Bettering Biology?

Is there a danger that in inventing protocells we are turning away too quickly from nature's own ‘beautifully engineered self-assembly system’? Bill Watts , a partner at Max Fordham Consulting Engineers, asks us to take another look at the possibilities of biology for creating a wholly sustainable architecture that takes its aesthetic prompts from natural forms. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Kinetics of atmospheric corrosion of mild steel, zinc, galvanized iron and aluminium at 10 exposure stations in India

As a part of updating Corrosion Map of India project, atmospheric corrosion behaviour of commercially available engineering materials such as mild steel, galvanized iron, zinc and aluminium metals was studied in marine, industrial, urban, and rural environments by weight loss method at 10 exposure stations in India over a period of 5 years. The results of these studies demonstrated that galvanized iron, zinc and aluminium metals were several times more durable than mild steel. Compared to galvanized iron and zinc, aluminium provided superior protection in industrial and marine environment except at Mormugao Port Trust (MPT). It also offered much better resistance to corrosion in rural environments. At certain places, galvanized iron proved to be more durable than aluminium. The results obeyed well with the empirical kinetics equation of the form C = Ktⁿ, where K and C are the corrosion losses in μm after 1 and ‘t’ years of the exposure, respectively, and ‘n’ is a constant. Based on ‘n’ values, the corrosion mechanisms of these metals are predicted. The corrosion products formed on the metal samples in Chennai marine atmosphere were identified by X-ray diffraction analysis.     

Common Artefacts

With offices in Beijing, Mumbai and London, Serie Architects is an international practice that spans Asia. Here, co-founder and principal Christopher CM Lee looks beyond the superficial ‘exotic’ stereotypical image of ‘orientalism’ that was traditionally imposed on Asia by the West. With particular reference to Serie Architects' Tote, Mumbai, and Yan Zhenqing Museum in Linyi, China, he shifts the question of identity to what is common within the context of architectural production: what might imbue architecture with social and cultural validity? How might it be possible to attempt to create ‘common artefacts’ through the most typical elements – the ‘dominant types’.     

Bioclimatism and vernacular architecture of north-east India

Vernacular architecture based on bioclimatism concepts was developed and used through the centuries by many civilizations across the world. Different civilizations have produced their own architectural styles based on the local conditions. This study is carried out on the vernacular buildings of north-east India across all the bioclimatic zones. A survey of 42 houses, more than 70 years old was carried out at representative locations across all bioclimatic zones. The study has yielded findings relating bioclimatism, socio-economic status and cultural setup to the vernacular architecture of the region. Also, different solar passive features are available in most of these houses, related to temperature control and promoting natural ventilation. These houses are constructed using locally available materials like wood, cane, bamboo, stone, mud, jute, lime and represent unique examples towards sustainable building design.     

中国、印度与菲律宾铸造行业现状及与发达国家的比较

本文筒要介绍了中国、印度与菲律宾铸造行业的基本状况,并通过行业结构、铸件种类、产量与产位、球墨铸铁的生产应用以及能源消耗等指标,比较了三国铸造行业的发展特点,并同世界先进国家铸造业的发展水平进行了对比分析。     

Robert Gill and his Circle of Friends in India

The author examines a series of photographic albums in different collections: The ‘Biden Albums’ numbered 1 to 7, and the Gill/Johnston album, all of which are in the Alkazi Collection, New Delhi, as well as the British Library's Allardyce Album. The albums contain photographs of and by Robert Gill, James Johnston, Horatio Biden and others, taken in Western India during the 1860s. Through a close analysis of the images, the author reveals Robert Gill's professional and social connections, and presents a more comprehensive account of his work and life than has hitherto been given.     

Public involvement in environmental impact assessment: a case study of hydro development in Kullu District,Himachal Pradesh,India

The Governments of India and the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh (HP) recently adopted policy changes intended to expedite development approvals for power projects. This paper focuses on the 1997 changes to the Environmental Protection Act that establish procedures for public hearings as a component of EIA. Three hydro project public hearings in the Kullu District (HP) in 1998 show that public involvement andpublic hearing processes are in their nascent stages despite the rapid pace of development. Many constraints, such as inaccessibility of information, lack of familiarity with EIA, and lack of institutional capacity, hinder serious public involvement. Public concerns focused on safety issues (blasting), new road construction and jobs, with little consideration of environmental impact.     

The effects of torture-related injuries on long-term psychological distress in a Punjabi Sikh sample.

Torture survivors often report chronic debilitating physical and psychological distress. Prior research on the relationship between physical and psychological trauma suggests that the 2 are not independent. Injury sustained during torture may increase the likelihood of subsequent distress as either a moderator or mediator. For long-term psychopathology in a sample of Punjabi Sikh survivors of human rights violations (N = 116), chronic injuries mediated the path between torture and posttraumatic stress disorder, specifically the severity of numbing symptoms. Although injuries were associated with major depression, torture was not, and injuries did not moderate the relationship between major depression and torture. Chronic injuries may represent trauma severity or persistent traumatic cues. These findings emphasize connections between physical and psychological trauma and the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to torture treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

印度网络空间作战力量研究

网络战是现代战争中至关重要的作战手段,并有可能决定未来战场的胜利者.考虑到印度的体量和其在美国印太战略中的地位,印度今后可能会在包括网络战在内的国际竞争中扮演越来越重要的角色.以下介绍了印度在网络安全方面的政策导向,梳理了印度政府和军队中与网络作战有关的体系架构,并探讨了印度网络作战能力的主要问题和发展趋势.