Contamination of groundwater by petroleum-hydrocarbons is a serious environmental problem. Monitored natural attenuation (MNA) is a passive remedial approach to degrade and dissipate contaminants in groundwater. In this study, a full-scale natural bioremediation investigation was conducted at a gasoline spill site. Results show that the concentrations of major contaminants [benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX)] dropped to below detection limit before they reached the downgradient monitor well. This indicates that natural biodegradation process was the major cause of the contaminant reduction. In this study, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene (1,2,4-TMB) was used as tracer to calculate the biological decay rates of BTEX. The calculated biological first-order decay rates for ethylbenzene, m+p-xylene, toluene, benzene, and o-xylene were 1.5¡Ñ10-3, 1.2¡Ñ10-3, 7.0¡Ñ10-4, 6.7¡Ñ10-4, and 1.2¡Ñ10-4, respectively. Mann-Kendall test was applied to analyze the trend of contaminant variations. Results show that the S-value of four monitor wells (CT-4, CT-41, CT-42, and CT-7) were -0.52, -1.57, -0.52, and -1.22, respectively. The negative S values reveal that the all contaminants tended to decrease. This indicates that the hydrocarbon plume at this site is not expanding, and has been contained effectively by the natural attenuation mechanisms. Evidences for the occurrence of natural attenuation include the following: (1) depletion of dissolved oxygen, nitrate, and sulfate; (2) production of dissolved ferrous iron, sulfide, and CO2; (3) decreased BTEX concentrations and BTEX as carbon to TOC ratio along the transport path; (4) increased alkalinity and microbial species; (5) limited spreading of the BTEX plume; and (6) preferential removal of certain BTEX components along the transport path. Results also show that the biodegradation capacity (46.02 mg/L) for BTEX and 1,2,4-TMB was much higher than the detected contaminants within the plume. Results indicate that natural attenuation can effectively contain the plume, and biodegradation processes played an important role on contaminant removal.

In developing a water quality monitoring program, the sampling frequency chosen should be able to reliably detect changes in water quality trends. Three datasets are evaluated for Minimal Detectable Change in surface water quality to examine the loss of trend detectability as sampling frequency decreases for sites within the National Park Service's Sonoran Desert Network by re-sampling the records as quarterly and annual datasets and by superimposing step and linear trends over the natural data to estimate the time it takes the Seasonal Kendall Test to detect trends of a specific threshold. Wilcoxon Rank Sum analyses found that monthly and quarterly sampling consistently draw from the same distribution of trend detection times; however, annual sampling can take significantly longer. Therefore, even with a loss in power from reduced sampling, quarterly sampling of Park waters adequately detects trends (70%) compared to monthly whereas annual sampling is insufficient in trend detection (30%).

Thesis--University of Chicago. / Bibliography: p. 147-153.

Thesis (M.A.)--Saint Mary's University, 1998. / Mode of acces: World Wide Web. Includes bibliographical references.

O gênero Odontesthes é composto por 19 espécies válidas que se encontram em ambientes marinhos, estuarinos e de água doce. A primeira hipótese filogenética sugerindo o monofiletismo de Odontesthes foi realizada em 1985. Desde então, outros trabalhos, principalmente envolvendo caracteres morfológicos, corroboraram essa hipótese, porém não abrangeram a totalidade de táxons descritos para o gênero como as espécies descritas recentemente ocorrentes nas drenagens do sul do Brasil. Desse modo, o monofiletismo de Odontesthes e as relações filogenéticas entre suas espécies são aqui investigadas com base em dados morfológicos e moleculares. Além disso, com base na intensa revisão realizada, Odontesthes perugiae (espécie-tipo, conhecida por uma descrição antiga e proveniente de uma localidade incerta) é redescrita e sua distribuição é definida para as porções baixas das bacias do rio Uruguai e rio Paraná. Ainda é proposta e descrita uma nova espécie do gênero, endêmica da bacia do alto rio Uruguai, e reconhecida através de uma comparação detalhada com seus congêneres, principalmente, aqueles incluídos no “grupo perugiae”. / Odontesthes is currently composed of 19 valid species inhabiting freshwater, oceans and estuaries. The first phylogenetic hypothesis suggesting the monofiletism of Odontesthes was done in 1985. Posteriorly, other studies (mainly based on morphological characters) corroborated this hypothesis, although the southern Brazil species, recently described, one not included. In view of these facts, the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Odontesthes and its species are presented based on morphological and molecular data. In addition, Odontesthes perugiae, type species on genus, known by an old description and uncertain type-locality, is described and inhabits the lower portions of the rio Paraná and Uruguay. Also, a new species on genus endemic to the upper rio Uruguay is recognized based on a detailed comparison with its congeners, mainly, those included in the “O. perugiae species group”

Historically, women have been largely discounted from the public comedic arena, typically serving as the butt of the joke or other various comedic fodder. As a female comedian, I became interested in how gender played into the performance of comedy, particularly in clown work. This case study follows an all female clown troupe called Clowns Ex Machina, based in New York, and investigates the impact of generating clown work in an all-female environment by all-female performers. The work that they do not only validates female participation in clown, but it also shows that the female experience is a human experience, and that gender lines do not have to prevent empathic identification.

This thesis explores how and why two capitalistic American corporations were granted access to the Soviet Union's internal market. For decades communist leadership railed against what they termed "cheap bourgeois consumption," yet in 1972 Pepsi-Cola became the first officially sanctioned American consumer product in the USSR. Eighteen years later, McDonald's would become the first American restaurant to open in the Soviet Union. Both companies became deeply involved in Cold War politics and diplomacy, with high-ranking officials from both sides taking part in the negotiations to bring these companies into the country. These two case studies shed light on a seldom-covered aspect of American-Soviet economic relations and cultural exchange.

O objetivo desta pesquisa é estudar a variabilidade e tendência dos elementos climáticos pluviosidade e temperatura, em quatro localidades do estado de São Paulo - Pirassununga, Rio Claro, São Carlos e São Simão -, que constituem parte da área de treinamento de voo da Academia da Força Aérea, para confirmar a hipótese de que essas alterações indicam indícios de mudanças climáticas de curto prazo, em escala local e que essas mudanças poderão afetar, no futuro, o planejamento das missões de treinamento de voo na AFA. Para isso foram utilizados, primeiramente, os dados mensais e anuais de temperatura e pluviosidade de uma série temporal de 34 anos (1976 a 2009) e, depois, de uma série mais curta, de 16 anos (1994 a 2009). Para a análise das condições climáticas de São Carlos, Rio Claro e São Simão foram utilizados os dados mensais e anuais de temperatura e pluviosidade de uma série temporal de 16 anos (1994 a 2009). Para efeito da análise estatística da variabilidade climática da temperatura e pluviosidade dentro da série temporal escolhida, foram aplicados os cálculos da média aritmética, do desvio padrão, do coeficiente de variação e da amplitude térmica. Para a análise da tendência, aplicou-se a técnica da regressão linear e os testes estatísticos não-paramétricos, conhecidos como testes de Mann-Kendall e Curvatura de Sen. Os resultados da pesquisa mostraram que a variabilidade mensal e anual da pluviosidade para as quatro localidade é semelhante e bem acentuada e que não existem tendências significativas para essa variável nas quatro localidades. Para as temperaturas em Pirassununga, a temperatura média apresentou grande variabilidade mensal. Para Rio Claro, São Carlos e São Simão a variabilidade anual das temperaturas foi baixa, próxima da estabilidade, com exceção da temperatura mínima, que apresentou grande variabilidade para as três localidades. Quanto à tendência para Pirassununga, apenas a temperatura média apresentou tendência decrescente e significativa. Os resultados obtidos para as temperaturas de Rio Claro, São Carlos e São Simão indicam tendências crescentes e/ou decrescentes, mas todas insignificantes. / The aim of this research is to study the variability and tendency in climatic elements, rainfall and temperature in four cities in the state of São Paulo: Pirassununga, Rio Claro, São Carlos and São Simão which are part of the flight training area of the Air Force Academy, in order to confirm the hypothesis that those alterations indicate signs of climatic variations in the short term, according to the local parameters and that those variations may change the schedule of the flight training missions at AFA. Monthly and annual data regarding to temperature and rainfall, recorded during a period of 34 years (1976-2009) were firstly considered during the study, followed by a shorter period of 16 years (1994-2009). In order to analyze the climatic conditions in São Carlos, Rio Claro and São Simão, monthly and annual data about temperature and rainfall collected during a period of 16 years (1994-2009) were considered. For purposes of statistical analysis of the climatic variability of temperature and rainfall within the chosen period of time, calculation of the arithmetic mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation and temperature range were applied. In order to analyze such tendency, the linear regression model and non-parametric statistical tests, known as Mann-Kendall and Sen Curvature were applied. The results of the research showed that the monthly and annual variability of the rainfall in the four cities is similar and well marked and that there are not significant tendencies in that variable in the four cities. Relating to temperature in Pirassununga, the average temperature showed large monthly variability. In Rio Claro, São Carlos and São Simão, the annual temperature variability was low, tending to be stable, except for the minimum temperature which showed a large variability. Concerning to Pirassununga, just the average temperature tended to be decreasing and significant. The results obtained for the temperatures in Rio Claro, São Carlos and São Simão tended to be increasing and/or decreasing, but such tendencies were irrelevant.

Thesis (M.A.)--Saint Mary's University, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T12:09:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 9717249 bytes, checksum: 6e8a4f409ba857ea6929c99fadf8a342 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-12-21 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Increasing groundwater extraction for domestic, agricultural, and industrial supply frequently makes exploitation exceed the natural recharge rate. This results in decreasing volumes, deteriorating water quality, and soil degradation. The goal of this study is to assess water availability in the Texas State (USA) portion of the Ogallala aquifer, where extraction has reached levels that are above the recharge values. Fifty three years of water level data from wells between 1960 and 2012 were used. Fifty three surfaces each were created using both (kriging and spline techniques) of spatial interpolation, and cross-validation methods (leaveone- out, and holdout) were used to compare the predicted water level surfaces with the well data. The predictions were similar and the results were satisfactory, however we found spline technique simpler, and easier for automatic processing of multiple surfaces, and we recommend it. However, kriging technique presents higher accuracy. After processing the water level surfaces; the saturated thickness and volume (pixel by pixel), for the whole time series were estimated. This allowed temporal analysis to be performed from the results. A set of 492 water level variation time series (to analyze trends using the Mann-Kendall test) were selected and grouped by cluster analysis (using both hierarchical and k-means methods). From the temporal analyses, the spatial distribution of the results was verified, and it was observed that the clusters most likely to decrease converge with the critical areas identified. Furthermore, the influence of agricultural activities on water level variance was established, showing a strong relationship between the two. Finally, the results showed that over 53 years, the total water volume had been reduced by 33.9%. A full 74.39% of the time series analyzed also showed a decreasing trend in water levels, and it was observed that the saturated thickness is gradually being reduced as well / O crescimento da exploração de águas subterrâneas para suprir demandas de abastecimento, agricultura e indústria faz com que a extração frequentemente exceda a recarga natural, resultando num declínio de seu volume, deterioração do solo e qualidade da água. O objetivo geral deste trabalho é avaliar a disponibilidade de água na porção do aquífero Ogallala contido no Estado do Texas (EUA), onde a explotação tem alcançado níveis acima dos valores de recarga. Para isto, inicialmente, foram utilizados dados de nível da água de poços com uma série de 53 anos (1960 a 2012), criando-se 53 superfícies por cada método de interpolação espacial (krigagem e spline). Em seguida, foi realizada uma comparação entre as técnicas de interpolação pelos métodos leave-one-out e holdout de validação cruzada, além de verificar as diferenças nas estimativas do volume total do aquífero. Os dois métodos de interpolação produziram resultados semelhantes e desempenhos satisfatórios; entretanto, recomenda-se o spline para processar múltiplas superfícies de nível da água de modo automatizado e a krigagem para quando se demandar maior acurácia dos resultados. De posse das superfícies de nível da água, foi estimada a camada saturada do aquífero e o volume pixel a pixel, para toda a série histórica, o que permitiu a partir dos resultados espaciais, realizar análises temporais. Em paralelo, foi selecionado um conjunto de 492 séries temporais de variação do nível da água para se analisar tendências (teste de Mann-Kendall) e agrupá-las por meio de análise de cluster (método hierárquico e k-means). A partir destas análises temporais, foi verificada a distribuição espacial dos resultados, constatando que o grupo de clusters com a maior tendência de decrescimento converge com áreas críticas identificadas. Além disso, foi verificada a influência de áreas cultivadas na variação do nível da água, mostrando que existe uma forte relação entre os dois fenômenos. Por fim, os resultados mostram que houve uma redução de 33,9% do volume total em 53 anos, 74,39% das séries analisadas indicaram tendência decrescente e observou-se que o nível da camada saturada vem reduzindo gradativamente