Owl Shaped You

The Shang Dynasty(16th Century B.C.-11th Century B.C.)Height:20.5 cmBronzePreserved in Shanghai MuseumYou is a vessel to contain wine.This You is in the zoomorphic shape of two owls standing back to back.The cover is shaped as     

Welfare issues of donkey (Equus asinus): a checklist based on the five freedoms

Studies on the welfare of donkey (Equus asinus) have developed slowly, because considered very rustic animals, reared prevalently under extensive production systems and widespread mainly in marginal areas. The diffusion of extensive breeding of this species has led to the belief that donkey did not need any welfare assessment. More recently, the scenario has changed, due to a gradual diffusion of intensive and semi-intensive production systems, especially in highly productive dairy breeds, to the growing concern of consumers about the life conditions of farmed animals, and to the issuing of a number of national and European rules / laws on the safety of animal products and well-being of farmed livestock. Relating with the importance of this species on food farming industry, the Author underlines the missing of specific recommendations concerning the welfare of farmed donkey. In absence of common criteria and guidelines, it is possible to make reference to the well-known “five freedoms”. This paper will review the main welfare issues of donkeys and the following aspects will be considered: nutrition, housing and management, clinical problems, behaviour problems.     

A posteriori optimization of parameters in stabilized methods for convection–diffusion problems – Part I

Stabilized finite element methods for convection-dominated problems require the choice of appropriate stabilization parameters. From numerical analysis, often only their asymptotic values are known. This paper presents a general framework for optimizing stabilization parameters with respect to the minimization of a target functional. Exemplarily, this framework is applied to the SUPG finite element method and the minimization of a residual-based error estimator, an error indicator, and a functional including the crosswind derivative of the computed solution. Benefits of the basic approach are demonstrated by means of numerical results.     

Efficient shape optimization for certain and uncertain aerodynamic design

In this paper, we present novel developments in aerodynamic shape optimization based on shape calculus as well as the proper treatment of aleatoric uncertainties in the field of aerodynamic design.     

Zur numerischen Pumpversuchsauswertung in Mehrschichtgrundwasserleitern

The analysis of well tests conducted in complex geological units is often not well suited with classical analytical approaches. Numerical simulators are usually needed to account for unconventional test conditions in order to analyze data which do not fit within analytical theory. In the current work, a numerical method for simulating pumping tests is adopted, which was developed about 30 years ago in the UK. The method is expanded within the present work to allow for a consistent analysis of pumping tests, vertical interference tests, pressure pulse tests, drillstem tests, and slug tests. Two-layer formations and their dual permeability equivalents can be treated by the implemented model including nonlinear well entrance losses. The application of the model is demonstrated for a pumping test conducted in the Oligocene base formation at the Teltow-Plateau south of Berlin. The test aimed at investigating potential leakages between this poor water quality base formation and overlying high water quality aquifers envisioned for future drinking water exploitation.     

Surge arresters for insulation coordination in UHV power systems—related problems and solutions

Surge arresters play an important role in the insulation coordination of ultra high-voltage (UHV) electric power systems. In this contribution the requirements on the surge arresters are discussed in comparison with those in conventional applications, and how surge arrester standards are being changed to cover these special requirements.