Paper 1: The disruptive forces of the sharing economy

Overview: - The sharing economy unlocks a previously unused value of goods and labour, and causes disruption in established industries. - The pattern of disruption is similar regardless of the industry that's impacted. While the initial phases of disruption are transformational for many (e.g. lost jobs), often the industries end up stronger than before they were before the disruption. - Due to different in setting, upholding and enforcing standards, it is hard to assess the regulatory trade-offs. Safety, labour relations and social fairness are important factors to consider across the industry.

Simulation of ENSO-Related Surface Winds in the Tropical Pacific by an Atmospheric General Circulation Model Forced by Observed Sea Surface Temperatures

The authors present the simulation of the tropical Pacific surface wind variability by a low-resolution (R15 horizontal resolution and 18 vertical levels) version of the Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Interactions, Maryland, general circulation model (GCM) when forced by observed global sea surface temperature. The authors have examined the monthly mean surface winds acid precipitation simulated by the model that was integrated from January 1979 to March 1992. Analyses of the climatological annual cycle and interannual variability over the Pacific are presented. The annual means of the simulated zonal and meridional winds agree well with observations. The only appreciable difference is in the region of strong trade winds where the simulated zonal winds are about 15%-20% weaker than observed, The amplitude of the annual harmonics are weaker than observed over the intertropical convergence zone and the South Pacific convergence zone regions. The amplitudes of the interannual variation of the simulated zonal and meridional winds are close to those of the observed variation. The first few dominant empirical orthogonal functions (EOF) of the simulated, as well as the observed, monthly mean winds are found to contain a targe amount of high-frequency intraseasonal variations, While the statistical properties of the high-frequency modes, such as their amplitude and geographical locations, agree with observations, their detailed time evolution does not. When the data are subjected to a 5-month running-mean filter, the first two dominant EOFs of the simulated winds representing the low-frequency EI Nino-Southern Oscillation fluctuations compare quite well with observations. However, the location of the center of the westerly anomalies associated with the warm episodes is simulated about 15 degrees west of the observed locations. The model simulates well the progress of the westerly anomalies toward the eastern Pacific during the evolution of a warm event. The simulated equatorial wind anomalies are comparable in magnitude to the observed anomalies. An intercomparison of the simulation of the interannual variability by a few other GCMs with comparable resolution is also presented. The success in simulation of the large-scale low-frequency part of the tropical surface winds by the atmospheric GCM seems to be related to the model's ability to simulate the large-scale low-frequency part of the precipitation. Good correspondence between the simulated precipitation and the highly reflective cloud anomalies is seen in the first two EOFs of the 5-month running means. Moreover, the strong correlation found between the simulated precipitation and the simulated winds in the first two principal components indicates the primary role of model precipitation in driving the surface winds. The surface winds simulated by a linear model forced by the GCM-simulated precipitation show good resemblance to the GCM-simulated winds in the equatorial region. This result supports the recent findings that the large-scale part of the tropical surface winds is primarily linear.

Longitudinal localization of tropical intraseasonal variability

Intraseasonal time-scales play an important role in tropical variability. Two modes that contribute significantly to tropical intraseasonal variability (ISV) are the eastward-propagating MaddenJulian Oscillation (MJO), and westward-moving moist equatorial Rossby waves. This note reports on a correspondence between the longitudinal gradient of mean tropical precipitable water (PW), and the geographical regions of genesis, and convective activity, of both these large-scale tropical systems. Our finding is based on an analysis of PW from the MERRA reanalysis product. The data indicate that the mean tropical PW has a dominant wavenumber two (three) structure in longitude in the Northern (Southern) Hemisphere. Departures from a longitudinally homogeneous state are attributed to the influence of subtropical anticyclones, and are accentuated by monsoonal regions of both hemispheres. This mean structure results in a sharply localized longitudinal gradient of PW. Remarkably, regions with positive gradients (such as the Northern and Southern Hemisphere western Indian Ocean), i.e. they have larger PW to the east, are the very zones that are implicated in the formation, and show high levels of convective activity, of the eastward-moving MJO. On the other hand, regions with negative gradients (such as the Southern Hemisphere central Pacific) are the very regions where genesis, and maxima in variance, of westward-moving moist equatorial Rossby waves are known to occur. Apart from providing a first-order longitudinal footprint of the convective phase of these systems, this correspondence reinforces the role of the mean climatic state in tropical ISV. Copyright (c) 2012 Royal Meteorological Society

Anisotropy in the mechanical properties of organic crystals: temperature dependence

The nanoindentation technique has recently been utilized for quantitative evaluation of the mechanical properties of molecular materials successfully, including their temperature (T) dependence. In this paper, we examine how the mechanical anisotropy varies with T in saccharin and L-alanine single crystals. Our results show that elastic modulus (E) decreases linearly in all the cases examined, with the T-dependence of E being anisotropic. Correspondence between directional dependence of the slopes of the E vs. T plots and the linear thermal expansion coefficients was found. The T-dependence of hardness (H), on the other hand, was found to be nonlinear and significant when (100) of saccharin and (001) of L-alanine are indented. While the anisotropies in E and H of saccharin and E of L-alanine enhance with T, the anisotropy in H of L-alanine was found to reduce with T. Possible mechanistic origins of these variations are discussed.

Theory Of Phase Transformation And Reorientation In Single Crystalline Shape Memory Alloys

A constitutive model, based on an (n + 1)-phase mixture of the Mori-Tanaka average theory, has been developed for stress-induced martensitic transformation and reorientation in single crystalline shape memory alloys. Volume fractions of different martensite lattice correspondence variants are chosen as internal variables to describe microstructural evolution. Macroscopic Gibbs free energy for the phase transformation is derived with thermodynamics principles and the ensemble average method of micro-mechanics. The critical condition and the evolution equation are proposed for both the phase transition and reorientation. This model can also simulate interior hysteresis loops during loading/unloading by switching the critical driving forces when an opposite transition takes place.

The Panama Canal Zone: an epochal event in sanitation

An account of events of the Panama Canal Zone in 1911 by the author, C.F. Adams. (38 page document)

Residential Docks and Piers: Inventory of laws, regulations, and policies for the New England region

While the homes threatened by erosion and the developer illegally filling in marshlands are the projects that make the headlines, for many state regulatory programs, it’s the residential docks and piers that take up the most time. When is a dock too long? What about crossing extended property lines? And at what point does a creek have too many docks? There are no easy answers to these questions. At the request of the Georgia Coastal Management Program, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Services Center published in April 2003 an inventory of residential dock and pier management information for the southeastern U.S. This inventory builds upon that effort and includes five New England states and one municipality: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and the Town of Falmouth, Massachusetts. Federal laws, state laws and regulations, permitting policies, and contact information are presented in a tabular format that is easy to use. (PDF contains 16 pages)

Catch-per-unit-effort and biological parameters from the Massachusetts coastal lobster (Homarus americanus) resource: Description and trends

Acomprehensive description of the Massachusetts coastal lobster (Homarus americanus) resou,rce was obtained by sampling commercial catches coastwide at sea and at dealerships between 1981 and 1986. Acommercial lobster sea-sampling program, wherein six coastal regions were sampled monthly, with an areal and temporal data weighting design, was the primary source of data. An improved index of catch per trap haul/set-over-day was generated by modeling the relationship between catch and immersion time and standardizing effort. This 6-year time-series of mean annual catch rates tracked closely the landings trend for territorial waters. During the study period there was a gradual increase in indices of exploitation and total annual mortality which corresponded to a gradual decline in mean carapace length of marketable lobster. The frequency of culls escalated from 10.0% in 1981 to 20.9% in 1986, while the percentage of lobster found dead in traps was consistently less than 1%. The sex ratio (%F:%M) was significantly different from 50:50 and approximated a 60:40 relationship during the study period. Male and female weight-length relationships were significantly different. Females weighed more than males at smaller sizes and less than males at larger sizes. A north-south clinal trend was evident wherein lobster north of Cape Cod weighed less at length than those from regions south of Cape Cod. Functional size-maturity relationships were developed for female lobster by staging cement gland development. Proportions mature at size represent more realistic values than those obtained by analyses of percent of females ovigerous. Regional variation occurred in most of the parameters studied. Three lobster groups, differing in major population descriptors, are defined by our data.(PDF file contains 28 pages.)

Importance of shoreface sand ridges as habitat for fishes off the northeast coast of the United States

To determine if shoreface sand ridges provide unique habitats for fish on the inner continental shelf, two cross-shelf trawl surveys (23 km in length) were conducted in southern New Jersey (July and September 1991−95 with a beam trawl and July and September 1997−06 with an otter trawl) to assess whether species abundance, richness, and assemblages differed on and away from the ridge. The dominant species collected with both gears were from the families Paralichthyidae, Triglidae, Gobiidae, Serranidae, Engraulidae, Stromateidae, and Sciaenidae. Overall abundance (n=41,451 individuals) and species richness (n=61 species) were distributed bimodally across the nearshore to offshore transect, and the highest values were found on either side of the sand ridge regardless of gear type. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed three species assemblages: inshore (<5 meters depth), near-ridge (9−14 meters depth), and offshore (>14 meters depth), and variation in species composition between gear types. Environmental factors that corresponded with the assemblage changes included depth, temperature, distance from the top of the ridge, and habitat complexity. The most abundant near-ridge assemblages were distinct and included economically important species. Sand ridges of the inner continental shelf appear to be important habitat for a number of fish species and therefore may not be a suitable area for sand and gravel mining.

An ecological characterization of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Region: oceanographic, biogeographic, and contaminants assessment

The mission of NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) is to serve as the trustee for a system of marine protected areas, to conserve, protect, and enhance their biodiversity, ecological integrity, and cultural legacy while facilitating compatible uses. Since 1972, thirteen National Marine Sanctuaries, representing a wide variety of ocean environments, have been established, each with management goals tuned to their unique diversity. Extending from Cape Ann to Cape Cod across the mouth of Massachusetts Bay, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (NMS) encompasses 2,181 square kilometers of highly productive, diverse, and culturally unique Federal waters. As a result of its varied seafloor topography, oceanographic conditions, and high primary productivity, Stellwagen Bank NMS is utilized by diverse assemblages of seabirds, marine mammals, invertebrates, and fish species, as well as containing a number of maritime heritage resources. Furthermore, it is a region of cultural significance, highlighted by the recent discovery of several historic shipwrecks. Officially designated in 1992, Stellwagen Bank became the Nation’s twelfth National Marine Sanctuary in order to protect these and other unique biological, geological, oceanographic, and cultural features of the region. The Stellwagen Bank NMS is in the midst of its first management plan review since designation. The management plan review process, required by law, is designed to evaluate, enhance, and guide the development of future research efforts, education and outreach, and the management approaches used by Sanctuaries. Given the ecological and physical complexity of Stellwagen Bank NMS, burgeoning anthropogenic impacts to the region, and competing human and biological uses, the review process was challenged to assimilate and analyze the wealth of existing scientific knowledge in a framework which could enhance management decision-making. Unquestionably, the Gulf of Maine, Massachusetts Bay, and Stellwagen Bank-proper are extremely well studied systems, and in many regards, the scientific information available greatly exceeds that which is available for other Sanctuaries. However, the propensity of scientific information reinforces the need to utilize a comprehensive analytical approach to synthesize and explore linkages between disparate information on physical, biological, and chemical processes, while identifying topics needing further study. Given this requirement, a partnership was established between NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) and the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) so as to leverage existing NOAA technical expertise to assist the Sanctuary in developing additional ecological assessment products which would benefit the management plan review process.

Knowledge, perceptions, impacts and roles of lakeside communities and institutions in the sustainable control of water hyacinth

The massive water hyacinth mats that covered water bodies in the 1990s had serious social and economic impacts. They affected fishing, transportation, water quality and health of fishing communities as well as production of goods and services of lake-based institutions (commercial establishments). At peak infestations, the communities and institutions were aware of and participated readily in control effort. However, after the major collapse of hyacinth in 1998, some of them relaxed in their control efforts. The status of knowledge, perception, impacts, preparedness and role of the lakeside communities and institutions to control the weed has, therefore, been monitored since the major resurgence of the weed to find out if the lakeside communities and institutions still perceive water hyacinth as a problem and the extent to which they are prepared to sustain control.

The role of human orbitofrontal cortex in value comparison for incommensurable objects.

The human orbitofrontal cortex is strongly implicated in appetitive valuation. Whether its role extends to support comparative valuation necessary to explain probabilistic choice patterns for incommensurable goods is unknown. Using a binary choice paradigm, we derived the subjective values of different bundles of goods, under conditions of both gain and loss. We demonstrate that orbitofrontal activation reflects the difference in subjective value between available options, an effect evident across valuation for both gains and losses. In contrast, activation in dorsal striatum and supplementary motor areas reflects subjects' choice probabilities. These findings indicate that orbitofrontal cortex plays a pivotal role in valuation for incommensurable goods, a critical component process in human decision making.

Anchors, scales and the relative coding of value in the brain.

People are alarmingly susceptible to manipulations that change both their expectations and experience of the value of goods. Recent studies in behavioral economics suggest such variability reflects more than mere caprice. People commonly judge options and prices in relative terms, rather than absolutely, and display strong sensitivity to exemplar and price anchors. We propose that these findings elucidate important principles about reward processing in the brain. In particular, relative valuation may be a natural consequence of adaptive coding of neuronal firing to optimise sensitivity across large ranges of value. Furthermore, the initial apparent arbitrariness of value may reflect the brains' attempts to optimally integrate diverse sources of value-relevant information in the face of perceived uncertainty. Recent findings in neuroscience support both accounts, and implicate regions in the orbitofrontal cortex, striatum, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex in the construction of value.

Community structure of small fishes in a shallow macrophytic lake (Niushan Lake) along the middle reach of the Yangtze River, China

This study describes the current status of the small fish community in Niushan Lake in China, and examines the spatial and seasonal variations of the community in relation to key environmental factors. Based on macrophyte cover conditions, the lake was divided into three major habitat types: (1) Potamogeton maackianus habitat, (2) Potamogeton maackianus and Myriophyllum spicatum habitat, and (3) uncovered or less-covered habitat. Fish were sampled quantitatively in the three habitat types by block nets seasonally from September 2002 to August 2003. A total of 10 469 individuals from 27 fish species were caught, among which 20 species were considered as small fishes. Rhodeus ocellatus, Paracheilognathus imberbis, Pseudorasbora parva, Micropercops swinhonis and Cultrichthys erythropterus were recognized as dominant small fishes according to their abundance and occurrence. It was noted that (1) small fishes predominated the total number of fish species in the lake, which reflected to some degree the size diminution phenomenon of fish resources; (2) many small fishes had plant detritus as their food item, which was consistent with the abundance of macrophyte detritus in the lake and implied the importance of detritus in supporting small fish secondary production. Canonical correspondence analysis suggested that the spatial distributions of most small fishes were associated with complex macrophyte cover conditions. Macrophyte biomass was positively correlated with species richness, diversity index and the catch per unit of effort (CPUE) of the fish community. Water depth had no significant effects on species diversity and distribution of the small fishes. Correspondence analysis revealed a higher occurrence of the small fishes and higher abundance of individuals in summer and autumn. Seasonal length-frequency distributions of several species indicated that more larval and juvenile individuals appeared in spring and summer. This study provides some baseline information which will be essential to long-term monitoring of small fish communities in the Yangtze lakes.

Obtaining the shape of a moving object with a specular surface

This paper addresses the basic problem of recovering the 3D surface of an object that is observed in motion by a single camera and under a static but unknown lighting condition. We propose a method to establish pixelwise correspondence between input images by way of depth search by investigating optimal subsets of intensities rather than employing all the relevant pixel values. The thrust of our algorithm is that it is capable of dealing with specularities which appear on the top of shading variance that is caused due to object motion. This is in terms of both stages of finding sparse point correspondence and dense depth search. We also propose that a linearised image basis can be directly computed by the procudure of finding the correspondence. We illustrate the performance of the theoretical propositions using images of real objects. © 2009. The copyright of this document resides with its authors.