Overabundant nitrate in Iowa’s surface water threatens stream health, drinking water safety, and significantly contributes to hypoxic zones in the Gulf of Mexico. Researchers have quantified surface water nitrate loads historically with grab samples and, more recently, in-situ sensors. In-situ sensor networks capture changes in nitrate concentration over small time scales, providing high temporal resolution data to accurately calculate nitrate loading. However, because advanced sensors are expensive, spatial resolution is often compromised when sensors are deployed on large rivers. To collect high spatial resolution nitrate samples that complement the high temporal resolution data from in-situ sensors, we first used traditional grab samples on small, non-navigable streams in the Clear Creek and the English River watersheds. Dense grab samples across watersheds provide higher resolution data, but not at the spatial resolution achievable on navigable streams with newly developed, boat-deployed sensor technology. We constructed a boat-deployed sensor system that automatically measured nitrate concentrations, temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and pH as we navigated a boat on a given waterbody. We used the system on the Iowa and Cedar Rivers to capture spatial and temporal changes never previously observed in Iowa. Our data suggest nitrate concentrations and yields were highest in low-relief landforms dominated by row crop agriculture. Nitrate concentrations were lower in higher-relief landforms with less row crop production. We also measured water in Storm Lake, IA with the boat-deployed system. We measured little heterogeneity of nitrate concentrations in the lake, but observed significant nitrate reduction in a large wetland just upstream. The system captured fine scale spatial dynamics of nitrate reduction in the wetland and low nitrate concentrations throughout Storm Lake. Our newly developed sensor platform captured high resolution water quality data, complementing the high temporal resolution data collected with in-situ sensors. High spatial resolution data in this and similar studies provide powerful insights for decision makers to target problematic areas, reduce nitrate, and improve water quality.

Cellular network expansion in rural areas has been traditionally slower than in dense urban areas. Area coverage in rural areas is fundamentally limited by the deployment cost for the operator. The 5th generation new radio (5G NR) network is designed to deliver unprecedented levels of capacity, high data rates, low latency and high reliability anytime and anywhere. The focus of 5G NR development is on relatively short-range communication using high frequency bands (e.g. mmWave-length) where lots of spectrum is available. For extremely long-range communication (e.g. in rural areas) high frequency bands are less suitable due to the high signal attenuation. One way to increase coverage in rural areas is to allow end users to deploy their own personal local hot-spot nodes that connect to the cellular network. A personal rural hot-spot can make use of higher transmission power and have better antennas than what normal user terminals can be equipped with. This thesis work will study the impacts of ”user deployed rural hot-spots” on the network like how much the network energy consumption can be decreased, what is the effect of discontinuation transmission (DTX) on network sleep mode and how inter site distance (ISD) can be increased to increase the coverage. One way to increase rural coverage by using the user deployed hot-spot is to reduce the network energy consumption for network operators and results show that by using user deployed hot-spots (enhanced UE) decreased the network energy consumption and while enhancing the BS configuration will require additional capital expense (CAPEX) investment for the network operators. User deployed hot-spot provide better connectivity for the users that are lying in network edges and helps to increase the inter site distance (ISD) of wireless networks.

SAMMANFATTNING En utlandstjänstgöring är ingen enskild angelägenhet för den försvarsanställde utan påverkar hela familjen. Omstruktureringen från allmän värnplikt inom Försvarsmakten till en yrkesarmé med obligatorisk utlands- tjänstgöring har lett till ökat antal berörda anhöriga. Det är väsentligt att stödet till de anhöriga och speciellt till barnen kommer i fokus. Studien riktade sig till de anhöriga och deras uppfattningar kring utlandstjänsten och anhörigstödet. Deltagarna bestod främst av partners eller föräldrar till försvarsanställda i utlandstjänstgöring. De flesta anhöriga som deltog i studien ansåg att anhörigstödet var tillräckligt bra och att deras uppfattning av utlands-tjänstgöringen i stort överensstämde med deras förväntningar. Utlandstjänstens påverkan på barnen kan kopplas samman med hur föräldrarna klarar av att hantera situationen. Studiens anhöriga ansåg att de flesta av barnen uppvisade få reaktioner som kunde kopplas till utlandstjänsten och att barnen varken reagerat positivt eller negativt på föräldrarnas utlandstjänstgöring. Stödet och förståelsen från skolorna var tillräckligt bra. Bland de anhöriga fanns ett stort behov av information som rörde missionen. Brister i kommunikationen mellan de anhöriga och Försvarsmakten noterades, vilka bland annat rörde var information kring utlandstjänsten fanns att tillgå. De största källorna till oro för de anhöriga var ängslan för att deras försvarsanställda skulle drabbas av fysiska eller psykiska skador eller dödas. Trots oron för risker och faror var övervägande delen av de anhöriga positivt inställda till en framtida utlandstjänstgöring. / ABSTRACT A deployment is not a single concern of the defense employee. It is a concern of the whole family. The restructuring from enlistment within the Armed Forces into an employment with compulsory service abroad has led to increased number of relatives. It is essential that the support to the relatives, and especially children of deployed parents, are put into focus. The study was aimed towards the families and their perceptions of the deployment and the family support. The participants of the survey were mainly partners or parents of defense employees in deployment. Most of the relatives who participated in the study felt that the family support was good enough and that their perception of the service abroad in most cases was consistent with their own expectations. The affects of the deployment among children can be linked to the capacity of the parents in the way they are able to handle the everyday situation at home. According to their relatives most of the children involved in the study showed few negative reactions that could be linked to the deployment. The majority of the children responded neither negatively nor positively on their parents’ deployment and the support and understanding from the schools were good enough according to the parents. There was a great demand of information concerning the deployment among the relatives. The study found a deficiency in communication between the relatives and the Armed Forces regarding where to find the information. The relatives’ biggest fears were that their deployed kin would suffer physical or psychological injuries or be killed. However, despite the worries about the risks and dangers, the majority of the relatives were in favor of a future service abroad.

[pt] O crescente interesse em Sistemas de alta densidade do Serviço Fixo por Satélite (High Density Fixed-Satellite Services - HDFSS) deu origem a estudos na União Internacional de Telecomunicações (UIT) para que sua implantação siga recomendações no intuito de minimizar a interferência em outros serviços de telecomunicações. Tais sistemas são interessantes devido à sua flexibilidade na implantação ubíqua de terminais de pequeno porte, sem a necessidade de coordenação. Com o objetivo de regulamentar a implantação de tais sistemas, o Grupo de Estudos 4 do Setor de Radio comunicações da UIT, que trata do serviço fixo por satélite, tem desenvolvido e sugerido estudos visando à criação de uma recomendação contendo metodologias para o compartilhamento de frequências envolvendo estações terrenas (terminais) ubiquamente distribuídas. Assim, em 2003, na Conferência Mundial de Radio comunicações da UIT, foram identificadas faixas de frequências específicas para a operação de sistemas HDFSS, sendo que grande parte das faixas de frequência identificadas é compartilhada, em caráter primário, com os sistemas do Serviço Fixo Terrestre (FS) e, por este motivo, é importante que sejam desenvolvidos estudos para regulamentação e o controle deste compartilhamento. No âmbito da UIT a principal motivação desses estudos é a análise da interferência provocada por sistemas HDFSS implantados em um país em serviços que compartilham a mesma frequência em um país vizinho. É neste cenário que o presente trabalho propõe uma metodologia para avaliação da interferência produzida por terminais ubiquamente distribuídos em sistemas FS. Essa metodologia visa a determinação de uma região de coordenação, possibilitando, assim, que terminais sejam implantados livremente fora desta região, garantindo níveis adequados de interferência nos sistemas FS. / [en] The growing interest in High-Density Fixed Service Satellite systems (HDFSS) has led to studies at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) aiming the development of a recommendation for guidance on its implementation in order to minimize interference affecting other telecommunications services. Such systems are of interest due to their flexibility in the ubiquitous deployment of small terminals, Without the need for coordination. In order to regulate the implementation of such systems, the Study Group 4 of the ITU Radiocommunication Sector, responsible for the fixed-satellite service, has developed and suggested studies aimed at creating a recommendation containing methodologies for frequency sharing involving earth stations (terminals) ubiquitously distributed. Thus, in 2003, at the World Radiocommunication Conference of the ITU, specific frequency bands for HDFSS systems operation have been addressed, and most of the frequency bands identified are shared, on a primary basis, With the terrestrial fixed service systems (FS) and, for this reason, such studies for regulation and control of this share has become important. The ITU main motivation for these studies is the analysis of the interference caused by the HDFSS systems deployed in a country, into the communication sevices of neighboring countries. In this scenario, this paper proposes a methodology for evaluating interference produced by a ubiquitously distributed terminals into FS systems. This method aims at determining a coordination region, thus enabling terminals to be freely deployed outside this region, without producing unacceptable levels of interference into the FS receivers.