Is the future blue-green? A review of the current model predictions of how climate change could affect pelagic freshwater cyanobacteria

There is increasing evidence that recent changes in climate have had an effect on lake phytoplankton communities and it has been suggested that it is likely that Cyanobacteria will increase in relative abundance under the predicted future climate. However, testing such a qualitative prediction is challenging and usually requires some form of numerical computer model. Therefore, the lake modelling literature was reviewed for studies that examined the impact of climate change upon Cyanobacteria. These studies, taken collectively, generally show an increase in relative Cyanobacteria abundance with increasing water temperature, decreased flushing rate and increased nutrient loads. Furthermore, they suggest that whilst the direct effects of climate change on the lakes can change the timing of bloom events and Cyanobacteria abundance, the amount of phytoplankton biomass produced over a year is not enhanced directly by these changes. Also, warmer waters in the spring increased nutrient consumption by the phytoplankton community which in some lakes caused nitrogen limitation later in the year to the advantage of some nitrogen-fixing Cyanobacteria. Finally, it is also possible that an increase in Cyanobacteria dominance of the phytoplankton biomass will lead to poorer energy flow to higher trophic levels due to their relatively poor edibility for zooplankton.     

Unprotected Floor Assemblies and Tenability Conditions in a Test House Under Two Basement Fire Scenarios

A full-scale experimental program was undertaken to study the impact of two basement fire scenarios on the structural integrity of unprotected floor assemblies above a basement and the tenability conditions in a test facility representing a typical two-storey detached single-family house with a basement. The experiments utilized relatively severe, fast-growing fires set in the basement, which had an unprotected (unfinished) ceiling, to challenge the structural integrity of the floor system above the basement, which provides the normal egress route on the first storey for occupants. A range of floor assemblies constructed with various types of engineered floor joists and trusses (including wood I-joists, steel C-joists, metal plate wood trusses and metal web wood trusses) and with solid-wood joists, were used in the experiments with the basement side unprotected (unsheathed). Potential exposure to toxic gases, heat and smoke obscuration under the test conditions was analyzed to estimate the time available for escape. The results help establish the sequence of fire events such as fire initiation, smoke alarm activation, onset of untenable conditions, and structural failure of the floor assembly above the basement to understand how these factors affect the ability of occupants on the upper storeys to escape in the event of a basement fire.     

杭州RAFFLES城

杭州Raffles城发展坐落于浙江省省会杭州市的钱塘江边,是嘉德置地继新加坡、上海、北京、成都和巴林之后的第六栋,将零售店、办公楼、住户和酒店设施融于一体,成为新城区的文化地标。     

Integrating life-history and reproductive success data to examine potential relationships with organochlorine compounds for bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Sarasota Bay, Florida

Research initiated in 1970 has identified a long-term, year-round resident community of about 140 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Sarasota Bay, Florida, providing unparalleled opportunities to investigate relationships between organochlorine contaminant residues and life-history and reproductive parameters. Many individual dolphins are identifiable and of known age, sex, and maternal lineage (< or =4 generations). Observational monitoring provides data on dolphin spatial and temporal occurrence, births and fates of calves, and birth-order. Capture-release operations conducted for veterinary examinations provide biological data and samples for life-history and contaminant residue measurement. Organochlorine concentrations in blubber and blood (plasma) can be examined relative to age, sex, lipid content, and birth-order. Reproductive success is evaluated through tracking of individual female lifetime calving success. For the current study, 47 blubber samples collected during June 2000 and 2001 were analyzed for PCB concentrations of 22 congeners relative to life-history factors and reproductive success. Prior to sexual maturity, males and females exhibited similar concentrations of about 15-50 ppm. Classical patterns of accumulation with age were identified in males, but not in females. Subsequently, males accumulated higher concentrations of PCBs through their lives (>100 ppm), whereas females begin to depurate with their first calf, reaching a balance between contaminant intake and lactational loss (<15 ppm). In primiparous females, PCB concentrations in blubber and plasma and the rates of first-born calf mortality were both high. First-born calves had higher concentrations than subsequent calves of similar age (>25 vs.<25 ppm). Maternal burdens were lower early in lactation and increased as calves approached nutritional independence. Empirical data were generally consistent with a published theoretical risk assessment and supported the need for incorporation of threats from indirect anthropogenic impacts such as environmental pollutants into species management plans. Long-term observational monitoring and periodic biological sampling provide a powerful, non-lethal approach to understanding relationships between organochlorine residue concentrations in tissues and reproductive parameters for coastal dolphins.     

The Community Infrastructure Levy: An Information Economics Approach to Understanding Infrastructure Provision under England's Reformed Spatial Planning System

This review paper introduces a research agenda designed to invigorate interest in information economics as a conceptual framework within which to analyse the purported transition from regulatory land-use planning, such as that operating in England prior to 2004, to “spatial planning”. In considering one specific area of reform—the management of infrastructure provision—a research agenda is introduced to investigate a specific policy instrument, the Community Infrastructure Levy. It is approached as a transaction cost, the determination of which is a function of how information is traded between counterparties. In conceptualizing important information asymmetries between local planning authorities and the development industry a case is made for further empirical research.     

Preferences, technology, trade and real income changes in the European Union An intercountry decomposition analysis for 1975–1985

This paper refines, develops and applies input-output decomposition analysis. First, by putting it in an unique intercountry perspective, second, by concentrating on explaining income growth, and, third, by systematically separating the effects of trade pattern changes from the effects of technology and preference changes. The resulting matrix decomposition formula distinguishes six components, and is applied to a set of EU-intercountry input-output tables in constant prices, with 25 sectors and 6 EU-countries, for 1975 and 1985. Macro economic demand growth is found to be most important component at the aggregate country level. The other five components relate to the impacts of coefficient changes. Their sizes are smaller, but at the sector level they are quite large and different between individual sectors and countries. It is concluded that the analysis uncovers a much broader potential impact for national and EU industrial policy measures than the usual less refined decomposition analyses. Received: January 1997 /Accepted: September 1997     

Optimal load allocation of multiple fuel boilers

This paper presents a new methodology for optimally allocating a set of multiple industrial boilers that each simultaneously consumes multiple fuel types. Unlike recent similar approaches in the utility industry that use soft computing techniques, this approach is based on a second-order gradient search method that is easy to implement without any specialized optimization software. The algorithm converges rapidly and the application yields significant savings benefits, up to 3% of the overall operating cost of industrial boiler systems in the examples given and potentially higher in other cases, depending on the plant circumstances. Given today’s energy prices, this can yield significant savings benefits to manufacturers that raise steam for plant operations.     

In-process force measurement for diameter control in precision cylindrical grinding

This article shows the theory and implementation of a force measurement-based approach to controlling workpiece diameter in cylindrical grinding. A simple model proposed is used to relate infeed velocity to grinding force. The model is extended to accurately control the amount of material removed in outer diameter plunge grinding given the normal force, which may be monitored in real-time. The model incorporates the key parameters, including the structural loop stiffness, the plunge infeed velocity, and the wheel and workpiece properties. However, only the infeed velocity must be explicitly known. The contribution of this work is experimental validation that the lag between infeed and stock removal can be predicted using force feedback without a priori knowledge of the grinding system. This allows very accurate diameter control (0.25 μm of nominal), even in the presence of thermal drift, wheel wear, and machine error.     

全球化的世界、识别性和批判地域主义建筑

在世界建筑历史上有两个长期的趋势：全球化与地域主义。地域主义以一种互补而非对抗的方式,通过打造地域的多样性,一个具有“高峰和低谷”的世界,来回应全球化打造一个“一致的世界”的倾向。回顾历史．地域主义常常代表着独特和个性化的发展,采取完全不同的立场。