Soil hydraulic conductivity is a key parameter to predict water flow through the soil profile. We have developed an automatic minidisk infiltrometer (AMI) to enable easy measurement of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity using the tension infiltrometer method in the field. AMI senses the cumulative infiltration by recording change in buoyancy force acting on a vertical solid bar fixed in the reservoir tube of the infiltrometer. Performance of the instrument was tested in the laboratory and in two contrasting catchments at three sites with different land use. Hydraulic conductivities determined using AMI were compared with earlier manually taken readings. The results of laboratory testing demonstrated high accuracy and robustness of the AMI measurement. Field testing of AMI proved the suitability of the instrument for use in the determination of sorptivity and near saturated hydraulic conductivity.
In the model catchment Vydrica brook in Small Carpathians (mostly beech forest), concentrations of the selected chemical substances were monitored for evaluation of the land use impact upon the brook water quality. Concentrations of these substances were monitored within the years 1991-1993. In order to evaluate also a development of the long-term trend of the observed data, we are continuing in their monitoring since 2004. In this paper there are evaluated nitrate concentrations from two localities: in the upper Vydrica part (Spariská), and on the Bratislava city area limit (Červený Most), in the Vydrica lower part. The mean nitrate concentration in 1991-1993 at Spariská was 14.54 mg l-1, at Červený Most locality 10.84 mg l-1, in the years 2004-2005 the mean concentration at Spariská it was 11.85 mg l-1, and 9.36 mg l-1 at Červený Most. From the observed data it follows that in the 2004-2005 years the nitrate concentration dropped in comparison with the 1991-1993 period. As there was a significant relationship documented between the nitrate concentration and discharge, the empirical relationships were developed for estimating of daily nitrate concentration values based on the mean daily discharges, for the 1987-2005 period. From these, then the mean monthly and yearly nitrate wash offs were calculated from the unit area. So for the Spariská subcatchment the mean yearly nitrate wash off range was 15.42 to 102.37 kg ha year-1, for the profile Červený Most it was 9.01 to 70.53 kg ha year-1. and V modelovom povodí potoka Vydrica v Malých Karpatoch (prevažne bukový les) boli sledované koncentrácie vybraných chemických látok v povrchovom toku za účelom hodnotenia vplyvu využitia krajiny na kvalitu vody v toku. Koncentrácie týchto látok sme sledovali v rokoch 1991-1993. Aby sme zhodnotili dlhodobý trend vývoja nameraných údajov, od roku 2004 v monitoringu pokračujeme. V tomto príspevku sú zhodnotené koncentrácie dusičnanov na dvoch lokalitách: v hornej časti Vydrice (Spariská) a na hranici s hlavným mestom Bratislava (Červený Most) v dolnej časti povodia. Priemerná koncentrácia dusičnanov v rokoch 1991-1993 bola na lokalite Spariská 14,54 mg l-1, na lokalite Červený Most 10,84 mg l -1, v rokoch 2004-2005 bola priemerná koncentrácia na lokalite Spariská 11,85 mg l-1 a na Červenom Moste 9,36 mg l-1. Z nameraných hodnôt vyplýva, že v porovnaní s obdobím rokov 1991-1993 v rokoch 2004-2005 došlo k poklesu koncentrácií dusičnanov. Keďže sa preukázala významná závislosť medzi koncentráciami dusičnanov a prietokmi, odvodili sme empirické vzťahy na nepriamy odhad denných hodnôt koncentrácií dusičnanov na základe meraných priemerných denných prietokov za obdobie rokov 1987-2005. Z vypočítaných denných koncentrácií dusičnanov boli vypočítané priemerné mesačné a ročné odnosy dusičnanov z jednotky plochy. V podpovodí Spariská sa ročné odnosy dusičnanov pohybovali od 15,42 kg ha-1 rok-1 do 102,37 kg ha-1 rok-1, v profile Červený Most od 9,01 kg ha-1 rok-1 do 70,53 kg ha-1 rok-1.
In this paper the idea of the Loebner contest as a practical implementation of the Turing test is presented. The Brian Plüss’ measure of the degrees of non-cooperation in a dialogue is applied to the dialogues of the Loebner contest. The proposal of a typology of non-cooperative features in the contest’s dialogues is discussed and the reliability of annotation with the use of this typology of features is analyzed. The degrees of non-cooperation of judges and programs for the Loebner contest (editions 2009 – 2012) are presented and discussed. On the basis of the results the role of a judge and the strategies used by programs are discussed for the contest and the Turing test., V tomto příspěvku je představena myšlenka soutěže Loebner jako praktické realizace Turingova testu. Míra míry nespolupráce Briana Plüssa v dialogu se vztahuje na dialogy soutěže Loebner. Diskutuje se o návrhu typologie nekooperativních prvků v dialogu soutěže a analyzuje se spolehlivost anotace s využitím této typologie prvků. Jsou prezentovány a diskutovány stupně nespolupráce soudců a programů pro soutěž Loebner (edice 2009 - 2012). Na základě výsledků se pro soutěž a Turingův test projednává role soudce a strategie používané programy., and Paweł Łupkowski
Normative naturalism is primarily a metaphysical doctrine: there are normative facts and properties, and these fall into the class of natural facts and properties. Many objections to naturalism rely on additional assumptions about language or thought, but often without adequate consideration of just how normative properties would have to figure in our thought and talk if naturalism were true. In the first part of the paper, I explain why naturalists needn’t think that normative properties can be represented or ascribed in wholly non-normative terms. If so, certain prominent objections to normative naturalism fail. In the second part, I consider the objection that normative properties are “just too different” from (other) natural properties to themselves be natural properties. I argue that naturalists have no distinctive trouble making sense of thought and talk involving forms of “genuine” or “authoritative” normativity which can drive a non-question-begging form of the objection.
The recently published new British Flood Estimation Handbook (FEH) is a unique hydrological publication, giving guidance on rainfall and river flood frequency estimation in the United Kingdom. The FEH is an outcome of a five-year research programme at the Centre of Ecology and Hydrology in Wallingford. The FEH provides novel statistical and geostatistical methods and new hydrological approaches used for assessing the rarity of extreme rainfall and flood events. The publication is accompanied by software (WINFAP-FEH) and digital data (FLOOD DATA CD-ROM). The procedures are clearly explained, and supporting theory and examples are included. The FEH clearly deserves the attention of hydrologists around the world. The main objective of this review is to provide our hydrological community with a brief description of the major methodological approaches used in FEH for rainfall and flood frequency analysis. and Nedávno publikovaný nový britský Flood Estimation Handbook predstavuje vo svete jedinečnú hydrologicků príručku podávajúcu ucelený návod - smernicu pre odhad návrhových zrážok a prietokov vo Veľkej Briránii. Toto dielo je výsledkom päťročnej intenzívnej práce tímu odborníkov z Institute of Hydrology vo Wallingforde. Do príručky sú implementované najnovšie metódy matematickej štatistiky a geoštatistiky. Autori v nej tvorivo inovujú a dopĺňajú hlavné metodické postupy používané momentálně vo svete pri odhade N-ročných srážok a prietokov. Celý projekt má aj softverovú podobu. Príručka si zasluhuje oprávnenú pozornosť hydrológov a klimatológov, a preto hlavným cieľom tohto článku je aspoň veľmi stručne oboznámiť našu odbornú verejnosť s týmto významným dielom a priblížiť jej najvýznamnejšie metodické postupy analýzy extrémnych zrážok a prietokov.
This paper presents the results of an experimental and numerical study of a vertical slot fishway (VSF). A 2-D depth-averaged shallow water numerical model PCFLOW2D coupled with three different turbulent models (constant eddy viscosity, Smagorinsky and k - ε) was used. A detailed analysis of numerical parameters needed for a correct simulation of the phenomenon was carried out. Besides the velocity field, attention was paid to important hydraulic parameters such as maximum velocity in the slot region and energy dissipation rate ε in order to evaluate the performance of VSF. A scaled physical hydraulic model was built to ensure reliable experimental data for the validation of the numerical model. Simulations of variant configurations of VSF showed that even small changes in geometry can produce more fishfriendly flow characteristics in pools. The present study indicates that the PCFLOW2D program is an appropriate tool to meet the main demands of the VSF design.
In this paper, two- and three-dimensional numerical modeling is applied in order to simulate water flow behavior over the new Niedów barrage in South Poland. The draining capacity of one of the flood alleviation structures (ogee weir) for exploitation and catastrophic conditions was estimated. In addition, the output of the numerical models is compared with experimental data. The experiments demonstrated that the draining capacity of the barrage alleviation scheme is sufficiently designed for catastrophic scenarios if water is flowing under steady flow conditions. Nevertheless, the new cofferdam, which is part of the temporal reconstruction works, is affecting the draining capacity of the whole low-head barrage project.