real dentro de los procesos es el hecho que los procesos de cotización y seguimiento de proveedores se van a llevar a cabo a través de una plataforma electrónica con base a las evaluaciones que se llevan a cabo por parte de las empresas demandantes de los productos o servicios ofrecidos por las compañías proveedoras. (Renko, 2011) De la misma manera, se tomaran varios proyectos de e-procurement desarrollados a nivel mundial como base comparativa y de apoyo para el presente proyecto tales como: HYDRA: Es un sistema que tiene su soporte en la web, el cual es orientado “en el medio” lo cual lo hace un sistema con una arquitectura híbrida, que posee tanto un diseño en capas como una estructura comprensiva para desarrollar integración de negocios, colaboración y monitoreo en la gestión de la cadena de suministro (Renko, 2011) IPT: BidNet ha proporcionado servicios de oferta de información a miles de proveedores y compradores de bienes en el ámbito gubernamental por más de 25 años. (Bidnet, 2013) E-BUYPLACE: E-buyplace.com es el 1° especialista en SupplierRelationship Management que ha desarrollado un original y singular SRM 100% a través de Internet. (e-buyplace, 2013) RosettaNet: La iniciativa RosettaNet anima a optimizar los procesos de la cadena de suministro mediante el establecimiento, implementación y promoción de estándares abiertos en el mercado e-Business (AQS, Advance Quality Solutions, 2002)

Resources for an Intersectorial Management of Public Policies: Mobility and Access

The objective of this paper is to integrate mobility as across component of the management of specific public actions. The case of study concerns the public health services in Argentina, and mother’s mobility conditions in the suburban of the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area. In terms of methodology, the paper working on the concept of access trying to identify, measure and evaluate the relationship between mobility conditions and maternal health care. Access is weighted according to the realization of health services, and not according to the arrival at the places where they are offers. The result is innovative empirical evidence, useful as an indicator to make more relevant the role of mobility within the public agenda of transport and others specific sectors, asa basic social right behind the access that requires coordinated actions and cross-sectoral approaches.

Convergencia de vías de señalización en un modelo de apoptosis

La sepsis es un evento inflamatorio generalizado del organismo inducido por un daño causado generalmente por un agente infeccioso. El patógeno más frecuentemente asociado con esta entidad es el Staphylococcus aureus, responsable de la inducción de apoptosis en células endoteliales debida a la producción de ceramida. Se ha descrito el efecto protector de la proteína C activada (PCA) en sepsis y su relación con la disminución de la apoptosis de las células endoteliales. En este trabajo se analizó la activación de las quinasas AKT, ASK1, SAPK/JNK y p38 en un modelo de apoptosis endotelial usando las técnicas de Western Blotting y ELISA. Las células endoteliales (EA.hy926), se trataron con C2-ceramida (130μM) en presencia de inhibidores químicos de cada una de estas quinasas y PCA. La supervivencia de las células en presencia de inhibidores químicos y PCA fue evaluada por medio de ensayos de activación de las caspasas 3, 7 y 9, que verificaban la muerte celular por apoptosis. Los resultados evidencian que la ceramida reduce la activación de AKT y aumenta la activación de las quinasas ASK, SAPK/JNK y p38, en tanto que PCA ejerce el efecto contrario. Adicionalmente se encontró que la tiorredoxina incrementa la activación/fosforilación de AKT, mientras que la quinasa p38 induce la defosforilación de AKT.

La estrategia de liderazgo regional de la India a través de la cooperación sur-sur (2003-2012)

La presente investigación tiene como objetivo analizar en qué medida la estrategia de liderazgo regional de la India ha sido impulsada a través de los programas y proyectos de cooperación sur-sur ofrecidos por este país en el periodo de 2003-2012. De igual forma se pretende indagar sobre el papel histórico que ha jugado la India en el establecimiento y posterior evolución de esta nueva forma de cooperación que ha sido vista por la mayoría de los académicos como un complemento de la cooperación norte-sur, y que responde a una serie de intereses particulares. En este caso en particular, la cooperación sur-sur ha sido utilizada por India como una herramienta para incrementar sus capacidades de poder que le permitan consolidarse como líder regional.