Systems,habitats or places: evaluating the potential role of landscape character assessment in operationalising the ecosystem approach

A key challenge for research and practice is to understand how the ecosystem approach can be rolled out in spatial planning, management and decision-making. Any framework used to apply the ecosystem approach needs to not only be environmentally coherent but also socially meaningful. Drawing on semi-structured interviews and case studies, this paper examines the potential role of one place-based approach, landscape character assessment, as a medium to ensure socio-ecological relevance in operationalising the ecosystem approach. Our findings show that although place-based approaches have value as frameworks for distilling the ecosystem approach into a manageable form, their ecological relevance is a subject of debate. However, the potential relationship between landscape character, function and ecosystem services presented a powerful pathway for operationalising the ecosystem approach. The ecosystem approach may, in turn, complement landscape character assessment by providing a framework for exploring the functional dimension of landscape condition.     

Dermal uptake of phthalates from clothing: Comparison of model to human participant results

In this research, we extend a model of transdermal uptake of phthalates to include a layer of clothing. When compared with experimental results, this model better estimates dermal uptake of diethylphthalate and di‐n‐butylphthalate (DnBP) than a previous model. The model predictions are consistent with the observation that previously exposed clothing can increase dermal uptake over that observed in bare‐skin participants for the same exposure air concentrations. The model predicts that dermal uptake from clothing of DnBP is a substantial fraction of total uptake from all sources of exposure. For compounds that have high dermal permeability coefficients, dermal uptake is increased for (i) thinner clothing, (ii) a narrower gap between clothing and skin, and (iii) longer time intervals between laundering and wearing. Enhanced dermal uptake is most pronounced for compounds with clothing–air partition coefficients between 10⁴ and 10⁷. In the absence of direct measurements of cotton cloth–air partition coefficients, dermal exposure may be predicted using equilibrium data for compounds in equilibrium with cellulose and water, in combination with computational methods of predicting partition coefficients.     

Partitioning of PCBs from air to clothing materials in a Danish apartment

Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination of buildings continues to pose an exposure threat, even decades after their application in the form of calks and other building materials. In this research, we investigate the ability of clothing to sorb PCBs from contaminated air and thereby influence exposure. The equilibrium concentration of PCB‐28 and PCB‐52 was quantified for nine used clothing fabrics exposed for 56 days to air in a Danish apartment contaminated with PCBs. Fabric materials included pure materials such as cotton and polyester, or blends of polyester, cotton, viscose/rayon, and/or elastane. Air concentrations were fairly stable over the experimental period, with PCB‐28 ranging from 350 to 430 ng/m³ and PCB‐52 ranging from 460 to 550 ng/m³. Mass accumulated in fabric ranged from below detection limits to 4.5 mg/g of fabric. Cotton or materials containing elastane sorbed more than polyester materials on a mass basis. Mass‐normalized partition coefficients above detection limits ranged from 10^5.7 to 10^7.0 L/kg. Clothing acts as a reservoir for PCBs that extends dermal exposure, even when outside or in uncontaminated buildings.     

Peat filter performance under changing environmental conditions

Peat is a candidate filter material for in situ treatment of urban runoff, contaminated groundwater and landfill leachates. Until now research has focused on peat sorption in batch experiments and there is a lack of knowledge on peat performance in filter beds. In this project column tests were carried out to evaluate the capacity of peat to remove As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn in multi-metal solution under a range of environmental conditions that may be encountered in real-life applications (draining, water stagnation, freezing, change in pH and metal concentrations, input of NaCl and elevated DOC). The removal capacity was 91–98% for Cd, Cu, Zn, Ni and Pb and the efficiency was unaffected by the changes of physical factors, but temporarily inhibited for solutions containing NaCl. Leaching of DOC from peat was detected in the initial samples and temporarily decreased metal removal. The peat filters showed high removal rates for Cd, Cu, Zn, Ni and Pb under all experimental conditions and are recommended for treatment of waters containing these elements. In contrast, peat was not found to be efficient for treatment of As and Cr in the multi-metal contaminated water at the pH range (6.7–8.0) studied.     

Membrane heat exchanger in HVAC energy recovery systems, systems energy analysis

The thermal performance of an enthalpy/membrane heat exchanger is experimentally investigated. The heat exchanger utilizes a 60gsm Kraft paper as the heat and moisture transfer surface for HVAC energy recovery. The heat exchanger sensible, latent and total effectiveness have been determined through temperature and moisture content measurements. The annual energy consumption of an air conditioner coupled with an enthalpy/membrane heat exchanger is also studied and compared with a conventional air conditioning cycle using in-house modified HPRate software. The heat exchanger effectiveness are used as thermal performance indicators and incorporated in the modified software. Energy analysis showed that an air conditioning system coupled with a membrane heat exchanger consumes less energy than a conventional air conditioning system in hot and humid climates where the latent load is high. It has been shown that in humid climate a saving of up to 8% in annual energy consumption can be achieved when membrane heat exchanger is used instead of a conventional HVAC system.     

Low resistive silicon substrate as an etch-stop layer for drilling thick SiO2 by spark assisted chemical engraving (SACE)

Controlling precisely the depth in glass micro-drilling by spark assisted chemical engraving (SACE) remains challenging, particularly for low depths. The possibility of using an electrically conductive material as an etch-stop layer for SACE gravity-feed drilling is investigated in this paper. Micromachining with constant DC and pulsed DC of 30–35 μm thick SiO₂ deposited on low resistive silicon substrate demonstrated the etch-stop function of the conductive silicon. Measurements of etch rates and hole profiles along with scanning electron microscope imaging revealed the mechanism underlying the etch-stop process. Low resistive silicon is demonstrated to be a good etch-stop layer for SACE gravity-feed drilling. Demonstration of machining of SiO₂ layer on silicon as a substrate and an etch-stop layer opens up new possibilities to adapt SACE for developing devices on silicon platform.     

Mercury wet deposition and coal-fired power station contributions: An Australian study

Regions that have large coal-fired power station regions may be prone to elevated mercury (Hg) deposition fluxes. Total mercury (THg) in daily rainfall samples at a near-field sampling site (Hunter Valley) and a far-field station (Sydney) has been monitored in this study employing ultra-clean sampling techniques and Cold Vapour Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry (CVAFS) analysis.     

Driving on Mars with RSVP

The rover sequencing and visualization program (RSVP) suite of tools has been a critical factor in the success of the Mars exploration rover (MER) missions. It would be impossible to prepare the large command loads each sol without the capabilities that it possesses. It has proven to be robust and easy to use and capable of answering key questions about sequence validity and constraints. Certainly, training is required to use RSVP, but this is primarily in the general area of command sequencing and rover operations. Once these concepts are understood, RSVP feels natural for building sequences. RSVP has met its prime requirements of supporting rapid assimilation and understanding of the terrain and operational constraints, rapid sequence generation and validation, and production of documentation and archival products. This can be seen in the very limited number of sols lost due to errors in the command sequences. The success of the MER mission and the tremendous amount of science data collected attest to the capability of RSVP.     

Targeted disruption of gene function in Drosophila by RNA interference (RNA-i): a role for nautilus in embryonic somatic muscle formation

The expression of the MyoD gene homolog, nautilus (nau), in the Drosophila embryo defines a subset of mesodermal cells known as the muscle "pioneer" or "founder" cells. These cells are thought to establish the future muscle pattern in each hemisegment. Founders appear to recruit fusion-competent mesodermal cells to establish a particular muscle fiber type. In support of this concept every somatic muscle in the embryo is associated with one or more nautilus-positive cells. However, because of the lack of known (isolated) nautilus mutations, no direct test of the founder cell hypothesis has been possible. We now have utilized toxin ablation and genetic interference by double-stranded RNA (RNA interference or RNA-i) to determine both the role of the nautilus-expressing cells and the nautilus gene, respectively, in embryonic muscle formation. In the absence of nautilus-expressing cells muscle formation is severely disrupted or absent. A similar phenotype is observed with the elimination of the nautilus gene product by genetic interference upon injection of nautilus double-stranded RNA. These results define a crucial role for nautilus in embryonic muscle formation. The application of RNA interference to a variety of known Drosophila mutations as controls gave phenotypes essentially indistinguishable from the original mutation. RNA-i provides a powerful approach for the targeted disruption of a given genetic function in Drosophila.