scholarly journals A tale of three cities: climate heterogeneity

SERIEs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Dolores Gadea Rivas ◽  
Jesús Gonzalo

AbstractProfessor Dolado has developed much of his professional career in three cities: Zaragoza, Oxford and Madrid. This fact, together with the recent appearance of literature relating climate with human behavior, has inspired us to analyze a set of relevant climate change issues linked to these areas, particularly any possible heterogeneity. The novel methodology proposed in (Gadea Rivas and Gonzalo in J Econom 214:153–174, 2020a for analyzing a wide range of characteristics of the temperature distribution (converting them into time series objects), instead of focusing solely on the mean, allows us to carry out this analysis . Using this methodology, we can identify local warming patterns within the global warming phenomenon of different types and intensities. The results show that there is a clear warming process in the three areas. The two Spanish cities (Zaragoza and Madrid) have many similarities, but Oxford fits into a different type of warming category. The former are characterized by higher trends in the upper quantiles than in the lower, an increase in dispersion, acceleration and an “upper amplification” with respect to the mean. In Oxford, the type of climate change is different, displaying higher trends in the lower quantiles, a weak negative trend in dispersion, “lower amplification” and a more attenuated acceleration in recent decades. There is no doubt that a better knowledge of local warming heterogeneity is recommendable for the design of more effective mitigation policies. The influence of the climate on human behavior and, specifically, on Professor Dolado’s personality, takes us into lesser-known regions which are left for the reader to discern.

Buildings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariateresa Guadagnuolo ◽  
Marianna Aurilio ◽  
Andrea Basile ◽  
Giuseppe Faella

The assessment of the modulus of elasticity and compressive strength of masonry is a fundamental step in the seismic analysis of existing structures. In this paper, the representativeness of the values provided by flat-jack tests for tuff masonry is investigated through the analysis of a very large and homogeneous number of tests (635 double flat-jack tests). Data relate to existing buildings belonging to different historical and/or construction periods, located throughout the Campania region (Italy) in areas with different peculiarities. Results are compared with the values provided by Italian Building Code, containing ranges of the elastic modulus and compressive strength for different types of masonry. The values of flat-jack tests are then compared with laboratory tests available in the literature. Finally, comparisons with code equations are performed. It is shown that equations correlating the masonry compressive strength with the modulus of elasticity provide values larger than the mean of experimental data, whereas the equations correlating the masonry compressive strength with the strength of components provide lower values, if block and mortar strengths are varied within a probable and wide range.


Polymers ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Wang ◽  
Yu-Ke Wu ◽  
Fang-Fang Ai ◽  
Jie Fan ◽  
Zhao-Peng Xia ◽  
...  

Porous polym er materials have received great interest in both academic and industrial fields due to their wide range of applications. In this work, a porous polyamide 6 (PA6) material was prepared by a facile solution foaming strategy. In this approach, a sodium carbonate (SC) aqueous solution acted as the foaming agent that reacted with formic acid (FA), generating CO2 and causing phase separation of polyamide (PA). The influence of the PA/FA solution concentration and Na2CO3 concentration on the microstructures and physical properties of prepared PA foams were investigated, respectively. PA foams showed a hierarchical porous structure along the foaming direction. The mean pore dimension ranged from hundreds of nanometers to several microns. Low amounts of sodium salt generated from a neutralization reaction played an important role of heterogeneous nucleation, which increased the crystalline degree of PA foams. The porous PA materials exhibited low thermal conductivity, high crystallinity and good mechanical properties. The novel strategy in this work could produce PA foams on a large scale for potential engineering applications.


Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Streimikiene ◽  
Balezentis ◽  
Alisauskaite-Seskiene ◽  
Stankuniene ◽  
Simanaviciene

A wide range of climate change mitigation policies have been developed around the world and these policies have become one of the major concerns, however there is still debate among scientists about what are the main external benefits and how to account for them and prepare effective climate change mitigation policies that might be widely accepted by society in general. One of the main ways to assess external benefit of climate change mitigation in energy sector is to conduct Willingness to Pay (WTP) assessments for climate change mitigation options by households. There are many studies on WTP assessment for climate stability conducted in recent years. The paper surveys the existing literature on WTP for climate change mitigation policy in the energy sector. The aim of the paper is to identify the common variables across a varied set of WTP studies in order to establish a basis for comparison. The key variables selected for analysis of WTP studies for climate change mitigation in energy sector addressed in the paper are: the WTP assessment methods; the main attributes used for comparing alternatives in WTP studies, targeted climate change mitigation policies in energy sector, mathematical model used to estimate WTP, the main socio-demographic factors having impact on WTP for climate change mitigation policies. The analysis of WTP studies for climate change mitigation is grouped in two areas: renewables and energy efficiency measures in households. The paper provides analytical structure for future studies to evaluate the effects of variation in key comparative elements upon WTP.


Author(s):  
R. F. Warren ◽  
R. L. Wilby ◽  
K. Brown ◽  
P. Watkiss ◽  
Richard A. Betts ◽  
...  

A wide range of climate vulnerability and risk assessments have been implemented using different approaches at different scales, some with a broad multi-sectoral scope and others focused on single risks or sectors. This paper describes the novel approach to vulnerability and risk assessment which was designed and put into practice in the United Kingdom's Second Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA2) so as to build upon its earlier assessment (CCRA1). First, we summarize and critique the CCRA1 approach, and second describe the steps taken in the CCRA2 approach in detail, providing examples of how each was applied in practice. Novel elements of the approach include assessment of both present day and future vulnerability, a focus on the urgency of adaptation action, and a structure focused around systems of receptors rather than conventional sectors. Both stakeholders and reviewers generally regarded the approach as successful in providing advice on current risks and future opportunities to the UK from climate change, and the fulfilment of statutory duty. The need for a well-supported and open suite of impact indicators going forward is highlighted. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Advances in risk assessment for climate change adaptation policy'.


1994 ◽  
Vol 258 ◽  
pp. 255-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colm-Cille P. Caulfield

We develop a simple model for the behaviour of an inviscid stratified shear flow with a thin mixed layer of intermediate fluid. We find that the flow is simultaneously unstable to oscillatory disturbances that are a generalization of those discussed by Holmboe (1962), purely unstable modes analogous to those considered by Taylor (1931), and a new type of oscillatory disturbance at large wavelength. The relative significance of these different types of instability depends on the ratio R of the depth of the intermediate layer to the depth of the shear layer. For small values of R, the new type of oscillatory wave has both the largest growthrate for given bulk Richardson number Ri0, and is also primarily unstable to disturbances propagating at an angle to the mean flow, i.e. such modes violate the conditions of Squire's theorem (1933), and thus the assumption of initial two dimensionality of such flows is invalid. For intermediate values of R, the Holmboe-type modes and the Taylor-types modes may have wavelengths and phase speeds conducive to the formation of a resonant triad over a wide range of Ri0. Thus the presence of an intermediate layer in a stratified shear flow markedly changes its stability properties.


2019 ◽  
Vol 122 (3) ◽  
pp. 1073-1083
Author(s):  
Bryce P. Chung ◽  
Donald H. Edwards

Individual neurons can exhibit a wide range of activity, including spontaneous spiking, tonic spiking, bursting, or spike-frequency adaptation, and can also transition between these activity types. Manual identification of these activity patterns can be subjective and inconsistent. The extended hill-valley (EHV) analysis discriminates tonic spiking and bursts in a spike train by detecting fluctuations in a local, history-dependent analysis signal derived from the spike train. Consequently, the EHV method is not susceptible to changes in baseline firing rate and can identify different types of activity patterns. In addition, output from the EHV method can be used to identify more complex activity patterns such as phasotonic bursting, in which a burst is immediately followed by a period of tonic spiking. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Neurons exhibit diverse spiking patterns, but automated activity classification has focused mainly on detecting bursts. The novel extended hill-valley algorithm uses a smoothed, history-dependent signal to discriminate different types of activity, such as bursts and tonic spiking.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (25) ◽  
pp. eaay0814 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul R. Elsen ◽  
William B. Monahan ◽  
Eric R. Dougherty ◽  
Adina M. Merenlender

Protected areas (PAs) are essential to biodiversity conservation, but their static boundaries may undermine their potential for protecting species under climate change. We assessed how the climatic conditions within global terrestrial PAs may change over time. By 2070, protection is expected to decline in cold and warm climates and increase in cool and hot climates over a wide range of precipitation. Most countries are expected to fail to protect >90% of their available climate at current levels. The evenness of climatic representation under protection—not the amount of area protected—positively influenced the retention of climatic conditions under protection. On average, protection retention would increase by ~118% if countries doubled their climatic representativeness under protection or by ~102% if countries collectively reduced emissions in accordance with global targets. Therefore, alongside adoption of mitigation policies, adaptation policies that improve the complementarity of climatic conditions within PAs will help countries safeguard biodiversity.


IJOHMN ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Abhishek Verma

In the modern age of globalization and modernization, people have become selfish and self-centered.  Feeling of sympathy and kindness towards poor people have almost bolted from the hearts of those who have richly available resources.  They leave needy people running behind their luxurious chauffer-driven cars.  Poor and marginalized people keep shouting for help for their dear ones but upper class people trying to show as if they did not hear any long distant sound crept into their eardrums.  This trauma, agony, pain and sufferings is explored in the novel, The Foreigner.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 13-21
Author(s):  
Todd Backes ◽  
Charlene Takacs

There are a wide range of options for individuals to choose from in order to engage in aerobic exercise; from outdoor running to computer controlled and self-propelled treadmills. Recently, self-propelled treadmills have increased in popularity and provide an alternative to a motorized treadmill. Twenty subjects (10 men, 10 women) ranging in age from 19-23 with a mean of 20.4 ± 0.8 SD were participants in this study. The subjects visited the laboratory on three occasions. The purpose of the first visit was to familiarize the subject with the self-propelled treadmill (Woodway Curve 3.0). The second visit, subjects were instructed to run on the self-propelled treadmill for 3km at a self-determined pace. Speed data were collected directly from the self-propelled treadmill. The third visit used speed data collected during the self-propelled treadmill run to create an identically paced 3km run for the subjects to perform on a motorized treadmill (COSMED T150). During both the second and third visit, oxygen consumption (VO2) and respiratory exchange ratio (R) data were collected with COSMED’s Quark cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) metabolic mixing chamber system. The VO2 mean value for the self-propelled treadmill (44.90 ± 1.65 SE ml/kg/min) was significantly greater than the motorized treadmill (34.38 ± 1.39 SE ml/kg/min). The mean R value for the self-propelled treadmill (0.91 ± 0.01 SE) was significantly greater than the motorized treadmill (0.86 ± 0.01 SE). Our study demonstrated that a 3km run on a self-propelled treadmill does elicit a greater physiological response than a 3km run at on a standard motorized treadmill. Self-propelled treadmills provide a mode of exercise that offers increased training loads and should be considered as an alternative to motorized treadmills.


Author(s):  
V. Dodokhov ◽  
N. Pavlova ◽  
T. Rumyantseva ◽  
L. Kalashnikova

The article presents the genetic characteristic of the Chukchi reindeer breed. The object of the study was of the Chukchi reindeer. In recent years, the number of reindeer of the Chukchi breed has declined sharply. Reduced reindeer numbers could lead to biodiversity loss. The Chukchi breed of deer has good meat qualities, has high germination viability and is adapted in adverse tundra conditions of Yakutia. Herding of the Chukchi breed of deer in Yakutia are engaged only in the Nizhnekolymsky district. There are four generic communities and the largest of which is the agricultural production cooperative of nomadic tribal community «Turvaurgin», which was chosen to assess the genetic processes of breed using microsatellite markers: Rt6, BMS1788, Rt 30, Rt1, Rt9, FCB193, Rt7, BMS745, C 143, Rt24, OheQ, C217, C32, NVHRT16, T40, C276. It was found that microsatellite markers have a wide range of alleles and generally have a high informative value for identifying of genetic differences between animals and groups of animal. The number of identified alleles is one of the indicators of the genetic diversity of the population. The total number of detected alleles was 127. The Chukchi breed of deer is characterized by a high level of heterozygosity, and the random crossing system prevails over inbreeding in the population. On average, there were 7.9 alleles (Na) per locus, and the mean number of effective alleles (Ne) was 4.1. The index of fixation averaged 0.001. The polymorphism index (PIC) ranged from 0.217 to 0.946, with an average of 0.695.


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