Changes in the storage and sink of carbon dioxide in subsurface atmospheres controlled by climate-driven processes: the case of the Ojo Guareña karst system

A comprehensive environmental monitoring program was conducted in the Ojo Guareña cave system (Spain), one of the longest cave systems in Europe, to assess the magnitude of the spatiotemporal changes in carbon dioxide gas (CO2) in the cave–soil–atmosphere profile. The key climate-driven processes involved in gas exchange, primarily gas diffusion and cave ventilation due to advective forces, were characterized. The spatial distributions of both processes were described through measurements of CO2 and its carbon isotopic signal (δ13C[CO2]) from exterior, soil and cave air samples analyzed by cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS). The trigger mechanisms of air advection (temperature or air density differences or barometric imbalances) were controlled by continuous logging systems. Radon monitoring was also used to characterize the changing airflow that results in a predictable seasonal or daily pattern of CO2 concentrations and its carbon isotopic signal. Large daily oscillations of CO2 levels, ranging from 680 to 1900 ppm day−1 on average, were registered during the daily oscillations of the exterior air temperature around the cave air temperature. These daily variations in CO2 concentration were unobservable once the outside air temperature was continuously below the cave temperature and a prevailing advective-renewal of cave air was established, such that the daily-averaged concentrations of CO2 reached minimum values close to atmospheric background. The daily pulses of CO2 and other tracer gases such as radon (222Rn) were smoothed in the inner cave locations, where fluctuation of both gases was primarily correlated with medium-term changes in air pressure. A pooled analysis of these data provided evidence that atmospheric air that is inhaled into dynamically ventilated caves can then return to the lower troposphere as CO2-rich cave air.

Evolution of surface properties of ornamental granitoids exposed to high temperatures

Granite submitted to high temperatures may lead to the loss of aesthetic values even before structural damage is caused. Thirteen granitoids were exposed to target temperatures, 200 °C, 400 °C, 600 °C, 800 °C and 1000 °C. Damage characterisation, including roughness, colour and oxidation of chromogen elements by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was assessed. Altered granitoids are more resistant to structural failure but redden rapidly. Black mica-rich granitoids turn into yellow with a maximum at 800 °C. Alkali feldspar-rich granitoids redden progressively due to iron oxidation. Roughness varies progressively in mica-rich granitoids, while in mica-poor granitoids, an increase in roughness precedes catastrophic failure.

The minimum number of measurements for colour, sparkle, and graininess characterisation in gonio-apparent panels

Materials with new visual appearances have emerged over the last few years. In the automotive industry in particular there is a growing interest in materials with new effect finishes, such as metallic, pearlescent, sparkle, and graininess effects. Typically, for solid colours the mean of three measurements with repetitions is sufficient to obtain a representative measurement for colour characterisation. However, gonio-apparent panels have non-homogeneous colours, and there are no studies that recommend the minimum number of repetitions for colour, sparkle, and graininess characterisation of this type of panel. We assume that colour panels incorporating special-effect pigments in their colour recipes will require a higher minimum number of measurements than solid colour panels. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to verify this assumption by using a multiangle BYK-mac spectrophotometer, given that it is currently the only commercial device that can measure colour, sparkle, and graininess values simultaneously. In addition, a possible methodology is given for establishing the minimum number of measurements when characterising gonio-apparent materials using a specific instrument, able to be implemented in future instruments when determining multiple appearance attributes (colour, gloss, sparkle, etc.) for many coloration technologies. Thus, we studied the minimum number of measurements needed to characterise the colour, sparkle, and graininess of three types of sample with solid, metallic, and pearlescent coatings respectively. Twenty measurements were made at twenty random positions (different target areas) of 90 samples. The minimum number of measurements for all these variables was determined on the basis of the point at which the cumulative mean value became constant. Thus, applying new statistical tools, it is clearly shown that metallic and pearlescent panels require more colour measurements than solid panels, in particular when geometries are being measured in a specular direction. As regards texture (sparkle and graininess), more measurements are needed for graininess than for sparkle, and more for metallic panels than for pearlescent panels.

Taking Issue with History: Empathy and the Ethical Imperatives of Creative Interventions

The purpose of this thesis was to contribute to a dialogue that considers the relationship between history, literature, and empathy as a literary affect. Specifically, I explored sites of literature’s transformative potential as it relates to cultural studies and the ethics of deconstruction. Via a deconstructive, post-colonial reading of Toni Morrison’s Beloved and Junot Díaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, I considered how subjects in our current socio-political moment can feel history. Emerging from a post-structurally mediated engagement with history, signification, and feeling, I argued that empathy, as it is contentiously presented in the context of deconstruction, is not necessarily a reductive or essentialist approach towards relating or “being-with” an-other. Instead, I proposed that the act of reading historiographical novels that take constructions of the Atlantic Slave Trade to task might generate an affective empathy, which could in turn engender a more empathetic relationality and way of being-in-the-world.

From human capacity development to national capacity development : a report on capacity development in the economic and public sectors of PNG during 2006-2013

This Report concerns capacity development in the economic and public sectors of PNG. In particular, it focuses on the use of advisers to develop the capacity of PNG counterparts in economic and public sector agencies. Such advisers were funded by the Government of Australia and completed or commenced their placements during the period 2006–2013. The research was commissioned by (then) AusAID and commenced in mid-2012. It was completed in mid-2014 under the auspices of Australian Aid, Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade. The project was overseen by the Economic and Public Sector Program administered by Coffey International. The research addressed several research questions about adviser-counterpart placements: What are the advisers’ and counterparts’ views of the success or otherwise of their partnerships in achieving their placements’ stated aims? What approaches were adopted to enable counterparts to learn what was required to fulfil their placements’ aims? What were the main things learned by counterparts? What can be understood from these experiences and how might capacity development be improved? What were the main enablers of and impediments to the success of the placements? What have been the outcomes of the introduction of other modalities of capacity development including short-term consultants, twinning arrangements, targeted training, grants and research? Do these modalities provide increased efficiencies and effectiveness compared to adviser-counterpart placements? What are the main improvements that can be made to ensure the success of future adviser-counterpart placements? What do major stakeholders in PNG conclude from the evidence produced by this study about the impact and success of adviser-counterpart placements? What may be asserted from the evidence of the worth or otherwise of adviser-counterpart placements and other capacity development modalities undertaken since 2006? What suggestions or recommendations may be made for the future?

Regional habitat needs of a nationally listed species, Canada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis), in Alberta, Canada

Understanding factors that affect the distribution and abundance of species is critical to developing effective management plans for conservation. Our goal was to quantify the distribution and abundance of Canada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis), a threatened old-forest associate in Alberta, Canada. The Canada Warbler has declined across its range, including in Alberta where habitat loss and alteration from urban expansion, forestry, and energy development are changing the forest landscape. We used 110,427 point count survey visits from 32,287 unique survey stations to model local-level (150-m radius circular buffers) and stand-level (564-m radius circular buffers) habitat associations of the Canada Warbler. We found that habitat supporting higher densities of Canada Warblers was locally concentrated yet broadly distributed across Alberta’s boreal forest region. Canada Warblers were most commonly associated with older deciduous forest at the local scale, particularly near small, incised streams, and greater amounts of deciduous forest at the stand scale. Predicted density was lower in other forest types and younger age classes measured at the local scale. There was little evidence that local-scale fragmentation (i.e., edges created by linear features) influenced Canada Warbler abundance. However, current forestry practices in the province likely will reduce the availability of Canada Warbler habitat over time by cutting old deciduous forest stands. Our results suggest that conservation efforts aimed at Canada Warbler focus on retaining large stands of old deciduous forest, specifically stands adjacent to streams, by increasing the width of deciduous retention buffers along streams during harvest and increasing the size and number of old forest residual patches in harvested stands.

Itinerarios burocráticos y ciudadanía transitoria: un acercamiento al desplazamiento Emberá en Bogotá.

Del año 2013 al 2015, los indígenas Emberá desplazados en Bogotá, a causa del reconocimiento que el estado les dio por ser sujetos del desplazamiento, estuvieron obligados a encarar dos formas de gubernamentalidad estatal que tuvieron múltiples consecuencias en su vida cotidiana. La primera de estas formas de gubernamentalidad se manifestó en una ciudadanía multicultural (aquí llamada ciudadanía transitoria) la cual, desde el subsidio de vivienda reconocido con albergues en la ciudad, limitó diferentes derechos Emberá bajo el argumento multicultural de que en la ciudad la cultura y, ellos mismos físicamente, eran vulnerables. La consecuencia de este discurso, con el que se les permitió dormir en un techo digno, fue la de obligarlos en buena medida a asumir su vida en la ciudad como un transito hacia el retorno a su territorio de origen, desde donde habían salido, sobre todo, huyendo de la violencia. Por otra parte, la segunda forma de gubernamentalidad tuvo que ver con una serie de itinerarios burocráticos que asumían los Emberá una vez llegaban a la ciudad. Estos eran recorridos que emprendían por diferentes burocracias de los gobiernos nacional y local con el propósito de exigirle al estado el reconocimiento de sus derechos. En cada uno de estos recorridos se desenmascaraba una forma de violencia estatal (característica del funcionamiento de las burocracias) que, como se puede ver en esta tesis, tenía profundas repercusiones en el día a día de los indígenas Emberá dentro de la urbe.

Small states and the promotion of their foreign policy agenda in the international scenario: Trinidad and Tobago and the Kyoto Protocol

Este estudio de caso busca identificar los elementos del portafolio de política exterior de Trinidad y Tobago que le permitieron promover exitosamente sus intereses en el Protocolo de Kioto. Al hacer esto, este texto analizará las limitaciones de Trinidad y Tobago en términos de vulnerabilidades de localización, burocracia y recursos. Posteriormente, una revisión del portafolio de política exterior de este Estado ilustrará el uso de estrategias de creación de capacidades y de organización como lo son el contacto con actores institucionales y no gubernamentales, la formación de coaliciones y estrategias argumentativas, entre otras. Finalmente, este artículo concluirá que dichas acciones permitieron la promoción de la agenda de política exterior de Trinidad y Tobago a través de la creación de hojas de ruta y la coordinación de la incertidumbre con el Protocolo de Kioto. Para hacer esto, este trabajo se concentrará en examinar conceptos como vulnerabilidad y priorización, asimismo contrastando diferentes artículos académicos en la materia junto con documentos oficiales de Trinidad y Tobago.

Purity of Blood and the Curial Market in Iberian Cathedrals

This article analyses the dynamics of accessing cathedral chapters with purity of blood statutes in the Iberian Peninsula, from a comparative perspective, and the interaction with the phenomenon of commodification of ecclesiastical benefices. This phenomenon created a Curial market that was open to any applicant with sufficient economic capacity, regardless of their ancestry. What was the result of the clash between the Iberian concept of purity and the commodified Roman reality?

FM as a Business Enabler

As a functioning performing arts centre, commercial enterprise, tourist attraction and major national asset, Sydney Opera House must continue to demonstrate the optimal use and effectiveness of its facilities management (FM) to provide value for its stakeholders. To better achieve this, the Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation focussed on the following three themes for investigation in the FM Exemplar Project — Sydney Opera House: digital modelling — developing a building information model capable of integrating information from disparate software systems and hard copy, and combining this with a spatial 3D computeraided design (CAD)/geographic information system (GIS) platform. This model offers a visual representation of the building and its component elements in 3D, and provides comprehensive information on each element. The model can work collaboratively through an open data exchange standard (common to all compliant software) in order to mine the data required to further FM objectives (such as maintenance) more efficiently and effectively. services procurement — developing a multi-criteria performance-based procurement framework aligned with organisational objectives for FM service delivery performance benchmarking — developing an FM benchmarking framework that enables facilities/ organisations to develop key performance indicators (KPIs) to identify better practice and improvement strategies. These three research stream outcomes were then aligned within the broader context of Sydney Opera House’s Total Asset Management (TAM) Plan and Strategic Asset Maintenance (SAM) Plan in arriving at a business framework aligned with, and in support of, organisational objectives. The Sydney Opera House is managed by the Sydney Opera House Trust on behalf of the Government of the State of New South Wales. Within the framework of the TAM Plan prepared in accordance with NSW Treasury Guidelines, the assimilation of these three themes provides an integrated FM solution capable of supporting Sydney Opera House’s business objectives and functional requirements. FM as a business enabler showcases innovative methods in improving FM performance, a better alignment of service and performance objectives and provides a better-practice model to support the business enterprise.

Reflections on the Hong Kong CIRC report

The Government of the Hong Kong SAR sponsored a report investigating the Hong Kong construction inudstry and published the investigating committee's findings in 2001 (HK CIRC 2001). Since then the Provisional Construction Industry Coordination Board (PCICB), and its successor, the Construction Industry Council (CIC), also set up by the Government, has made progress with the necessary reforms. Now that seven years have passed, it is time for an independent evaluation of the impact of the CIRC initiative in order to assist the CIC and the Government decision-makers in refining the efforts to improve the industry's performance. This paper reports on the interim results of a study that seeks to provide such an evaluation.

Departures from tradition : the early years learning framework for Australia

In 2009, the Commonwealth Government of Australia published the first national learning framework for use with children aged birth to five years. The framework marks a departure from tradition in that it emphasizes intentional teaching, learning as well as child development, a particular type of play-based learning, outcomes, and equity. This article analyzes aspects of the document that depart from well established approaches to early childhood education in Australia and identifies challenges for educators who are required to use the document. It concludes that ongoing and supportive professional learning opportunities must accompany the introduction and enactment of the document.

Carbon financing and the Australian emissions trading scheme : less emissions, more opportunities?

The introduction by the Australian federal government of its Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme was a decisive step in the transformation of Australia into a low carbon economy. Since the release of the Scheme, however, political discourse relating to environmental sustainability and climate change in Australia has focused primarily on political, scientific and economic issues. Insufficient attention has been paid to the financial opportunities which commoditisation of the carbon market may offer, and little emphasis has been placed on the legal implications for the creation of a "new" asset and market. This article seeks to shed some light on the discernable opportunities which the Scheme should provide to participants in the Australian and international debt markets.

Libya and the international community’s 'responsibility to protect'

The Libyan regime’s attacks on its own civilian population are a test case for the international community’s commitment to the notion of a “responsibility to protect” (R2P). The UN Security Council’s statement on 22 February 2011 explicitly invoked this concept by calling on “the Government of Libya to meet its responsibility to protect its population”. Yet, with Muammar Gaddafi encouraging further violence against protesters and threatening to fight “until the last drop of blood” it seems unlikely that the Security Council’s warning will be heeded. Greater pressure from the international community will be needed to bring an end to the atrocities in Libya. The international response to the Libyan crisis represents an opportunity to translate the theory of R2P into practice.