BASELINE GROUNDWATER COMPOSITION AND QUALITY BELOW IRRIGATED ALMOND AND WALNUT ORCHARDS IN DURHAM, CA, USA. Candace A. Gallion This study investigated groundwater quality in the Durham, California, USA area. The goal of the study was to determine baseline groundwater quality for the study area, whether crop type or time of year influenced groundwater quality, whether groundwater quality was significantly different among sample sites, and if groundwater quality test factors were correlated, and if any limiting factors for irrigation were present. Groundwater samples were collected and analyzed from eleven wells in almond (A2, A4, A5, A6, A7 and A8) and walnut (W1, W2, W3, W4 and W5) orchards and samples were sent to a laboratory to be analyzed for calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), sodium (Na), sulfate (SO4), bicarbonate (HCO3), iron (Fe), chloride (Cl), and nitrate (NO3) concentrations, total dissolved solids (TDS), hardness, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and sodium adsorption ratio (S.A.R.). Groundwater samples were collected in September 2008, March 2009, May 2009 and September 2009. Results were analyzed using One-Way ANOVA testing and a correlation analysis, both at alpha levels equal to 0.05. Not many differences were discovered among sampling times or between tree types. Potassium was the only factor significantly different between the almond (0.98 ppm) and walnut (0.73 ppm) sites, a trend possibly resulting from greater usage of potassium fertilizer in almond orchards as compared to walnut orchards. Sodium adsorption ratio was greater in March 2009 (0.35) and May 2009 (0.34) than either September sample (both 0.26) due to leaching of sodium into groundwater following rain events. Mean potassium concentration was greater in March 2009 (1.49 ppm) than in May 2009 (0.69 ppm), September 2008 (0.75 ppm) or September 2009 (0.63 ppm), also due to leaching of potassium into groundwater during the rainy winter months. Many differences were found among the sampling sites. In general, W1, W3, W5, A2, A4, A6 and A8 had lower concentrations of the test factors, and therefore purer groundwater, than W2, W4, A5 and A7. The majority of the test factors had significant, positive correlations with other test factors, with the exception of pH; pH had primarily significant negative correlations with the other test factors. Test factors were not present in groundwater at levels to cause any severe irrigation restrictions. Slight-to-moderate limitation levels were found for HCO3 (all sample sites), TDS and EC (W2, W4, A5, and A7), and NO3 (W1, W2, W3, W4, A4, A5, and A7). Overall, groundwater at the sampled sites was suitable for use as irrigation water, not many tree type or temporal differences in groundwater quality were discovered, many differences were found among sample sites, and many correlations were present among test factors. The information gathered and interpreted in this study will be useful for making management decisions regarding use of the tested groundwater for irrigation. Keywords: groundwater quality, irrigation suitability

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From a previous study, criteria were developed for use in evaluating industrial arts textbooks for several subject areas in the field of industrial arts. This study is concerned with two of these areas, general metalworking and machine metalworking. It is evident that there are many books published in the United States in the field of industrial arts. The availability and suitability of these textbooks for industrial arts courses in general metalworking or machine metalworking provide the basis of this study.

Terroir combines the physical landscape of the vineyard with the grapevines and the methods and techniques used to produce wine from the grapes. This study used a GIS to identify the characteristics of the physical landscape in Pottawattamie, Mills, Montgomery, Fremont, and Page counties in southwestern Iowa. The components were combined in the GIS using a weighted linear index to identify areas suitable for vineyard development and to identify the general characteristics of the area. Vineyard owners were interviewed to help determine the weighting system to use in the GIS and to determine their perceptions of how the physical landscape impacts their vineyards, as well as to determine what grape varieties they plant in their vineyards and their decisions on making wine from these grapes. This information was collected to identify whether the vineyard owners had developed a sense of place for their vineyards and how this sense might aid them in the development of a terroir for their wines. The resulting perceptions about the individual wineries were then considered in conjunction with the results from the GIS modeling to understand how the physical landscape influences the concepts of sense of place and terroir in southwest Iowa. The physical landscape of southwest Iowa was fairly uniform, as were the grape varietals planted in the vineyards. This created a measure of similarity among the wineries, while individuality between wineries was then created by the wine-makers as they used different techniques to produce wine from the grapes. This allows each winery to develop a sense of place, yet be part of a larger sense of place that encompasses multiple wineries within the area.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 20-23, 2003 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / This paper provides essential requirements and describes some possible architectures of so-called Wireless Transducers Systems from the user’s perspective and discusses the application advantages of each architecture, in the airplane-testing environment. The intent of this paper is to stimulate discussion in the transducer user and supplier communities and standards committees, leading to increased product suitability and lower cost for commercial off the shelf wireless transducer products.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Huston Gibson / Over 90 percent of presettlement wetlands in Illinois have been destroyed or impacted, yet wetlands continue to diminish. Sizable, public stretches of Illinois wetlands are lacking. Wetlands are an environmentally and economically valuable amenity, but can also enhance the quality of life of communities of people and organisms. Conservation efforts should be made to preserve natural services wetlands provide. Southwest Illinois was the focus of the study, which encompassed the counties of Jackson, Madison, Monroe, Perry, Randolph, St. Clair, and Washington. Critical areas suitable to sustain wetlands were identified through a suitability analysis utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Factors that influenced the analysis included soils, hydrology, existing wetlands, natural areas, and infrastructure. Areas ranked most suitable were in close proximity to existing wetlands or hydrologic features, contained hydric soils, and had minimal roadway infrastructure impact. Proximity to wetland and natural areas were informed by the home ranges of endangered and threatened species of Southwest Illinois. Potential suitable wetland areas for palustrine, lacustrine, and riverine wetlands were delineated on individual maps. With suitable areas known, site visits could further verify the suitability of the areas. The state of Illinois can use the specific areas to begin to focus efforts on conservation and rehabilitation to reconnect habitat and provide natural open space for a sustainable community amenity.

Bangladesh geographically comprised one of the largest delta landscapes of the world. Almost 6.7% of country’stotal area (147570 sqkm.) is covered byrivers and inland water bodies. These water bodies being rich in fishproduction meet the majority of the demand of protein. Bangladesh produces world's fourth largest quantity of fishand it is collected from the inland water bodies. Though shrimps were easily available in the inland water bodies forhundreds of years but shrimp culture as an export-oriented activity is a phenomenon of recent past. Bangladeshearned US$ 2.9 million by exporting shrimp in 1972-73 which was 1 % of the country's total exports. It increased to US$ 33 million in 1980 and to US$ 90.0 million in 1985. But until the mid-1980’s shrimp culture was principallydependent on open-water catches of shrimp it means that time shrimps were not cultivated in a proper planned way.But the culture of shrimp totally for export purpose started after the mid 1980’s. Since then the professional cultivation of shrimp had a very positive and effective impact on the economy of Bangladesh. Exports of shrimpfrom Bangladesh increased from US$ 91 million in FY (Fiscal Year) 1986 to US$ 280 million in FY1997. Duringthe corresponding period, the quantity of shrimp exports increased from 17.2 thousand tonnes to 25.2 thousandtonnes. As most of the shrimp farms have been developed without considering the sustainability of the environmentand some other factors like water pH & salinity, soil pH & salinity, soil texture etc. the farmers are getting lessreturn but affecting the environment most. Geographical Information System (GIS) can give an easier but effectivesolution here through selecting the best suitable sites for shrimp cultivation. Moreover GIS can solve thetransportation problem of this perishable product from the production area to the harbor or airport through transport route selection. This cansave a lot of money and time and consequently make the shrimp cultivation moreeconomic.

Concrete pavements are facing rapid deterioration due to the increasing high traffic volumes. Maintenance, rehabilitation and reconstruction (MRR) have become major activities for all the state highway agencies. Due to shortage of available funding and continuous aging of pavements, many state highway agencies are now seeking cost-effective MRR strategies. This has led a need to develop a systematic and comprehensive decision process for selecting the optimum MRR strategy that considers pavement, traffic and construction issues. This research is an effort to help the state highway agencies select the maintenance, rehabilitation and reconstruction strategy for concrete pavements. The research identifies feasibility, suitability and acceptability criteria that every MRR strategy should meet. The rehabilitation strategies satisfying these criteria are then weighed in decision process to determine the optimum rehabilitation strategy. Research also focuses on developing recommendations for statewide methods for rehabilitating jointed concrete pavements so as to minimize reflective cracking. Data was collected from relevant project case studies to assess and improve the framework for decision process. Further research will be required to enhance the selection process.

Aims: This study addressed the challenge of evaluating and improving patient education material as well as recall of information from a tinnitus counselling session. The first aim was to examine the readability and suitability of two tinnitus patient education brochures provided by an audiology clinic to new tinnitus patients. If the readability of the brochures were higher than international recommendations for reading grade level (RGL), then an attempt to rewrite a brochure to a suitable RGL would be made. The second aim was to investigate a) the amount of information tinnitus patients can successfully recall directly following their initial appointment, b) the amount of information that is retained one to two weeks following their appointment, c) whether the amount of information recalled is related to patient variables, and d) the themes that arose from interviews with the patients. Method: To address study aim 1, readability analyses were completed for two patient tinnitus brochures provided to new patients at a private hearing aid clinic using several readability formulas. If found to have a readability level over 5th grade level one brochure would be rewritten to an acceptable readability level while attempting to maintain the initial level of content. The suitability of the brochures was assessed by two experts in the area of health literacy using the Suitability Assessment of Material (SAM). To address study aim 2, eight participants consulting for tinnitus services were prospectively identified by a clinical audiologist at a private hearing aid clinic. Immediately following the initial tinnitus counselling session, participants took part in a digitally-recorded seven-item open-ended interview and provided demographic and audiological information. One to two weeks later, a second interview using the same questions was conducted. Results: After analyzing the readability of the brochures it was evident that both exceeded the recommended RGL on the Flesch-Kincaid (F-K), Fry, Fog, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG). The experts rated Brochure 1 as “unsuitable” for patient education and Brochure 2 as “adequate” for patient education using the SAM. Brochure 1 was revised and was within the internationally recommended RGL as measured by the F-K, Fry, and Fog, whilst keeping the content similar to the original. Overall, participants correctly recalled only a small amount of information in the immediate (36.8%) and one to two weeks later (33.7%). There was no significance difference in amount of correctly recalled information between appointments, and none of the correlations performed for recall and participant variables were statistically significant. Effect sizes were calculated and no trend was found for audiometric variables, although demographic variables did tend to explain more of the variance in recall in the short-term than immediately. The most notable themes identified in the interview immediately after the appointment were: Hearing aids, Understanding/Empowerment, and Masking/Music therapy. At the short-term follow up interview, Hearing aids, Cost, and Hope/Positive were commonly reported. Conclusions: As over half of New Zealanders do not have adequate health literacy skills to meet the demands of life and work (Ministry of Health, 2010) it follows that written and verbal health information should be easy understandable to allow patients to take an active role in their health care and experience the best possible health outcomes. Overall, participants only remembered modest amounts, only one brochure was adequate for patient education, and the RGL of both brochures were higher than recommended. There is a great need for more studies examining suitability, readability, and patient recall not only in tinnitus, but in all areas of healthcare.