Search

This review summarises recent progress in understanding crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) systems and the integration of internal and external stimuli to maximise water-use efficiency. Complex CAM traits have been reduced to their minimum and captured as computational models, which can now be refined using recently available data from transgenic manipulations and large-scale omics studies. We identify three key areas in which an appropriate choice of modelling tool could help capture relevant comparative molecular data to address the evolutionary drivers and plasticity of CAM. One focus is to identify the environmental and internal signals that drive inverse stomatal opening at night. Secondly, it is important to identify the regulatory processes required to orchestrate the diel pattern of carbon fluxes within mesophyll layers. Finally, the limitations imposed by contrasting succulent systems and associated hydraulic conductance components should be compared in the context of water-use and evolutionary strategies. While network analysis of transcriptomic data can provide insights via co-expression modules and hubs, alternative forms of computational modelling should be used iteratively to define the physiological significance of key components and informing targeted functional gene manipulation studies. We conclude that the resultant improvements of bottom-up, mechanistic modelling systems can enhance progress towards capturing the physiological controls for phylogenetically diverse CAM systems in the face of the recent surge of information in this omics era.

According to the recent Spanish legislation, the amount of non-hazardous construction and demolition waste (C&D waste) by weight must be reduced by at least 70% by 2020. However, the current behavior of the stakeholders involved in the waste management process make this goal difficult to achieve. In order to boost changes in their strategies, we firstly describe an Environmental Management System (EMS) based on regulation measures and economic incentives which incorporate universities as a key new actor in order to create a 3Rs model (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) in the C&D waste management with costs savings. The target areas are focused mainly on producer responsibility, promotion of low-waste building technologies and creation of green jobs to fulfill three main objectives: valorization of inert wastes, elimination of illegal landfills and stimulation of demand for recycled C&D wastes. To achieve this latter goal, we have also designed a simulation model—using the Systems Dynamic methodology—to assess the potential impact of two policies (incentives and tax penalties) in order to evaluate how the government can influence the behavior of the firms in the recycling system of C&D waste aggregates. This paper finds a broader understanding of the socioeconomic implications of waste management over time and the positive effects of these policies in the recycled aggregates market in order to achieve the goal of 30% C&D waste aggregates in 12 years or less.

Submitted by Vitor Silverio Rodrigues (vitorsrodrigues@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2014-05-27T11:27:07Z No. of bitstreams: 0Bitstream added on 2014-05-27T14:31:51Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 2-s2.0-84867788952.pdf: 441878 bytes, checksum: fd671ff0e665bc75cd7d49b42b180da0 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-27T11:27:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2012-10-29 Utilizando um modelo de simulação em Dinâmica de Sistemas desenvolvido como ferramenta para auxiliar na análise das alternativas para a gestão dos recursos hídricos, simulou-se o efeito de diferentes políticas de gestão ao longo de 40 anos nas bacias hidrográficas dos rios Piracicaba, Capivari e Jundiaí (BH-PCJ). Através deste modelo foram simulados a disponibilidade e demanda de água, bem como as cargas contaminantes provindas dos diferentes setores usuários. Seis cenários foram simulados utilizando-se o valor da precipitação média anual, mudanças na disponibilidade e demanda de água e a vazão revertidas das BH-PCJ para a Bacia Hidrográfica do Alto Tietê (BH-AT). Para o cenário Business as Usual, em 2010 o Índice de Sustentabilidade que era de 0,41 em 2010 diminuiu até 0,22 em 2050; o Índice de Falkenmark, que era de 1.302 m3 hab-1 ano-1 em 2010, passou a ser de 774 m3 hab-1 ano-1 em 2054; e o Índice de Uso da Água aumentou de 80,7% em 2010, para 125,5% em 2050. Observou-se que as questões relativas ao saneamento se afiguram como sendo as mais importantes para a gestão dos recursos hídricos nas BH-PCJ. A dynamic systems water resources simulation model was developed as a tool to help to analyze water resources management alternatives for the Piracicaba, Capivari and Jundiaí River Water Basins (BH-PCJ). Different politics policy were simulated for 40-year. The model estimates water supply and demand, as well as contamination load from several consumers. Six runs were performed using average precipitation value, changing water supply and demand, and different volumes diverted from BH-PCJ to BH-Alto Tietê For the Business as Usual, the Sustainability Index went from 0.41 in 2010 to 0.22 by 2050; the Water Use Index changed from 80.7% in 2010, to 125.5% by 2050; and the Falkenmark Index changed from 1,302 m 3 person -1 year -1 in 2010 to 774 m 3 P -1 year -1 by 2050. It was noticed that sanitation is one of the biggest concerns in the near future at PCJ River Basin. FCA/UNESP, Rua José Barbosa de Barros, 1780, CEP 18610-307, Botucatu, SP EMBRAPA/AGROSSILVIPASTORIL, Av. Dos Jacarandás, 2639, CEP 78550-003, Sinop, MT Ecologia Aplicada LEB/ESALQ/USP, Av. Pádua Dias, 11, CEP 13418-900, Piracicaba, SP FCA/UNESP, Rua José Barbosa de Barros, 1780, CEP 18610-307, Botucatu, SP

A modeling framework to evaluate the costs and benefits of implementation of Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC), and Air Traffic Management (ATM) decision support tools is proposed in this paper. The benefit/cost evaluation is carried out for four key alternatives namely alternative A: Do nothing scenario (only voice channel), alternative B: Voice channel supplemented with CPDLC, alternative C: Alternative B with ATM tools in a non-integrated scenario and finally alternative D: Alternative B with ATM tools in an integrated scenario. It is a bi-level model that captures the linkages between various technologies at a lower microscopic level using a daily microscopic model (DATSIM) and transfers the measures of effectives to a higher macroscopic level. DATSIM stands for Data Link and Air Traffic Technologies SIMulation and it simulates air traffic in the enroute sector and terminal airspace for a single day and captures the measures of effectiveness at a microscopic level and feeds its output to the macroscopic annual model which then runs over the entire life cycle of the system. Airspace dwell time benefit data from the microscopic model is regressed into three dimensional benefit surfaces as a function of the equipage level of aircraft and aircraft density and embedded into the macroscopic model. The main function of the annual model is to ascertain economic viability of any deployment schedule or alternative over the entire life cycle of the system. The life cycle cost model is composed of four modules namely: Operational benefits module, Safety benefit module,Technology cost module and Training cost module. Analysis using the model showed that an enroute sector gets congested at aircraft densities greater 630 per day. This is mainly because the controller workload gets saturated at that traffic volume per day. Benefits realized in alternatives B, C and D as compared to alternative A increased exponentially at traffic densities greater than 630 i.e. when controller workload for alternative A becomes saturated. Master of Science

Este trabajo presenta la aplicación de la metodología integral y dinámica en la programación y control dinámico de proyectos. Para esto, a partir de la metodología se desarrolla un modelo que combina redes de actividad AON (actividad en el nodo) bajo los supuestos CPM, ejecución multimodo y dinámica de sistemas. El modelo se operacionaliza por medio del desarrollo de una red de programación y una red de ejecución que interactúan a través de un bucle de control. La propuesta se valida utilizando las redes de 16 actividades de la librería MRCPSP de PSPLIB. El modelo derivado de la metodología presenta ventajas significativas en los indicadores característicos en gestión de proyectos. El trabajo concluye con la propuesta de nuevas combinaciones de herramientas, que unidas a la metodología permiten abordar problemas de programación y control de proyectos con mayor variabilidad y complejidad. This paper presents the implementation of the integral and dynamic methodology in the scheduling and dynamic control of projects. For this purpose and using the above-mentioned methodology, a model which combines activity networks AON (activity on node), CPM, multimode execution and system dynamics is developed. The model is operationalized by developing two separate networks, i.e., a scheduling network on the one hand and the execution network on the other hand, in order to interact through a control loop. The proposal is validated using activity networks with 16 activities selected from MRCPSP of PSPLIB library. The model derived from the methodology has significant advantages in characteristic indicators of the project management. The paper concludes with a proposal of new combinations of tools, which, together with the methodology, can address problems of scheduling and control of projects with greater variability and complexity.