Optimising rural land health: From landscape policy to community land use decision-making

Implementation of sustainable landscape policy directions can be held back by various constraints. These limitations may include: an absence of reliable integrated landscape character predictions, unproductive tensions arising from poorly informed public and institutional debate, low levels of political resolve due to uncertainty, and limitations on program and project design due to either inadequate availability, or ineffective use of ecological and social data. The need for new methodologies to speed the attainment of sustainable land use is pressing when considered in the context of information indicating that the condition of the world's ecosystems remains in decline. This decline is measurable by the changes in ecosystem services. Taking an ecosystem services view offers an opportunity to address some of the limitations noted earlier. The ecosystem services concept links natural resource management more clearly to the broader functionality of natural systems. Ecosystem services like clean water, productive soils and distinct flora and fauna are generated or maintained by healthy functioning ecosystems. Dwelling on these services and the practices that alter them defines the reasons for natural resource management. Modelling these ecosystems and their services is the key way to understanding these relationships. The utilisation of land use modelling methods to inform, and be informed by community and stakeholder landscape preferences, represents a potential step forward in the evolution of approaches to deliver sustainable landscape policy objectives. This paper presents a summary of examples of a multi-criteria land use optimisation technique that has been used to envision land use combinations most likely to achieve sustainable landscapes in Germany. A number of the sustainable landscape principles arising from Victoria's rural land stewardship project, such as use of an ecosystem services framework to better inform long-term land use planning along with calls to better connect community input to landscape function and land use decisions, are also considered.     

Population decline in Polish and Czech cities during post-socialism? Looking behind the official statistics

The evolving debate on "urban shrinkage" mirrors an increasing interest in demographic phenomena on the part of urban scholars. This paper discusses ambiguous evidence about recent population decline in the large cities of Poland and the Czech Republic, with a particular focus on ?ódz and Brno in general and their inner cities more specifically. By applying a mixed-method approach, the paper identifies indications of inner-city repopulation and socio-demographic diversification which are not yet apparent in register or census data. It is argued that there are indications of a silent transformation of traditional residential patterns and neighbourhoods in east central Europe. In the inner cities, this is reflected, amongst other things, by the presence of new households that may be called "transitory urbanites".     

Nanostructured β-phase Ti–31.0Fe–9.0Sn and sub-μm structured Ti–39.3Nb–13.3Zr–10.7Ta alloys for biomedical applications: Microstructure benefits on the mechanical and corrosion performances

Nanostructured Ti–31.0Fe–9.0Sn and sub-micrometer structured Ti–39.3Nb–13.3Zr–10.7Ta (wt.%) β-type alloys, exhibiting different microstructures and dissimilar mechanical properties, have been prepared by copper mold casting. The microstructure, mechanical behavior and corrosion resistance, in simulated body fluid, of both alloys have been investigated and compared to those of commercial Ti–6Al–4V. Nanoindentation experiments reveal that the Ti–31.0Fe–9.0Sn rods exhibit very large hardness (H ≈ 9 GPa) and high Young's modulus. Conversely, the Ti–39.3Nb–13.3Zr–10.7Ta alloy is mechanically softer but it is interesting for biomedical application because of its rather low Young's modulus (E ≈ 71 GPa). Concerning the corrosion performance, Ti–35Nb–7Zr–5Ta shows a corrosion behavior comparable to Ti–Al6–V4, with no potential breakdown up to 0.4 V vs. Ag|AgCl. On the contrary, the Ti–31.0Fe–9.0Sn alloy exhibits a more anodic corrosion potential, but the value is still less negative than for pure elemental Fe and Ti. From all these properties and because of the absence of toxic elements in the compositions, the Ti–39.3Nb–13.3Zr–10.7Ta and Ti–31.0Fe–9.0Sn alloys are attractive for use as metallic biomaterials.     

Atypical cerebral dominance: predictions and tests of the right shift theory

Alexander and Annett (Brain and Language, in press) described new cases of atypical cerebral specialization, and suggested that these observations and others in the literature could be explained by the right shift (RS) theory. The theory generates specific predictions as to the prevalence of different patterns of cerebral dominance and their distribution among right-handers and left-handers. Predictions differ between strict and generous criteria of sinistrality, as between left writers and non-right-handers. Tests of the predictions against reports in the literature reveal good fits for most data. New studies will test the RS theory if their design permits examination of the present predictions.     

Selectivity of Competitive Multivalent Interactions at Interfaces

The development of synthetic, low‐molecular‐weight ligand receptor systems for the selective control of biomolecular interactions remains a major challenge. Binding of oligohistidine peptides to chelators containing Ni²⁺‐loaded nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) moieties is one of the most widely used and best‐characterised recognition systems. Recognition units containing multiple NTA moieties (multivalent chelator headgroups, MCHs) recognise oligohistidines with substantially increased binding affinities. Different multivalencies both at the level of the MCH and at that of the oligohistidine ligand provide a powerful means to vary the affinity of the interaction systematically. Here we have explored the selectivity for the binding of different oligohistidines to immobilised MCH. Using microarrays of mono‐, bis‐, tris‐ and tetrakis‐NTA chelators spotted at different surface densities, we explored the ability of these binders to discriminate fluorescently labelled hexa‐ and decahistidine peptides. When hexa‐ and decahistidine were tested alone, the discrimination of ligands showed little dependence either on the nature or on the density of the chelator. In contrast, coincubation of both peptides decreased the affinity of hexahistidine, increased the affinity of decahistidine, and made the binding of decahistidine highly dependent on MCH density. Kinetic binding assays by dual‐colour total internal reflection fluorescence spectroscopy revealed active exchange of His₆ by His₁₀ and confirmed the high selectivity towards His₁₀. Our results establish the key role of surface multivalency for the selectivity of multivalent interactions at interfaces.     

Testing of DNT and TNT by the Mini‐Autoclave Method

Autoclave methods are commonly used when pressure progress under thermal stress is of interest. One of them is the mini‐autoclave method by Kühner AG. To test the robustness of the equipment under powerful exposure, two known high energetic materials, DNT and TNT, were investigated. The sample mass was increased stepwise in the range from 0.25 g to 1.0 g. For one test (1 g TNT), gas burners instead of the usually employed 2‐zone heating block, were used to intensify the test conditions. Results showed the expected slower pressure generation of DNT in comparison to TNT. The mechanical robustness of the apparatus could be approved in all runs. Pressure data were used to calculate the energy release of decomposition. The values were in good agreement with the heat of decomposition, estimated by DSC.     

The role of lake size and local phenomena for monitoring ground-fast lake ice

In this study, we assess the effect of the lake size on the accuracy of a threshold-based classification of ground-fast and floating lake ice from Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery. For that purpose, two new methods (flood-fill and watershed method) are introduced and the results between the three classification approaches are compared regarding different lake size classes for a study area covering most of the Yamal Peninsula in Western Siberia. The focus is on April, the stage of maximum lake ice thickness, for the years 2016 and 2017. The results indicate that the largest lakes are likely most prone to errors by the threshold classification. The newly introduced methods seem to improve classification results. The results also show differences in fractions of ground-fast lake ice between 2016 and 2017, which might reflect differences in temperatures between the winters with severe impact on wildlife and freshwater fish resources in the region. Patterns of low backscatter responsible for the classification errors in the centre of the lakes were investigated and compared to the optical Sentinel-2 imagery of late-winter. Strong similarities between some patterns in the optical and SAR data were identified. They might be zones of thin ice, but further research is required for clarification of this phenomenon and its causes.