An Approach to the stability of international environmental agreements: the absorbing sets solution

We study international environmental negotiations when agreements between countries can not be binding. A problem with this kind of negotiations is that countries have incentives for free-riding from such agreements. We develope a notion of equilibrium based on the assumption that countries can create and dissolve agreements in their seeking of a larger welfare. This approach leads to a larger degree of cooperation compared to models based on the internal-external stability approach.

Coastal engineering investigation at Jupiter Inlet, Florida

A fixed-bed hydraulic model of Jupiter Inlet, Florida, was constructed for the purpose of testing measures designed to remedy problems of sediment erosion and deposition in the inlet area. Both tide-induced flows as well as waves were simulated in the model which was built on an undistorted scale of 1:49. Model verification was based on prototype measurements of waves, tides and currents. Results have been interpreted in terms of the influence of various proposed remedial schemes on flow velocity magnitude, distribution and wave height at various locations within the study area. A stability parameter has been utilized for evaluating the degree of sediment erosion or deposition at a given location. Various structural solutions were examined in the model. It is proposed that, in the initial phase of solution implementation, sediment removal/nourishment methods be used primarily to mitigate the existing problems. New structures, as per model test results, should be installed under subsequent phases, only if sediment management procedures do not prove to be adequate. The currently followed procedure of periodic sand trap dredging may be extended to include the new dredging/nourishment requirements. (PDF contains 245 pages.)

Extended ageing time and temperature effects on quality of sub-primal cuts of boxed beef

[EN]Most of the information indicating ageing improves tenderness has been collected on the loin and rib-eye muscles over relatively short ageing times, assuming that all muscles will react similarly. In the present study, the effect of extended ageing times on instrumental texture (56 d) and sensory characteristics (42 d) of six different beef sub-primals [striploin (SL), inside round (IR), outside round (OR), eye of round (ER), blade eye (BE) and chuck tender (CT)] was studied. The effects of two ageing temperatures (1and 58C) were also compared. In general, ageing increased tenderness (P<0.05) of SL, BE, ER and CT sub-primals, although BE shear force increased after 42 d of ageing. On the other hand, ageing had no effect on IR tenderness (P<0.05) and resulted in a decrease in tenderness of OR (P<0.05) until day 35, with a later increase after 42 d of ageing. Increasing ageing temperature (58C) had limited effect on tenderness, but ageing time and temperature increases led to lower flavour and higher off-flavour intensity (P<0.05) of the studied sub-primals. These results suggest that cutspecific maximum ageing times and rigid adherence to temperature maximums would be of benefit to optimize postslaughter processes and meat quality

The structure and the dynamics of poly(vinyl methyl ether) PVME and in PVME concentrated water solution : a study by neutron scattering and fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulations

175 p. : il.

Determination of plastic properties by instrumented spherical indentation: Expanding cavity model and similarity solution approach

The present paper aims to develop a robust spherical indentation-based method to extract material plastic properties. For this purpose, a new consideration of-piling-up effect is incorporated into the expanding cavity model; an extensive numerical study on the similarity Solution has also been performed. As a consequence, two semi-theoretical relations between the indentation response and material plastic properties are derived, with which plastic properties of materials can be identified from a single instrumented spherical indentation curve, the advantage being that this approach no longer needs estimations of contact radius with given elastic modulus. Moreover, the inconvenience in using multiple indenters with different tip angles can be avoided. Comprehensive sensitivity analyses show that the present algorithm is reliable. Also, by experimental verification performed oil three typical materials, good agreement of the material properties between those obtained from the reverse algorithm and experimental data is obtained.

A Comparison of Two Methods for Enhancing the Recovery of Seagrasses into Propellor Scars: Mechanical Injection of a Nutrient and Growth Hormone Solution vs. Defecation by Roosting Seabirds: Final Report.

Based on the recovery rates for Thalassia testudinum measured in this study for scars of these excavation depths and assuming a linear recovery horizon, we estimate that it would take ~ 6.9 years (95% CI. = 5.4 to 9.6 years) for T. testudinum to return to the same density as recorded for the adjacent undisturbed population. The application of water soluble fertilizers and plant growth hormones by mechanical injection into the sediments adjacent to ten propellor scars at Lignumvitae State Botanical Site did not significantly increase the recovery rate of Thalassia testudinum or Halodule wrightii. An alternative method of fertilization and restoration of propellor scars was also tested by a using a method of “compressed succession” where Halodule wrightii is substituted for T. testudinum in the initial stages of restoration. Bird roosting stakes were placed among H.wrightii bare root plantings in prop scars to facilitate the defecation of nitrogen and phosphorus enriched feces. In contrast to the fertilizer injection method, the bird stakes produced extremely high recovery rates of transplanted H. wrightii. We conclude that use of a fertilizer/hormone injection machine in the manner described here is not a feasible means of enhancing T. testudinum recovery in propellor scars on soft bottom carbonate sediments. Existing techniques such as the bird stake approach provide a reliable, and inexpensive alternative method that should be considered for application to restoration of seagrasses in these environments. Document contains 40 pages)

Preparation and optical properties of CdTe/CdO center dot nH(2)O core/shell nano-composites in aqueous solution

The deposition of CdO center dot nH(2)O On CdTe nanoparticles was studied in an aqueous phase. The CdTe nanocrystals (NCs) were prepared in aqueous solution through the reaction between Cd2+ and NaHTe in the presence of thioglycolic acid as a stabilizer. The molar ratio of the Cd2+ to Te2- in the precursory solution played an important role in the photoluminescence of the ultimate CdTe NCs. The strongest photoluminescence was obtained under 4.0 of [Cd2+]/[Te2-] at pH similar to 8.2. With the optimum dosage of Cd(II) hydrous oxide deposited on the CdTe NCs, the photoluminescence was enhanced greatly. The photoluminescence of these nanocomposites was kept constant in the pH range of 8.0-10.0, but dramatically decreased with an obvious blue-shifted peak while the pH was below 8.0. In addition, the photochemical oxidation of CdTe NCs with cadmium hydrous oxide deposition was markedly inhibited.

Floating zone convection

The microgravity research, as a branch of the advanced sciences and a spe- cialized field of high technology, has been made in China since the late 1980's. The research group investigating microgravity fluid physics consisted of our col- leagues and the authors in the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and we pay special attention to the floating zone convection as our first research priority. Now, the research group has expanded and is a part of the National Microgravity Laboratory of the CAS, and the research fields have been extended to include more subjects related to microgravity science. Howev- er, the floating zone convection is still an important topic that greatly holds our research interests.

Finding the right solution

A guide to option appraisal