Nanocomposite based flexible ultrasensitive resistive gas sensor for chemical reactions studies

Room temperature operation, low detection limit and fast response time are highly desirable for a wide range of gas sensing applications. However, the available gas sensors suffer mainly from high temperature operation or external stimulation for response/recovery. Here, we report an ultrasensitive-flexible-silver-nanoparticle based nanocomposite resistive sensor for ammonia detection and established the sensing mechanism. We show that the nanocomposite can detect ammonia as low as 500 parts-per-trillion at room temperature in a minute time. Furthermore, the evolution of ammonia from different chemical reactions has been demonstrated using the nanocomposite sensor as an example. Our results demonstrate the proof-of-concept for the new detector to be used in several applications including homeland security, environmental pollution and leak detection in research laboratories and many others.

How much land-based greenhouse gas mitigation can be achieved without compromising food security and environmental goals?

Feeding 9-10billion people by 2050 and preventing dangerous climate change are two of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Both challenges must be met while reducing the impact of land management on ecosystem services that deliver vital goods and services, and support human health and well-being. Few studies to date have considered the interactions between these challenges. In this study we briefly outline the challenges, review the supply- and demand-side climate mitigation potential available in the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use AFOLU sector and options for delivering food security. We briefly outline some of the synergies and trade-offs afforded by mitigation practices, before presenting an assessment of the mitigation potential possible in the AFOLU sector under possible future scenarios in which demand-side measures codeliver to aid food security. We conclude that while supply-side mitigation measures, such as changes in land management, might either enhance or negatively impact food security, demand-side mitigation measures, such as reduced waste or demand for livestock products, should benefit both food security and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation. Demand-side measures offer a greater potential (1.5-15.6Gt CO2-eq. yr(-1)) in meeting both challenges than do supply-side measures (1.5-4.3Gt CO2-eq. yr(-1) at carbon prices between 20 and 100US$ tCO(2)-eq. yr(-1)), but given the enormity of challenges, all options need to be considered. Supply-side measures should be implemented immediately, focussing on those that allow the production of more agricultural product per unit of input. For demand-side measures, given the difficulties in their implementation and lag in their effectiveness, policy should be introduced quickly, and should aim to codeliver to other policy agenda, such as improving environmental quality or improving dietary health. These problems facing humanity in the 21st Century are extremely challenging, and policy that addresses multiple objectives is required now more than ever.

Descentraliza����o e centraliza����o na federa����o brasileira p��s-1988

Esta disserta����o visa apresentar tend��ncias do federalismo brasileiro com a promulga����o da Constitui����o de 1988. Para tanto, ela se divide em tr��s etapas. Na primeira, faz-se uma revis��o bibliogr��fica que remete ��s origens do federalismo e ��s principais escolas debatedoras do tema. Observam-se muitas diverg��ncias entre essas escolas, mas enfatiza-se o consenso que existe em torno da caracter��stica marcante das federa����es: a descentraliza����o pol��tica que confere autonomia aos entes federativos. O foco da segunda etapa �� a descentraliza����o na hist��ria do federalismo brasileiro. No que tange �� passagem do Imp��rio unit��rio �� Rep��blica federativa, a disserta����o recorre principalmente a relatos de importantes figuras pol��ticas contempor��neas do processo de transi����o. J�� no Brasil republicano, analisam-se as constitui����es federais e outros instrumentos legais e extralegais que deram forma e materializaram a federa����o. A essa an��lise, soma-se o suporte de historiadores e cientistas pol��ticos para construir um panorama das diversas fases do federalismo brasileiro. Verifica-se que s��o conflitantes as opini��es sobre a autonomia de fato dos entes federativos, em especial nos per��odos de ditadura. Na terceira etapa, parte-se do exame da transi����o da ditadura militar para o regime democr��tico e dos trabalhos da Assembleia Nacional Constituinte, em especial no que tange os debates acerca da descentraliza����o. A posterior investiga����o do texto constitucional de 1988 revela um arranjo federativo que consagrou a autonomia de quatro entes federativos (Uni��o, estados, Distrito Federal e munic��pios), cooperativo, que descentralizou receitas, mas centralizou compet��ncias. Em seguida, estuda-se a distribui����o de poder decis��rio entre os diferentes n��veis de governo em mat��ria de finan��as p��blicas, pol��ticas sociais, seguran��a-p��blica e auto-organiza����o. Conclui-se, ent��o, que o arranjo, gerado em uma atmosfera favor��vel �� descentraliza����o, �� marcado pela conviv��ncia com tend��ncias politicamente centralizadoras, motivadas por est��mulos heterog��neos

A p��s-gradua����o em Estudos de Problemas Brasileiros na UERJ: uma reflex��o sociol��gica sobre um projeto de socializa����o pol��tica no Brasil

Esta tese tem como objetivo principal analisar o processo de montagem e desmontagem de um projeto de p��s-gradua����o em Estudo de Problemas Brasileiros, desenvolvido na UERJ em meados dos anos 70, que visava a socializa����o pol��tica dos jovens na ideologia do regime militar. A UERJ foi ber��o para o desenvolvimento dos cursos de Especializa����o e Mestrado em EPB, que sobreviveram at�� os primeiros anos do regime democr��tico, nos anos 80. Defende-se nesta tese que a p��s-gradua����o em EPB da UERJ expressa o transplante de um projeto de Mestrado em EPB criado na Escola Superior de Guerra e fundamentado na Doutrina de Seguran��a Nacional, com vistas a garantir a reprodu����o da ideologia do regime militar, atrav��s da proje����o sobre o campo educacional-universit��rio. Para compreender o referido processo de transplante, com seus respectivos interesses, mostrou-se necess��rio explicitar as rela����es de colabora����o existentes entre autoridades da UERJ e da ESG a partir dos anos 60 e as pr��prias condi����es de possibilidade para a UERJ, e n��o outra universidade, ter sido palco para o estabelecimento dessas rela����es e do desenvolvimento da ��nica experi��ncia de p��s-gradua����o stricto sensu em EPB no Brasil. Esta tese sustenta-se sobre a an��lise de fontes prim��rias relativas aos cursos de Especializa����o e Mestrado em EPB da UERJ e aos cursos desenvolvidos na ESG no in��cio dos anos 70. Fontes secund��rias tamb��m foram importantes para remontar a hist��ria da UERJ, do regime militar e do Estudo de Problemas Brasileiros no pa��s. O marco temporal deste estudo compreende cerca de duas d��cadas, indo do final dos anos 60, quando as rela����es entre civis e militares da UERJ e ESG come��aram a ser tecidas, at�� o final dos anos 80, quando foram extintos os cursos de Especializa����o e Mestrado em EPB na UERJ.

An ecological characterization of the marine resources of Vieques, Puerto Rico Part II: Field studies of habitats, nutrients, contaminants, fish, and benthic communities

Since the 1940s, portions of the Island of Vieques, Puerto Rico have been used by the United States Navy (USN) as an ammunition support detachment and bombing and maneuver training range. In April 2001, the USN began phasing out military activities on the island and transferring military property to the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Municipality of Vieques, and the Puerto Rico Conservation Trust. A small number of studies have been commissioned by the USN in the past few decades to assess selected components of the coral reef ecosystem surrounding the island; however, these studies were generally of limited geographic scope and short duration. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration���s (NOAA) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), in consultation with NOAA���s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) and other local and regional experts, conducted a more comprehensive characterization of coral reef ecosystems, contaminants, and nutrient distribution patterns around Vieques. This work was conducted using many of the same protocols as ongoing monitoring work underway elsewhere in the U.S. Caribbean and has enabled comparisons among coral reef ecosystems in Vieques and other locations in the region. This characterization of Vieques��� marine ecosystems consists of a two part series. First, available information on reefs, fish, birds, seagrasses, turtles, mangroves, climate, geology, currents, and human uses from previous studies was gathered and integrated into a single document comprising Part I of this two part series (Bauer et al. 2008). For Part II of the series, presented in this document, new field studies were conducted to fill data gaps identified in previous studies, to provide an island-wide characterization, and to establish baseline values for the distribution of habitats, nutrients, contaminants, fish, and benthic communities. An important objective underlying this suite of studies was to quantify any differences in the marine areas adjacent to the former and current land-use zoning around Vieques. Specifically of interest was the possibility that either Naval (e.g., practice bombing, munitions storage) or civilian activities (e.g., sewage pollutants, overfishing) could have a negative impact on adjacent marine resources. Measuring conditions at this time and so recently after the land transfer was essential because present conditions are likely to be reflective of past land-use practices. In addition, the assessment will establish benchmark conditions that can be influenced by the potentially dramatic future changes in land-use practices as Vieques considers its development. This report is organized into seven chapters that represent a suite of interrelated studies. Chapter 1 provides a short introduction to the island setting, the former and current land-use zoning, and how the land zoning was used to spatially stratify much of the sampling. Chapter 2 is focused on benthic mapping and provides the methods, accuracy assessment, and results of newly created benthic maps for Vieques. Chapter 3 presents the results of new surveys of fish, marine debris, and reef communities on hardbottom habitats around the island. Chapter 4 presents results of flora and fauna surveys in selected bays and lagoons. Chapter 5 examines the distribution of nutrients in lagoons, inshore, and offshore waters around the island. Chapter 6 is focused on the distribution of chemical contaminants in sediments and corals. Chapter 7 is a brief summary discussion that highlights key findings of the entire suite of studies.

The potential of community fish refuges (CFRs) in rice field agro-ecosystems for improving food and nutrition security in the Tonle Sap region

The fisheries sector in Cambodia contributes 8%���12% to national GDP and 25% - 30% to agricultural GDP, with an estimated 4.5 million people involved in fishing and associated trades. Fish and other aquatic animals are important food sources, contributing an estimated national average of 60% - 70% of total animal protein intake. Of the 2013 total fish production, 550,000 metric tons were harvested from freshwater habitats, of which rice field fisheries and small-scale family fisheries contributed approximately 20%. The productivity and value of rice field fisheries to households in rural Cambodia has been highlighted in a number of previous studies. The Fisheries Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries plans to increase productivity from rice field fisheries and aquaculture at an annual rate of 15% to maintain supply for a growing population. This report draws mainly on the baseline and monitoring data from the Rice Field Fisheries Enhancement Project (RFFEP) during its implementation between 2012 and 2014. Reference is also made to the Fish on Farms project to highlight the relative contribution of fish from small-scale aquaculture compared to wild-caught fish.

Experimental studies of an accelerating, pitching, flat plate at low Reynolds number

The understanding of low Reynolds number aerodynamics is becoming increasingly prevalent with the recent surge in interest in advanced Micro-Air Vehicle (MAV) technology. Research in this area has been primarily stimulated by a military need for smaller, more versatile, autonomous, surveillance aircraft. The mechanism for providing the high lift coefficient required forMAV applications is thought to be largely influenced by the formation of a Leading Edge Vortex (LEV). This paper analyses experimentally, the influence of the LEV effect for a flat plate wing (AR = 4) under fast and slow pitch-up motions at Re =10,000 using a combination of dye flow visualisation and PIV measurements. It is found that a fast pitch over 1c shows a flow topology dominant LEV, while for a slow pitch case over 6c, the flow is largely separated. The development of the suction surface flow and the LEV was strongly correlated with the kinematics of the leading edge, suggesting that the effective local angle of incidence at the Leading Edge (LE) is of considerable significance in unsteady pitching motions. �� 2013 by P.R.R.J Stevens.

Health, security and foreign policy

McInnes, C., Lee, K. (2006). Health, security and foreign policy. Review of International Studies, 32 (1), 5-23. RAE2008

Land Use and Military Supply in the Highland Zone of Roman Britain

Davies, Jeffrey. 'Land Use and Military Supply in the Highland Zone of Roman Britain', In: Artefacts and Archaeology. Aspects of the Celtic and Roman World (University of Wales Press, 2002), pp.44-61 RAE2008

Health Security in the White Book on National Security of the Republic of Poland - A Review of Provisions

The paper reviews the provisions of the White Book on National Security of the Republic of Poland. It states that the issue of health security is not given adequate significance there. The accessibility of health services is considered, in general, solely in terms of their availability. The assumptions concerning the concept of providing the number of beds required in a state of threat to national security and in time of war do not take into account the current socio-economic conditions and need to be reviewed. The conclusions emphasize the dilemmas that emerge as a result of the unilateral promotion of a single category of national security, that is military security, in the context of ensuring health security.

The protection and security of vulnerable populations in complex emergencies using the Dadaab refugee camps in the north eastern province of Kenya as a case study

The past two decades has seen a dramatic upheaval in the international world order: the end of the Cold War, the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent 'War on Terror', increased Jihadist activities, the accelerated pace of globalization, climate change and the 2008 global financial crisis have contributed to fear, uncertainty, poverty, conflict, massive displacements of populations of asylum seekers and refugees globally and a proliferation of Protracted Refugee Situations (PRS), defined as situations in which refugees have been in exile 'for 5 years or more after their initial displacement, without immediate prospects for implementation of durable solutions. In the past two decades there has been a huge proliferation of these with more than 7.2 million refugees now trapped in these PRS, with a further 16 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) trapped in camps within their own countries. The Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya, which of as March 2012, holds over 463,000 refugees, is the most significant and extreme example in recent times of a PRS. It was established in 1991 following the collapse of the Somali Government of Dictator Siad Barre, and the disintegration of Somalia into the chaos that still exists today. PRS such as Dadaab raise particular issues about humanitarianism in terms of aid, protection, security, human rights and the actions (or inaction) of the various stakeholders on an international, national and local level. This thesis investigates these issues by the use of a case study methodology on Dadaab as a PRS, framed in the context of humanitarianism and in particular the issues that arise in terms of how the international community, the UN system and individual states provide assistance and protection to vulnerable populations. Although the refugee camps have been in existence (as of 2012) for over 20 years, there has never been such a detailed study of Dadaab (or any other PRS) undertaken to date and would be of interest to academics in the areas of international relations, refugee/migration studies and global Governance as well as practitioners in both humanitarian response and development

Traceable Radiometry Underpinning Terrestrial- and Helio-Studies (truths)

The Traceable Radiometry Underpinning Terrestrial- and Helio- Studies (TRUTHS) mission offers a novel approach to the provision of key scientific data with unprecedented radiometric accuracy for Earth Observation (EO) and solar studies, which will also establish well-calibrated reference targets/standards to support other EO missions. This paper presents the TRUTHS mission and its objectives. TRUTHS will be the first satellite mission to calibrate its EO instrumentation directly to SI in orbit, overcoming the usual uncertainties associated with drifts of sensor gain and spectral shape by using an electrical rather than an optical standard as the basis of its calibration. The range of instruments flown as part of the payload will also provide accurate input data to improve atmospheric radiative transfer codes by anchoring boundary conditions, through simultaneous measurements of aerosols, particulates and radiances at various heights. Therefore, TRUTHS will significantly improve the performance and accuracy of EO missions with broad global or operational aims, as well as more dedicated missions. The provision of reference standards will also improve synergy between missions by reducing errors due to different calibration biases and offer cost reductions for future missions by reducing the demands for on-board calibration systems. Such improvements are important for the future success of strategies such as Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) and the implementation and monitoring of international treaties such as the Kyoto Protocol. TRUTHS will achieve these aims by measuring the geophysical variables of solar and lunar irradiance, together with both polarised and unpolarised spectral radiance of the Moon, Earth and its atmosphere.

RED COATS AND WILD BIRDS: MILITARY CULTURE AND ORNITHOLOGY ACROSS THE NINETEENTH-CENTURY BRITISH EMPIRE

���Red coats and wild birds: military culture and ornithology across the nineteenth-century British Empire��� investigates the intersections between British military culture and the practices and ideas of ornithology, with a particular focus on the British Mediterranean. Considering that British officers often occupied several imperial sites over the course of their military careers, to what extent did their movements shape their ornithological knowledge and identities at ���home��� and abroad? How did British military naturalists perceive different local cultures (with different attitudes to hunting, birds, field science, etc.) and different local natures (different sets of birds and environments)? How can trans-imperial careers be written using not only textual sources (for example, biographies and personal correspondence) but also traces of material culture? In answering these questions, I centre my work on the Mediterranean region as a ���colonial sea��� in the production of hybrid identities and cultural practices, and the mingling of people, ideas, commodities, and migratory birds. I focus on the life geographies of four military officers: Thomas Wright Blakiston, Andrew Leith Adams, L. Howard Lloyd Irby, and Philip Savile Grey Reid. By the mid-nineteenth century, the Mediterranean region emerged as a crucial site for the security of the British ���empire route��� to India and South Asia, especially with the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. Military stations served as trans-imperial sites, connecting Britain to India through the flow of military manpower, commodities, information, and bodily experiences across the empire. By using a ���critical historical geopolitics of empire��� to examine the material remnants of the ���avian imperial archive,��� I demonstrate how the practices and performances of British military field ornithology helped to: materialize the British Mediterranean as a moral ���semi-tropical��� place for the physical and cultural acclimatization of British officers en route to and from India; reinforce imperial presence in the region; and make ���visible in new ways��� the connectivity of North Africa to Europe through the geographical distribution of birds. I also highlight the ways in which the production of ornithological knowledge by army officers was entwined with forms of temperate martial masculinity.