History,Modernity, and the Making of an African Spatiality: Addis Ababa in Perspective

A body of scholarship in urban theory of global South over the last two decades has begun to present counterhegemonic notions of modernity and urbanism thereby charting new ways to conceptualize and study African cities. While the need for fuller, richer, and more textured accounts of ordinariness of African cities is often emphasized, the usefulness of differentiated accounts of cities to understanding their spatiality is also highlighted. This article attempts to supplement the ongoing discussion by exploring Addis Ababa as an African city with particular cultural and political historical contexts that gave it distinct experiences of modernity. Data is primarily drawn from historical study of modernizations of the city, supplemented with an ethnographic study that documents contemporary changes and lived experiences in the city and its emerging modern residential places. The study shows that the local experience of modernity is primarily situated in the isolated and noncolonial history of the nation, which on the one hand helps preserve indigenous qualities and on the other becomes a source of envy contributing to the consciousness of belatedness compared to other colonized and Western countries. This consciousness coordinates political intentions with people’s everyday practices in the co-making of a new, modern Addis Ababa and the reassertion of its unofficial identity as “the Diplomatic Capital of Africa.” Potentials and challenges of place-based conceptions of urbanism are implicated.     

Relationship between joint movement and mining subsidence

The hazards associated with the possible collapse of old mine workings underlying an active landfill site in north-east England have been identified as a significant concern to both the regulatory authorities and to the landfill operator. A quantitative assessment of the hazards and their perceived risks to the integrity of the composite lining system in place beneath the landfill has been undertaken using a combination of field observation, established mine subsidence prediction tools and numerical modelling techniques. Field observations have identified the presence of extensive fissuring within the limestone underlying the site, however, it is difficult to assess the extent to which mining has contributed to the development of these features. In light of this, an influence function technique has been used to attempt to predict the degree of fracturing that could have been experienced at the surface due solely to mining, with the intention of illustrating whether the scale of movements on pre-existing joints could be attributed to mining subsidence. The results of this analysis have subsequently been used within a finite-difference numerical model to assess the effect that a fracture of the scale predicted would have on the composite lining system.     

Polychlorinated naphthalenes in air and snow in the Norwegian Arctic: a local source or an Eastern Arctic phenomenon?

PCNs were measured in air and snow during separate field campaigns at Ny-Alesund (April 2001) and Troms? (February/March 2003) in the Norwegian Arctic. Air concentrations ranged from 27 to 48 and 9 to 47 pg sigmaPCN m(-3) for Ny-Alesund (n=6) and Troms? (n=10), respectively. These concentrations (including the tri-chlorinated naphthalenes) greatly exceeded concentrations previously measured in the Canadian Arctic, but did fall within the upper range of concentrations observed over the eastern Arctic Ocean and regional seas. Local sources appear to be affecting concentrations observed at both sites, with the presence of several hexa-chlorinated naphthalenes at Troms? probably attributed to local/regional sources. Use of air mass back trajectories at Troms? revealed that background air concentrations in the Norwegian Arctic are likely to range between <9 and 20 pg sigmaPCN m(-3) and that contemporary concentrations derived close to potential sources (i.e. arctic towns) may equal or exceed those of PCBs. The mean concentration in surface snow was 350 and 240 pg sigmaPCN L(-1) (meltwater) (or 0.014 and 0.01 pg g(-1) (snow)) at Ny-Alesund and Troms?, respectively. The wide variation in concentrations observed between fresh snowfalls could be explained by different snow densities (as a surrogate of snow surface area), rather than attributed to varying air concentrations. A statistically significant inverse relationship was found between snow density and concentrations of tri- to penta-chlorinated homologues and compliments similar findings for the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This suggests that the vapour-sorbed quantity changes rapidly with snow ageing/compaction; with implications for the fate of these chemicals in the Arctic.     

Effects of copper, pH and hardness on the critical swimming performance of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri Richardson)

Critical swimming velocities of Salmo gairdneri at 12°C were determined in different combinations of copper; pH and hardness. Measurements were made after exposure for 0.5, 5, 10, and 30 days. When copper was not applied, hardness, pH and exposure time had no appreciable effect on critical performance. Copper had the greatest effect on swimming performance at 5 days of exposure. At pH 7.5–8.0, recovery from the initial depression was complete after 10 days of exposure, but critical swimming performance did not return to control levels in pH 6.0 treatments. For any given hardness, copper had a greater effect on critical speed at low than at high pH. A given copper treatment had a more pronounced effect at low than at high hardness.No distinction could be made among total, soluble, or extractable copper but predicted concentrations of 6 specific cupric ions varied with pH and hardness. Of these copper species, only Cu²⁺ and CuOH⁺ were found to be related significantly to critical performance.Oxygen consumption of trout was determined in different combinations of copper and pH. In the presence of copper the maximum oxygen consumption decreased and the energy expenditure for a given swimming speed increased.The above observations are discussed in relation to reported toxic actions of copper.     

CROSS - a Program for Determination of Coefficients of Subgrade Reaction

Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering -     

Bioaccumulation potential of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Daphnia pulex

The bioaccumulation potentials by aquatic biota from aqueous solution were determined for seven polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The PAH were tested usingDaphnia pulex and consisted of the following compounds: naphthalene, anthracene, phenanthrene, pyrene, 9-methylanthracene, benz(a)anthracene and perylene. Bioaccumulation kinetics were described as a first order approach to equilibrium in a two-compartment model (water and Daphnia), using a two-stage technique to estimate uptake and elimination rates, while accounting for decreasing aqueous concentrations. Estimates of equilibrium concentration factors were obtained by two methods: (1) evaluating the kinetic model as t tends to infinity and (2) direct measurement of concentration factor at t =24 h.Estimations of equilibrium concentration factors obtained by the two methods were in good agreement, and increased dramatically with increasing molecular weight within the series of compounds. The calculated n-octanol-water partition coefficient was shown to be a good predictor of bioaccumulation potential of PAH in Daphnia. PAH were concentrated from a high of about 10,000-fold for benz(a)anthracene to a low of about 100-fold for naphthalene.     

Evaluation of the fern Azolla for growth, nitrogen and phosphorus removal from wastewater

Water fern (Azolla filiculoides Lam.) has been assessed for nitrogen and phosphorus removal in outdoor experiments comparing sewage water (S) from an experimental aquaculture plant, well water (W) and mineral growth medium Hoagland (H). The experiments were undertaken during the spring and the summer. The yield of fern biomass and nitrogenase activity was higher in H than in W and S waters. The enzyme activity had a decreasing trend with significant differences (p < 0.05) in the three waters. Peroxidase (POD) activity in April decreased with significative differences in W and S waters (p < 0.05). The electrical conductivity and the concentrations of NO3- in the three waters decreased significantly (p < 0.05). The highest removal of nitrate from the media was obtained in July. In S water, NO2- concentration decreased, while it increased in W water. PO(4)3- concentration was very low in W and S waters and decreased in H medium. The results obtained confirm the ability of the fern to grow in sewage water.     

A Power-Supply Unit for Pulsed Lasers without a Storage Capacitor

A power-supply unit for pulsed lasers that are pumped by low- and medium-power flashlamps with long pump pulses that does not require a capacitive storage unit is described. The pump-pulse duration is limited by the radiation and thermal stability of the active elements and pump lamps. A functional diagram of the power-supply unit and a circuit diagram of its power system are presented. The basic parameters and elements of this unit, as well as the results of using a laser with the described power supply in experiments, are presented.     

Producing Polydicyclopentadiene from Lower-Grade Dicyclopentadiene

Russian Engineering Research - Polymer samples based on polydicyclopentadiene produced from Russian dicyclopentadiene are investigated by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning...