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Paper Reports (paper + report)
Terms modified by Paper Reports Selected AbstractsLong chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) and perinatal developmentACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 4 2001B Koletzko This paper reports on the conclusions of a workshop on the role of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) in maternal and child health The attending investigators involved in the majority of randomized trials examining LC-PUFA status and functional outcomes summarize the current knowledge in the field and make recommendations for dietary practice. Only studies published in full or in abstract form were used as our working knowledge base. Conclusions: For healthy infants we recommend and strongly support breastfeeding as the preferred method of feeding, which supplies preformed LC-PUFA. Infant formulas for term infants should contain at least 0.2% of total fatty acids as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and 0.35% as arachidonic acid (AA). Since preterm infants are born with much less total body DHA and AA, we suggest that preterm infant formulas should include at least 0.35% DHA and 0.4% AA. Higher levels might confer additional benefits and should be further investigated because optimal dietary intakes for term and preterm infants remain to be defined. For pregnant and lactating women we consider it premature to recommend specific LC-PUFA intakes. However, it seems prudent for pregnant and lactating women to include some food sources of DHA in their diet in view of their assumed increase in LC-PUFA demand and the relationship between maternal and foetal DHA status. [source] Scene-Graph-As-Bus: Collaboration between Heterogeneous Stand-alone 3-D Graphical ApplicationsCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 3 2000Bob Zeleznik We describe the Scene-Graph-As-Bus technique (SGAB), the first step in a staircase of solutions for sharing software components for virtual environments. The goals of SGAB are to allow, with minimal effort, independently-designed applications to share component functionality; and for multiple users to share applications designed for single users. This paper reports on the SGAB design for transparently conjoining different applications by unifying the state information contained in their scene graphs. SGAB monitors and maps changes in the local scene graph of one application to a neutral scene graph representation (NSG), distributes the NSG changes over the network to remote peer applications, and then maps the NSG changes to the local scene graph of the remote application. The fundamental contribution of SGAB is that both the local and remote applications can be completely unaware of each other; that is, both applications can interoperate without code or binary modification despite each having no knowledge of networking or interoperability. [source] Plug-and-play remote portlet publishingCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 12 2007X. D. Wang Abstract Web Services for Remote Portlets (WSRP) is gaining attention among portal developers and vendors to enable easy development, increased richness in functionality, pluggability, and flexibility of deployment. Whilst currently not supporting all WSRP functionalities, open-source portal frameworks could in future use WSRP Consumers to access remote portlets found from a WSRP Producer registry service. This implies that we need a central registry for the remote portlets and a more expressive WSRP Consumer interface to implement the remote portlet functions. This paper reports on an investigation into a new system architecture, which includes a Web Services repository, registry, and client interface. The Web Services repository holds portlets as remote resource producers. A new data structure for expressing remote portlets is found and published by populating a Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) registry. A remote portlet publish and search engine for UDDI has also been developed. Finally, a remote portlet client interface was developed as a Web application. The client interface supports remote portlet features, as well as window status and mode functions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A CORBA Commodity Grid KitCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 13-15 2002Manish Parashar Abstract This paper reports on an ongoing research project aimed at designing and deploying a Common Object Resource Broker Architecture (CORBA) (ww.omg.org) Commodity Grid (CoG) Kit. The overall goal of this project is to enable the development of advanced Grid applications while adhering to state-of-the-art software engineering practices and reusing the existing Grid infrastructure. As part of this activity, we are investigating how CORBA can be used to support the development of Grid applications. In this paper, we outline the design of a CORBA CoG Kit that will provide a software development framework for building a CORBA ,Grid domain'. We also present our experiences in developing a prototype CORBA CoG Kit that supports the development and deployment of CORBA applications on the Grid by providing them access to the Grid services provided by the Globus Toolkit. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Application of High Current and Current Zero Simulations of High-Voltage Circuit BreakersCONTRIBUTIONS TO PLASMA PHYSICS, Issue 10 2006C. M. Franck Abstract This paper reports on the use of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations to predict the interruption behaviour of high-voltage circuit breakers (HV-CB) using the self-blast principle. Two different levels of accuracy of the arc model are proven to be sufficiently accurate for simulating the high-current phase and the period around current zero (CZ). For the high-current phase, a simplified equivalent model of the arc is implemented to predict the pressure build-up, and even more important to accurately trace the hot gas from the arcing zone into the exhausts and the heating volume. A detailed analysis of the gas mixing in the heating volume for different arcing times and current amplitudes showed the optimum geometrical design of the heating volume. For the CZ phase, a more detailed arc model is needed including the effects of ohmic heating, radiative energy transfer, and turbulent cooling fully resolved in space and time. The validation with experiments was done and shows good agreement which justifies the use of the implemented model. With it, scaling laws varying only one parameter at a time (pressure and applied current slope) were derived and confirm previously found empirical laws. This is of particular interest, as it is very difficult to derive such scaling laws from experiments where the scatter is always very large and where it is impossible to vary only one parameter at a time. The influence of the most important geometrical parameters of the nozzle on the interruption performance is shown. In addition to previous experimental indications of this, the simulation reveals that turbulent cooling on the arc edge is the main reason for the difference in interruption performance. Moreover, the exact spatio-temporal build-up of arc resistance and with it the detailed understanding of the arc interruption process is possible and shown here for the first time. These simulations enable us to predict HV-CB performance and to minimise the number of development tests and are routinely used in new development projects. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Factors influencing the publication of social performance information: an Australian case studyCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2005Tony McMurtrie Abstract Traditional research into the social responsibility information published by firms has concentrated on the information published in the annual report and has not considered closely the driving forces that have guided the identification and preparation of information that is to be included in that publication. This paper reports on a case study that has examined some of the internal factors that have driven the publication of social responsibility information, and shows that while the annual report is still a major publication medium the internet plays a very significant role in the dissemination of information. Factors that impact on the publication media and the content of the published information in these cases were seen to be the nature of the information system used, the intended audience and their perceived power, and the level of corporate conservatism that guided the companies' management. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] An exploration of corporate attitudes to the significance of environmental information for stakeholdersCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2003David Collison This paper reports on a questionnaire survey sent to environmental managers in quoted UK firms from environmentally sensitive sectors. A total of 58 usable responses was received, with most but not all being returned by environmental managers. While contextual information regarding perceptions of their companies' environmental sensitivity and management systems was sought, the main focus of the questionnaire was on respondents' views about stakeholder concerns. There was broad agreement that external stakeholders attached importance to environmental communications. The results indicate that respondents' perceptions of these issues were associated with the formality of their internal management systems and with the role of the respondents within their firms. It was also found that shareholders were thought to be the least interested stakeholder group. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] The ponderous evolution of corporate environmental reporting in Ireland.CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2003Recent evidence from publicly listed companies Ireland's recent rapid economic growth has exacerbated pressure on the environment, leading to increased scrutiny of corporate environmental impacts. In order to assess whether external corporate environmental reporting (CER) has evolved in conjunction with this increased scrutiny, this paper reports on the results of a comprehensive analysis of CER practice among all Irish listed companies. The findings are interpreted using the lens of legitimacy theory. The results indicate that, apart from companies whose core activities have an easily observable environmental impact, there is little extensive CER undertaken, in terms of either its quantity or quality. Despite evidence of increasing trends in disclosure, in most instances disclosing companies remain at the very early stages in their consideration of CER. It is argued that this negligible disclosure potentially represents a minimalistic response to pressure from stakeholders whose power to threaten organizations' legitimacy is limited. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment [source] WILLINGNESS-TO-PAY FOR CRIME CONTROL PROGRAMS,CRIMINOLOGY, Issue 1 2004MARK A. COHEN This paper reports on a new methodology to estimate the "cost of crime." It is adapted from the contingent valuation method used in the environmental economics literature and is itself used to estimate the public's willingness to pay for crime control programs. In a nationally representative sample of 1,300 U.S. residents, we found that the typical household would be willing to pay between $100 and $150 per year for programs that reduced specific crimes by 10 percent in their communities. This willingness amounts, collectively, to approximately $25,000 per burglary, $70,000 per serious assault, $232,000 per armed [source] Adult Learning Experiences from an Aquarium Visit: The role of Social Interactions in Family GroupsCURATOR THE MUSEUM JOURNAL, Issue 3 2007Adriana Briseño-Garzón Based on a larger empirical work,1 this paper reports on the nature and character of adult learning within a family group context while visiting the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre (Canada), and the longitudinal effects of such experience in the weeks following the visit. In this study a multiple or collective instrumental case study approach was employed to examine the learning experiences of the adult members of 13 family groups; this approach demonstrates that adults visiting the aquarium as part of a family group are active social learners and not merely facilitators of the experience for younger visitors or caregivers. Our outcomes also indicate that the adult members of the participant family groups learned in a multiplicity of domains including the cognitive, the social, and the affective, as a result of their visit to the Vancouver Aquarium. In addition, we discuss the longitudinal impacts of the aquarium visit and provide valuable insights as to the relevance of these experiences in visitors' everyday lives. [source] Characteristics, context and risk: NGO insecurity in confict zonesDISASTERS, Issue 2 2007Larissa Fast This paper reports on research conducted on the insecurity of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) between 1999 and 2002, with the goal of contributing to the debate on the reasons why NGO actors are targets of violence in confict settings. The research involved the collection of data from three countries,Angola, Ecuador and Sierra Leone,and exploration of the relationship between levels of insecurity, context and the characteristics of NGOs. Four risk factors appear to heighten the degree of insecurity that NGOs face: (1) carrying out multiple types of activities and providing material aid; (2),operationality'(that is, implementing programmes and activities); (3) working with both sides of the confict; and (4) integrating into the local community. The paper discusses the methodological approach adopted for the research, the differences between ambient and situational insecurity and the fndings related to risk factors. It concludes with a summary of the study's implications. [source] Harm reduction programmes in the Asia,Pacific RegionDRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 1 2008GARY REID MPH Abstract Introduction and Aims. This paper reports on the public health intervention of harm reduction to address drug use issues in the Asia , Pacific region. Design and Methods. It is based on the report ,Situational analysis of illicit drug issues and responses in Asia and the Pacific', commissioned by the Australian National Council on Drugs Asia Pacific Drug Issues Committee. A comprehensive desk-based review based on published and unpublished literature and key informant data. Results. Drug use in the Asia , Pacific region is widespread, resulting in serious adverse health consequences. Needle and syringe programmes are found in some parts of Asia, but not in the six Pacific Island countries reviewed. Outreach and peer education programmes are implemented, but overall appear minor in size and scope. Substitution therapy programmes appear to be entering a new era of acceptance in some parts of Asia. Primary health care specifically for drug users overall is limited. Discussion and Conclusions. Harm reduction programmes in the Asia , Pacific region are either small in scale or do not exist. Most programmes lack the technical capacity, human resources and a limited scope of operations to respond effectively to the needs of drug users. Governments in this region should be encouraged to endorse evidence-based harm reduction programmes. [source] Prevalence of illicit drug use in Asia and the PacificDRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 1 2007MADONNA L. DEVANEY Abstract This paper reports on the prevalence of drug use in Asia and the Pacific. It is based on the report "Situational analysis of illicit drug issues and responses in Asia and the Pacific", commissioned by the Australian National Council on Drugs Asia Pacific Drug Issues Committee. Review of existing estimates of the prevalence of people who use illicit drugs from published and unpublished literature and information from key informants and regional institutions was undertaken for the period 1998-2004. Estimates of the prevalence of people who use illicit drugs were conducted for 12 Asian and six Pacific Island countries. The estimated prevalence of those using illicit drugs ranges from less than 0.01% to 4.6%. Countries with estimated prevalence rates higher than 2% are Cambodia, Hong Kong, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos and Malaysia. China, Myanmar and Vietnam have estimated prevalence rates ranging between less than 0.01% and 2%. Data to estimate prevalence rates was not available for Pacific Island countries and Brunei. Estimates of the prevalence of drug use are critical to policy development, planning responses and measuring the coverage of programs. However, reliable estimates of the numbers of people using illicit drugs are rare in Asia, particularly the Pacific. [source] Gelifluction: viscous flow or plastic creep?EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 12 2003Charles Harris Abstract This paper reports results from two scaled centrifuge modelling experiments, designed to simulate thaw-related geli,uction. A planar 12° prototype slope was modelled in each experiment, using the same natural ,ne sandy silt soil. However two different scales were used. In Experiment 1, the model scale was 1/10, tested in the centrifuge at 10 gravities (g) and in Experiment 2, the scale was 1/30, tested at 30 g. Centrifuge scaling laws indicate that the time scaling factor for thaw consolidation between model and prototype is N2, where N is the number of gravities under which the model was tested. However, the equivalent time scaling for viscous ,ow is 1/1. If geli,uction is a viscosity-controlled ,ow process, scaling con,icts will therefore arise during centrifuge modelling of thawing slopes, and rates of displacement will not scale accurately to the prototype. If, however, no such scaling con,icts are observed, we may conclude that geli,uction is not controlled by viscosity, but rather by elasto-plastic soil deformation in which frictional shear strength depends on effective stress, itself a function of the thaw consolidation process. Models were saturated, consolidated and frozen from the surface downwards on the laboratory ,oor. The frozen models were then placed in the geotechnical centrifuge and thawed from the surface down. Each model was subjected to four freeze,thaw cycles. Soil temperatures and pore water pressures were monitored, and frost heave, thaw settlement and downslope displacements measured. Pore water pressures, displacement rates and displacement pro,les re,ecting accumulated shear strain, were all similar at the two model scales and volumetric soil transport per freeze,thaw cycle, when scaled to prototype, were virtually identical. Displacement rates and pro,les were also similar to those observed in earlier full-scale laboratory ,oor experiments. It is concluded therefore that the modelled geli,uction was not a time-dependent viscosity-controlled ,ow phenomenon, but rather elasto-plastic in nature. A ,rst approximation ,,ow' law is proposed, based on the ,Cam Clay' constitutive model for soils. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Coastal conglomerates around the Hadjer el Khamis inselbergs (western Chad, central Africa): new evidence for Lake Mega-Chad episodesEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 10 2003Mathieu Schuster Abstract This paper reports on a study dealing with the rhyolitic inselbergs of Hadjer el Khamis that formed palaeoislands during Lake Mega-Chad events. Field observations have shown that: (1) conglomeratic patches of immature to mature clasts are preserved at the feet of the Hadjer el Khamis inselbergs; (2) in cross-section, their pro,le reveals a well de,ned cliff,platform junction at a constant elevation (325 m). The monolithological clasts show all degrees of roundness, from angular cobbles to well rounded pebbles. This wide range of maturity suggests a coastal origin for these cobbles. The system was permanently fed with angular clasts, which were progressively worn by waves. Cobbles that were wave-worked for the longest time are the best rounded. The cliff,platform junction is the result of erosion by waves, which attacked and undercut the inselberg cliffs during Lake Mega-Chad events. Asymmetrical erosion pro,les moreover suggest a wind regime dominated by SW to NE oriented winds. These interpretations have two implications. The elevation of the cliff,platform junction is an indication of the highest water level of Lake Mega-Chad at 320,325 m, which is in agreement with other observations elsewhere in the basin. The SW to NE oriented winds show that monsoon-related winds were prevalent during Lake Mega-Chad events, suggesting the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone was located higher in latitude than today. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Shaking table tests on seismic response of steel braced frames with column upliftEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 14 2006Mitsumasa Midorikawa Abstract Previous studies have suggested that rocking vibration accompanied by uplift motion might reduce the seismic damage to buildings subjected to severe earthquake motions. This paper reports on the use of shaking table tests and numerical analyses to evaluate and compare the seismic response of base-plate-yielding rocking systems with columns allowed to uplift with that of fixed-base systems. The study is performed using half-scale three-storey, 1 × 2 bay braced steel frames with a total height of 5.3 m. Base plates that yield due to column tension were installed at the base of each column. Two types of base plates with different thicknesses are investigated. The earthquake ground motion used for the tests and analyses is the record of the 1940 El Centro NS component with the time scale shortened by a factor of 1/,2. The maximum input acceleration is scaled to examine the structural response at various earthquake intensities. The column base shears in the rocking frames with column uplift are reduced by up to 52% as compared to the fixed-base frames. Conversely, the maximum roof displacements of the fixed and rocking frames are about the same. It is also noted that the effect of the vertical impact on the column associated with touchdown of the base plate is small because the difference in tensile and compressive forces is primarily due to the self-limiting tensile force in the column caused by yielding of the base plate. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An investigation of tuned liquid dampers equipped with damping screens under 2D excitationEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 7 2005M. J. Tait Abstract This paper reports on the results of a study conducted on tanks partially filled with water, representing tuned liquid dampers (TLD), subjected to both 1D and 2D horizontal excitations. The sloshing response of the water in the tank is characterized by the free surface motion, the resulting base shear force, and evaluation of the energy dissipated by the sloshing water. A 1D non-linear flow model capable of simulating a TLD equipped with damping screens is employed to model a 2D TLD. Application of this particular model requires the assumption that the response is decoupled and can be treated as the summation of two independent 1D TLDs. Results from the non-linear flow model are compared with the 2D experimental shake table test results leading to a validation of the decoupled response assumption. This attractive decoupled response property allows square and rectangular tanks to be used as 2D TLDs, which can simultaneously reduce the dynamic response of a structure in two perpendicular modes of vibration. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Active tendon control of cable-stayed bridges: a large-scale demonstrationEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 7 2001Frédéric Bossens This paper presents a strategy for active damping of cable structures, using active tendons. The first part of the paper summarizes the theoretical background: the control law is briefly presented together with the main results of an approximate linear theory which allows the prediction of closed-loop poles with a root locus technique. The second part of the paper reports on experimental results obtained with two test structures: the first one is a small size mock-up representative of a cable-stayed bridge during the construction phase. The control of the parametric vibration of passive cables due to deck vibration is demonstrated. The second one is a 30 m long mock-up built on the reaction wall of the ELSA test facility at the JRC Ispra (Italy); this test structure is used to demonstrate the practical implementation of the control strategy with hydraulic actuators. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] State Capacity, Conflict, and DevelopmentECONOMETRICA, Issue 1 2010Timothy Besley The absence of state capacities to raise revenue and to support markets is a key factor in explaining the persistence of weak states. This paper reports on an ongoing project to investigate the incentive to invest in such capacities. The paper sets out a simple analytical structure in which state capacities are modeled as forward looking investments by government. The approach highlights some determinants of state building including the risk of external or internal conflict, the degree of political instability, and dependence on natural resources. Throughout, we link these state capacity investments to patterns of development and growth. [source] TRANSACTION COST ECONOMICS: THE PRECURSORSECONOMIC AFFAIRS, Issue 3 2008Oliver E. Williamson Theories commonly progress through four stages, from informal to pre-formal to semi-formal and fully formal. This paper reports on the earliest stage of transaction cost economics that extended from the 1920s to the 1970s. That the gestation stage lasted so long is partly because transaction cost economics departed significantly from the then-prevailing economic orthodoxy. Also, and related, it is an interdisciplinary undertaking. As reported herein, transaction cost economics selectively combines economics, organisation theory and law and is the product of the contributions of some of the finest minds in those three fields. [source] Direct automatic determination of free and total anesthetic drugs in human plasma by use of a dual (microdialysis,microextraction by packed sorbent) sample treatment coupled at-line to NACE,MSELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 10 2009Gabriel Morales-Cid Abstract This paper reports for the first time the use of microextraction by packed sorbent in combination with CE. The combined system was used to determine anesthetic drugs in human plasma. A microdialysis fiber was coupled on-line to the microextraction unit in order to distinguish between free and total concentrations of drugs. The system was automated by connecting the microextraction unit to a syringe pump and interfacing it to a computer. The ensuing method allows the determination of 10,,g/L concentrations of free drugs and 1,,g/L concentrations of total drugs from only 200,,L of sample with an RSD of less than 9%. [source] Red blood cell quantification microfluidic chip using polyelectrolytic gel electrodesELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 9 2009Kwang Bok Kim Abstract This paper reports on a novel microfluidic chip with polyelectrolytic gel electrodes (PGEs) used to rapidly count the number of red blood cells (RBCs) in diluted whole blood. The proposed microdevice is based on the principle that the impedance across a microchannel between two PGEs varies sensitively as RBCs pass through it. The number and amplitude of impedance peaks provide the information about the number and size of RBCs, respectively. This system features a low-voltage dc detection method and non-contact condition between cells and metal electrodes. Major advantages include stable detection under varying cellular flow rate and position in the microchannel, little chance of cell damage due to high electric field gradient and no surface fouling of the metal electrodes. The performance of this PGEs-based system was evaluated in three steps. First, in order to observe the size-only dependence of the impedance signal, three different sizes of fluorescent microbeads (7.2, 10.0, and 15.0,,m; Bangs laboratories, USA) were used in the experiment. Second, the cell counting performance was evaluated by using 7.2,,m fluorescent microbeads, similar in size to RBCs, in various concentrations and comparing the results with an animal hematoanalyzer (MS 9-5; Melet schloesing laboratories, France). Finally, in human blood sample tests, intravenously collected whole blood was just diluted in a PBS without centrifuge or other pretreatments. The PGE-based system produced almost identical number of RBCs in over 800-fold diluted samples to the results from a commercialized human hematoanalyzer (HST-N402XE; Sysmex, Japan). [source] Primary teachers as readersENGLISH IN EDUCATION, Issue 1 2008Teresa Cremin Abstract In the context of the continued pressure and politicisation of the teaching of reading in England, the United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA) sought to ascertain patterns in primary teachers' reading, both personally and professionally. The project, undertaken in 11 Local Authorities in England, explored 1200 primary teachers' personal reading habits and preferences, investigated their knowledge of children's literature, and documented their reported use of texts in the classroom through a questionnaire. In addition, it sought to establish the extent of the teachers' involvement with and use of local area/school library services. This paper reports on the findings with reference to the teachers' personal reading, the frequency of this reading and the sources they use to select their reading material. It also considers the teachers' favourite childhood texts and the books they identified as highly significant to them, as well as their perceptions of the importance of literature. Connections are made to the data gathered about their knowledge of children's literature, and how primary teachers decide which literature to work with in the classroom. [source] ,No goats in the mother city': using Symbolic Objects to help students talk about diversity and changeENGLISH IN EDUCATION, Issue 1 2007Dr Arlene Archer Abstract This paper reports on a first year project in a South African engineering foundation programme which attempted to bring a cultural studies perspective to teaching academic literacy. Students identify and investigate everyday objects that have symbolic meanings in their communities. Objects are seen as catalysts for enabling student narratives to emerge, and are a way of exploring the tensions between convention and change in cultural practices. A project such as this breaks disciplinary frames, working across diverse contexts such as engineering and cultural studies. The aim is to begin to explore some of the complexities around ,development' in contexts of diversity and change, globalization and relocalization. [source] Participation of experts and non-experts in a sustainability assessment of mobilityENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 4 2009Lorraine Whitmarsh Abstract The complexity, ambiguity and subjectivity that surround persistent problems of unsustainability, such as mobility, highlight the importance of stakeholder engagement in both knowledge production and policy development. This paper reports on research within the EU-funded MATISSE project to develop tools and methods for Integrated Sustainability Assessment (ISA), a novel interdisciplinary and participatory approach to sustainability strategy development. Two different methods , expert focus groups and citizen deliberative workshops , were employed to elicit knowledge and preferences of European stakeholders in respect of sustainable mobility. Findings from these exercises indicate areas of both convergence and divergence in the visions of sustainable mobility futures depicted by different stakeholder groups. Stakeholders agreed on the need to address problems of unsustainability in the transport sector, and identified broadly similar environmental, social and economic criteria for sustainable transport. Amenity of transport was more important for citizens, while experts focussed on pragmatic and technological issues. Both groups favoured modal shift and novel technologies, and citizens also supported demand reduction measures and choices; however, a range of barriers to achieving sustainable mobility was also identified by participants. Stakeholder feedback suggests the process was valuable and acted as a forum for social learning and the co-production of knowledge by citizens and experts, while at the same time empowering these groups to participate in an important social issue such as transport. The value and limitations of these methods for ISA are discussed and avenues for further research proposed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Influence of complexation with chloride on the responses of a lux-marked bacteria bioassay to cadmium, copper, lead, and mercuryENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2000Charoon Sarin Abstract The toxicity of a heavy metal in solution to a microorganism depends not only on its concentration but also on pH and the concentrations of any aqueous complexing ligands in the microorganism's environment. This paper reports on the use of different inorganic resuscitation media and effect of the chloride ion, Cl,, on the bioluminescence response of a bacterial biosensor, Escherichia coli HB101 (pUCD607), to four metals: Cd, Cu, Hg, and Pb. The toxicity tests were conducted at pH 4, using 0.1 M KNO3 as resuscitation medium and adding KCl to investigate effect of Cl, concentration. The species distributions of metals as a function of Cl, concentration were calculated using GeoChem-PC. Resuscitation in 0.1 M KC1 gave significantly higher light output than that in 0.1 M KNO3, demonstrating that Cl, in the resuscitation medium has a direct effect on the bioluminescence response of the E. coli biosensor. Increasing concentrations of Cl, ions increased the toxicity of Hg, apparently because of the formation of HgCl,3, and increased the toxicity of Pb because of PbCl+ formation. The toxicity of Cu decreased at high Cl, concentrations as free Cu2+ decreased, in accordance with the free ion model. Concentrations of Cl, had no significant effect on the toxicity of Cd. This study clearly demonstrates that the chloro-complexes of some heavy metals can be toxic and, for Pb and Hg, more toxic than the free ion. [source] Size Independent Shape Memory Behavior of Nickel,Titanium,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 8 2010Blythe G. Clark While shape memory alloys such as NiTi have strong potential as active materials in many small-scale applications, much is still unknown about their shape memory and deformation behavior as size scale is reduced. This paper reports on two sets of experiments which shed light onto an inconsistent body of research regarding the behavior of NiTi at the nano- to microscale. In situ SEM pillar bending experiments directly show that the shape memory behavior of NiTi is still present for pillar diameters as small as 200,nm. Uniaxial pillar compression experiments demonstrate that plasticity of the phase transformation in NiTi is size independent and, in contrast to bulk single crystal observations, is not influenced by heat treatment (i.e., precipitate structure). [source] Unconditional respect for persons and the prediction of intergroup action tendenciesEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Mansur Lalljee Unconditional respect for persons is an orientation that rests on the assumption that all people have intrinsic worth and deserve respect simply by their being human. This paper reports three cross-sectional studies concerning unconditional respect in intergroup relations in three very different contexts. In all three studies, unconditional respect was positively related to positive action tendencies, and negatively related to negative action tendencies, toward other groups. Regression analyses showed that respect was a significant predictor of negative action tendencies even when attitude to the other group, social dominance orientation, empathy, and the quality and quantity of intergroup contact were statistically controlled. Moderation analyses showed that respect was particularly important under conditions of high threat. The implications of unconditional respect for intergroup relations are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Experimental and analytical studies of steel joint components at elevated temperaturesFIRE AND MATERIALS, Issue 2-4 2004Spyros Spyrou Abstract This paper reports on experimental furnace testing and development of simple analytical models intended to initiate the development of a Component Method for modelling of steel beam-to-column connections in fire conditions. The basic theme of the Component Method is to consider any joint as an assembly of individual simple components. Each of these components is simply a non-linear spring, possessing its own level of strength and stiffness in tension, compression or shear, and these will degrade as its temperature rises. The main objective of this study was to investigate experimentally and analytically the behaviour of tension and compression zones of end-plate connections at elevated temperatures. A series of experiments has been carried out, and these are described in the paper. Simplified analytical models of the component behaviour have been developed, and these have been validated against the tests and against detailed finite element simulations. The simplified models have been shown to be very reliable for this very common type of joint, although similar equations will need to be developed for other configurations. The component models developed have been shown to produce moment-rotation curves which correlate well with the results of previous furnace tests on complete connection behaviour in fire. The principles of the Component Method can be used directly in either simplified or finite element modelling, without attempting to predict of the overall joint behaviour in fire. This will enable semi-rigid behaviour to be taken into account in the analytical fire engineering design of steel-framed buildings, for which it is inadequate simply to consider the degradation of the ambient-temperature moment-rotation characteristics of a joint without taking account of the high axial forces which also occur. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Backhousia citriodora F. Muell.,Rediscovery and chemical characterization of the L -citronellal form and aspects of its breeding systemFLAVOUR AND FRAGRANCE JOURNAL, Issue 5 2001J. C. Doran Abstract The rare L -citronellal form of Backhousia citriodora F. Muell. was first reported in 1950 but attempts to relocate it were unsuccessful until 1996. The quest to relocate trees of this type has been driven by interest in L -citronellal for perfumery. The common, citral form of the species is already under cultivation for oil production in Australia. This paper reports on the rediscovery of the L -citronellal form, first in 1996 in a year-old provenance/progeny trial of B. citriodora in south-eastern Queensland, and then in a natural population on Queensland's Sunshine Coast in 1998. The three L -citronellal trees in the trial gave foliar oil concentrations (g/100 g dry weight) of 3.2, 2.2 and 1.8, respectively, when sampled in November 1996. The same trees sampled in March 1999 gave pale yellow oils consisting of 85,89% citronellal, 6,9% isopulegol isomers with small quantities of citronellol (approx. 3%) and several other compounds. Data on the physicochemical properties of these oils are given in the paper. Seed from a single mature L -citronellal tree gave progeny of both the L -citronellal and citral form in a ratio of approximately 1 : 1. Propagation material from many more plants of the L -citronellal form needs to be collected and assembled in breeding populations. This would form the basis of a selection and breeding programme, should this chemotype show economic potential. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||