Climate change in Switzerland: a review of physical, institutional, and political aspects

Climate change is clearly discernible in observed climate records in Switzerland. It impacts on natural systems, ecosystems, and economic sectors such as agriculture, tourism, and energy, and it affects Swiss livelihood in various ways. The observed and projected changes call for a response from the political system, which in Switzerland is characterized by federalism and direct democratic instruments. Swiss climate science embraces natural and social sciences and builds on institutionalized links between researchers, public, and private stakeholders. In this article, we review the physical, institutional, and political aspects of climate change in Switzerland. We show how the current state of Swiss climate science and policy developed over the past 20 years in the context of international developments and national responses. Specific to Switzerland is its topographic setting with mountain regions and lowlands on both sides of the Alpine ridge, which makes climate change clearly apparent and for some aspects (tourist sector, hydropower, and extreme events) highly relevant and better perceivable (e.g., retreating glaciers). Not surprisingly the Alpine region is of central interest in Swiss climate change studies.

A physical approach on flood risk vulnerability of buildings

The design of efficient hydrological risk mitigation strategies and their subsequent implementation relies on a careful vulnerability analysis of the elements exposed. Recently, extensive research efforts were undertaken to develop and refine empirical relationships linking the structural vulnerability of buildings to the impact forces of the hazard processes. These empirical vulnerability functions allow estimating the expected direct losses as a result of the hazard scenario based on spatially explicit representation of the process patterns and the elements at risk classified into defined typological categories. However, due to the underlying empiricism of such vulnerability functions, the physics of the damage-generating mechanisms for a well-defined element at risk with its peculiar geometry and structural characteristics remain unveiled, and, as such, the applicability of the empirical approach for planning hazard-proof residential buildings is limited. Therefore, we propose a conceptual assessment scheme to close this gap. This assessment scheme encompasses distinct analytical steps: modelling (a) the process intensity, (b) the impact on the element at risk exposed and (c) the physical response of the building envelope. Furthermore, these results provide the input data for the subsequent damage evaluation and economic damage valuation. This dynamic assessment supports all relevant planning activities with respect to a minimisation of losses, and can be implemented in the operational risk assessment procedure.

On the geographical distribution of some tropical diseases and their relation to physical phenomena /

"Reprinted from the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh."

A general view of the world : comprising a physical, political, and statistical account of its grand divisions ... with their empires, kingdoms, republics, principalities, & c : exhibiting the history of geographical science and the progress of discovery to the present time :

Mode of access: Internet.

Geography of the Soviet Union.

Includes bibliographies.

Between path dependency and contingency: new challenges for the geography of port system evolution.

Seaports play a critical role as gateways and facilitators of economic interchange and logistics processes and thus have become crucial nodes in globalised production networks andmobility systems. Both the physical port infrastructure and its operational superstructure have undergone intensive evolution processes in an effort to adapt to changing economic environments, technological advances,maritime industry expectations and institutional reforms. The results, in terms of infrastructure, operator models and the role of an individual port within the port system, vary by region, institutional and economic context. While ports have undoubtedly developed in scale to respond to the changing volumes and structures in geographies of trade (Wilmsmeier, 2015), the development of hinterland access infrastructure, regulatory systems and institutional structures have in many instances lagged behind. The resulting bottlenecks reflect deficits in the interplay between the economic system and the factors defining port development (e.g. transport demand, the structure of trade, transport services, institutional capacities, etc. cf. Cullinane and Wilmsmeier, 2011). There is a wide range of case study approaches and analyses of individual ports, but analyses from a port system perspective are less common, and those that exist are seldom critical of the dominant discourse assuming the efficiency of market competition (cf. Debrie et al., 2013). This special section aims to capture the spectrum of approaches in current geography research on port system evolution. Thus, the papers reach from the traditional spatial approach (Rodrigue and Ashar, this volume) to network analysis (Mohamed-Chérif and Ducruet, this volume) to institutional discussions (Vonck and Notteboom, this volume; Wilmsmeier and Monios, this volume). The selection of papers allows an opening of discussion and reflection on current research, necessary critical analysis of the influences on port systemevolution and,most importantly, future directions. The remainder of this editorial aims to reflect on these challenges and identify the potential for future research.

Place, policy and practitioners: on rehabilitation, independence and the therapeutic landscape in the changing geography of care provision to older people in the United Kingdom

A growing body of literature in geography and other social sciences considers the role of place in the provision of healthcare. Authors have focused on various aspects of place and care, with particular interests emerging around the role of the psychological, social and cultural aspects of place in care provision. As healthcare stretches increasingly beyond the traditional four walls of the hospital, so questions of the role of place in practices of care become ever more pertinent. In this paper, we examine the relationship between place and practice in the care and rehabilitation of older people across a range of settings, using qualitative material obtained from interviews and focus groups with nursing, care and rehabilitation staff working in hospitals, clients’ homes and other sites. By analysing their testimony on the characteristics of different settings, the aspects of place which facilitate or inhibit rehabilitation and the ways in which place mediates and is mediated by social interaction, we consider how various dimensions of place relate to the power-inscribed relationships between service users, informal carers and professionals as they negotiate the goals of the rehabilitation process. We seek to demonstrate how the physical, psychological and social meanings of place and the social processes engendered by the rehabilitation encounter interact to produce landscapes that are more or less therapeutic, considering in particular the structuring role of state policy and formal healthcare provision in this dynamic.

Silk Fibroin And Sodium Alginate Blend: Miscibility And Physical Characteristics.

Films of silk fibroin (SF) and sodium alginate (SA) blends were prepared by solution casting technique. The miscibility of SF and SA in those blends was evaluated and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that SF/SA 25/75 wt.% blends underwent microscopic phase separation, resulting in globular structures composed mainly of SF. X-ray diffraction indicated the amorphous nature of these blends, even after a treatment with ethanol that turned them insoluble in water. Thermal analyses of blends showed the peaks of degradation of pristine SF and SA shifted to intermediate temperatures. Water vapor permeability, swelling capacity and tensile strength of SF films could be enhanced by blending with SA. Cell viability remained between 90 and 100%, as indicated by in vitro cytotoxicity test. The SF/SA blend with self-assembled SF globules can be used to modulate structural and mechanical properties of the final material and may be used in designing high performance wound dressing.

[insomnia Symptoms, Daytime Naps And Physical Leisure Activities In The Elderly: Fibra Study Campinas].

The practice of physical activities contributes to reducing the risk of chronic diseases and improves sleep patterns in the elderly. This research aimed to investigate the association between insomnia symptoms and daytime nap and the participation in physical leisure activities in elderly community residents. Data from the Studies Network of the Fragility in Brazilian Elderly (Campinas site), were used. Information from 689 elderly was analyzed, regarding sociodemographic characterization, physical leisure activity, occurrence of daytime napping and its duration, symptoms of insomnia and use of sleep medication. A significant association was found between the practice of walking and the daytime nap of short duration. Studies indicate that a short nap can benefit the quality of sleep and health of the elderly. Therefore, promoting the practice of walking can be a nursing intervention that favors the sleep patterns of the elderly.

[association Between Physical And Psychosocial Impacts Of Oral Disorders And Quality Of Life Among The Elderly].

This study sought to evaluate the association between the impact of oral disorders in terms of physical/psychosocial dimensions and quality of life among the elderly. It involved a cross-sectional study conducted among the elderly (65-74 years) in 2008/2009. The social impact was assessed using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP 14) and the quality of life using the SF 12 Short-Form Health Survey. Descriptive, univariate and multivariate (logistic regression) analysis was conducted with correction for the design effect, using SPSS(r)18.0 software. Of the 800 individuals approached, 736 elderly individuals participated (TR = 92%), with a mean age of 67.77 years, the majority of whom showed no impact based on the measurement of the prevalence of OHIP. The functional limitation dimension of the OHIP was associated with the physical domain of the SF12, irrespective of the other variables investigated. However, the seriousness of OHIP and its psychological discomfort and disability dimensions was associated with the mental domain of the SF12. The conclusion reached is that some impacts of oral disorders were associated with unsatisfactory quality of life in the physical and mental domains.

Influence Of Fluorescent Dye On Physical-mechanical Properties Of Luting Cements For Confocal Microscopy Analysis.

To evaluate the influence of a fluorescent dye (rhodamine B) on the physical and mechanical properties of three different luting cements: a conventional adhesive luting cement (RelyX ARC, 3M/ESPE), a self-adhesive luting cement (RelyX U-200, 3M/ESPE), and a self-etching and self-adhesive luting cement (SeT PP, SDI). The cements were mixed with 0.03 wt% rhodamine B, formed into bar-shaped specimens (n = 10), and light cured using an LED curing unit (Radii, SDI) with a radiant exposure of 32 J/cm(2) . The Knoop hardness (KHN), flexural strength (FS), and Young's modulus (YM) analyses were evaluated after storage for 24 h. Outcomes were subjected to two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (P = 0.05) for multiple comparisons. No significant differences in FS or YM were observed among the tested groups (P ≥ 0.05); the addition of rhodamine B increased the hardness of the luting cements tested. The addition of a fluorescent agent at 0.03 wt% concentration does not negatively affect the physical-mechanical properties of the luting cement polymerization behavior.

Effect Of Spray Drying On The Sensory And Physical Properties Of Hydrolysed Casein Using Gum Arabic As The Carrier.

This study was aimed at spray drying hydrolysed casein using gum Arabic as the carrier agent, in order to decrease the bitter taste. Three formulations with differing proportions of hydrolysed casein: gum Arabic (10:90, 20:80 and 30:70) were prepared and characterized. They were evaluated for their moisture content, water activity, hygroscopicity, dispersibility in water and in oil, particle size and distribution, particle morphology, thermal behaviour (DSC) and bitter taste by a trained sensory panel using a paired-comparison test (free samples vs. spray dried samples). The proportion of hydrolysed casein did not affect the morphology of the microspheres. The spray drying process increased product stability and modified the dissolution time, but had no effect on the ability of the material to dissolve in either water or oil. The sensory tests showed that the spray drying process using gum Arabic as the carrier was efficient in attenuating or masking the bitter taste of the hydrolysed casein.