New mine capacity from yet-to-be found copper deposits

The copper industry in the USA is declining, but exploration for copper has been particularly promising in western Montana. The potential copper mine capacity of the area was estimated by using an interdisciplinary geological-economical assessment technique that categorizes deposits on the basis of development probability. Development probability is quantified and aggregated into potential new mine supply curves, which summarize resource potential of the region. The results suggest that copper resources in Montana and elsewhere are potentially large and that these resources probably will be mined at higher copper prices. This mineral assessment technique increases the usefulness of traditional methods for planners and policy makers.     

Prenatally diagnosed non-immune hydrops caused by congenital transient leukaemia

Congenital transient leukaemia (CTL) is a haematological disorder characterized by proliferation of myeloblasts within the bone marrow and peripheral blood of affected newborns. Infants with Down syndrome are most frequently affected and although the disorder can result in fetal death due to hydrops, it typically resolves spontaneously after birth. We present a case of prenatally diagnosed fetal hydrops accompanied by splenomegaly and an enlarged, echogenic liver in a fetus identified with CTL after birth.     

Estimation Using Contingent Valuation Data from a "Dichotomous Choice with Follow-Up" Questionnaire

Dichotomous-choice (referendum) contingent-valuation questions are inefficient in that a very large number of observations is required to identify a distribution of resource values with any degree of accuracy. An alternative questioning strategy introduces a follow-up dichotomous-choice question. We generalize upon previous analyses of this type of data by relaxing the assumption that the identical unobserved resource value motivates both responses. While values implied by the first and second responses are highly correlated and may be drawn from the same distribution, they are definitely not identical. Furthermore, assuming that they are can severely distort the estimated valuation distribution.     

Design guidelines for an optimum scrubber system

The revised New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for the utility industry mandates reduced particulate matter and sulfur dioxide emissions from new utility boilers. A wet scrubber system can be an advantage in controlling both of these emissions. Existing wet scrubber systems may meet the new standards with significant increase in power consumption. A careful design of the entire scrubber system, based on the experience gained at the existing installations, is necessary to ensure cost effectiveness. The experience with existing wet scrubber systems used on coal-fired utility boilers is reviewed and their performance is correlated with power consumptions. Based on a correlation of scrubber pressure drop against outlet concentration, conventional scrubber systems would be able to meet the revised NSPS for particulate matter with a theoretical scrubber pressure drop of 43±5 cm H₂O. Overall system pressure drop, however, could easily run as high as 76 cm H₂O. Novel scrubber systems such as the electrostatically augmented scrubber may provide the necessary collection performance at lower pressure drops. The performance of the various scrubber components such as mist eliminators and reheaters is reviewed. Operating problems are also discussed.     

SEDIMENT DEPOSITION ESTIMATION FROM CESIUM-137 MEASUREMENTS1

ABSTRACT The movement of fallout ¹³⁷Cs carried by soil particles was studied as an indicator of erosion and sedimentation in the Allerton watersheds and 4-H Memorial Lake located near Monticello, Illinois. Sediment deposition was greater in the waterway draining from watershed IB than in the waterway from watershed IA. At the average rate of 2.3 cm/yr of sediment deposition in the lake (from 1954 to 1979), there will be a loss of over 2 meters of water depth in the next century. However, there appears to be a decreasing rate of sediment deposition in the 4-H Memorial Lake as a result of improved conservation practices on the watersheds and the increased effectiveness of vegetated waterways and buffers for retaining sediment.     

Female preferences for male calling bout duration in a field cricket

Summary The calls of male field crickets attract sexually receptive females. In Gryllus integer, males differ from one another in their durations of uninterrupted calling (calling bout lengths). Tape recordings of the calls of 50 wild-caught males revealed that 14 males spent most of their calling time in short bouts (Fig. 1A), 18 in both short and long bouts (Fig. 1B), and 18 in long bouts (Fig. 1C). Re-recordings of 32 males after 3 weeks showed that calling bout lengths of individual males are stable with time (age) (Fig. 2). Three phonotaxis experiments investigated whether calling bout lengths of males affect female preferences. They demonstrated that (1) females can discriminate among conspecific males on the basis of calls alone; (2) females are preferentially attracted to males with long calling bout lengths; and (3) calling bout length is the specific factor responsible for preferential attraction. These results precisely identify a criterion that females use to discriminate among potential mates of their own species.     

Identifying Opportunities for Decision Support Systems in Support of Regional Resource Use Planning: An Approach Through Soft Systems Methodology

/ Regional resource use planning relies on key regional stakeholder groups using and having equitable access to appropriate social, economic, and environmental information and assessment tools. Decision support systems (DSS) can improve stakeholder access to such information and analysis tools. Regional resource use planning, however, is a complex process involving multiple issues, multiple assessment criteria, multiple stakeholders, and multiple values. There is a need for an approach to DSS development that can assist in understanding and modeling complex problem situations in regional resource use so that areas where DSSs could provide effective support can be identified, and the user requirements can be well established. This paper presents an approach based on the soft systems methodology for identifying DSS opportunities for regional resource use planning, taking the Central Highlands Region of Queensland, Australia, as a case study.