Coastal climate change adaptation in existing urban areas, lessons learned from dutch and norwegian pilots

Climate change is expected to have a large impact on coastal cities all around the world. Due to the expected sea level rise for coastal regions new flood defense policies are developed, with emphasis on risk assessment and a multifunctional approach to strengthening existing coastal defenses. Most climate adaptation programs in cities focus on technical measures with little international knowledge exchange of the best management practices and governance. In this article the best management practices of two coastal cities both named ‘Bergen’ is discussed

Quantum Hamiltonian Reduction in Superspace Formalism

Recently the quantum hamiltonian reduction was done in the case of general $s\ell(2)$ embeddings into Lie algebras and superalgebras. In this paper we extend the results to the quantum hamiltonian reduction of $N=1$ affine Lie superalgebras in the superspace formalism. We show that if we choose a gauge for the supersymmetry, and consider only certain equivalence classes of fields, then our quantum hamiltonian reduction reduces to quantum hamiltonian reduction of non-supersymmetric Lie superalgebras. We construct explicitly the super energy-momentum tensor, as well as all generators of spin 1 (and \hf); thus we construct explicitly all generators in the superconformal, quasi-superconformal and $\Z_2 \times \Z_2$ superconformal algebras.Comment: 13 pages latex, ENSLAPP-A-45

Predictions from a stochastic polymer model for the MinDE dynamics in E.coli

The spatiotemporal oscillations of the Min proteins in the bacterium Escherichia coli play an important role in cell division. A number of different models have been proposed to explain the dynamics from the underlying biochemistry. Here, we extend a previously described discrete polymer model from a deterministic to a stochastic formulation. We express the stochastic evolution of the oscillatory system as a map from the probability distribution of maximum polymer length in one period of the oscillation to the probability distribution of maximum polymer length half a period later and solve for the fixed point of the map with a combined analytical and numerical technique. This solution gives a theoretical prediction of the distributions of both lengths of the polar MinD zones and periods of oscillations -- both of which are experimentally measurable. The model provides an interesting example of a stochastic hybrid system that is, in some limits, analytically tractable.Comment: 16 page

Observational study of administering intranasal steroid sprays by healthcare workers

OBJECTIVES: Patients with allergic rhinitis receive their information about administering intranasal corticosteroid sprays (INCS) from healthcare workers. Since the majority of patients does not administer these sprays correctly, we investigated whether healthcare workers know how to administer INCS. SETTINGS: We studied participants at their working place: pharmacy, outpatient clinic or general practitioner centre for emergencies. PARTICIPANTS: Pharmacist assistants, general practitioners, paediatricians and ear nose throat doctors. DESIGN: Observational study. All the participants demonstrated the administration technique with a spray device filled with water. PRIMARY OUTCOME: Number of steps of administration of INCS based on the established INCS protocol. SECONDARY OUTCOME: Number of five steps are labelled essential to obtain optimal distribution of the medication. RESULTS: Among the 75 participants, none performed all the steps correctly. The median of correctly performed steps in the protocol was 14 out of 29. A significantly better result was found among the pharmacist assistants. The essential steps were performed by 27 out of the 75 participants (36%). CONCLUSION: The majority of healthcare workers does not know how to administer INCS correctly. Patients could, therefore, receive incorrect and non-uniform instructions. The education of healthcare workers on how to administer INCS correctly may be an option for improvement

Gezonde spanning : beleidsevaluatie van de MUB : eindrapport

This is a pre-print version of the book Gezonde spanning: beleidsevaluatie van de MUB: eindrapport, published by Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS), Universiteit Twente. This version is reproduced with the permission of Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS). http://doc.utwente.nl/view/research_institute/Center_for_Higher_Education_Policy_Studies_=28CHEPS=29.htmlAan het Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS) van de Universiteit Twente is door het ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap de opdracht verleend een evaluatiestudie uit te voeren naar de Modernisering Universitaire Bestuursorganisatie (MUB). Deze studie is uitgevoerd in de periode juni 2004 – juni 2005

Discrete Torsion and Shift Orbifolds

In this paper we make two observations related to discrete torsion. First, we observe that an old obscure degree of freedom (momentum/translation shifts) in (symmetric) string orbifolds is related to discrete torsion. We point out how our previous derivation of discrete torsion from orbifold group actions on B fields includes these momentum lattice shift phases, and discuss how they are realized in terms of orbifold group actions on D-branes. Second, we describe the M theory dual of IIA discrete torsion, a duality relation to our knowledge not previously understood. We show that IIA discrete torsion is encoded in analogues of the shift orbifolds above for the M theory C field.Comment: 28 pages, LaTeX, 3 figures; v2: references adde

Identification of impurities of phosphate and brominated flame retardants

In the last years, new flame retardants (FRs) have been identified for the first time in products and in environmental samples by using mainly liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry. For example, 2,2-bis(chloromethyl)propane-1,3-diyl-tetrakis(2-chloroethyl)bis(phosphate), known commercially as “V6”,1 or a triazine-based flame retardant [2,4,6-tris(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)-1,3,5-triazine, TTBP-TAZ]2 were recently reported. Not only FRs, but also their byproducts, impurities or degradation products have been very recently identified, such as those derived from tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBP-A) or tetrabromobisphenol-S.3,4 The persistency and toxicity of these impurities or related compounds, as well as their presence in the environment is still largely unknown. We present and discuss here an overview of our results on the investigations of impurities and degradation products of FRs, namely from TTBP-TAZ2, RDP5, TBBPA and TBBPA-based products6 and the impurity diphenyl phosphate (DPHP) that derives from a variety of phosphorus flame retardants (PFRs

Identification of impurities of phosphate and brominated flame retardants

In the last years, new flame retardants (FRs) have been identified for the first time in products and in environmental samples by using mainly liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry. For example, 2,2-bis(chloromethyl)propane-1,3-diyl-tetrakis(2-chloroethyl)bis(phosphate), known commercially as “V6”,1 or a triazine-based flame retardant [2,4,6-tris(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)-1,3,5-triazine, TTBP-TAZ]2 were recently reported. Not only FRs, but also their byproducts, impurities or degradation products have been very recently identified, such as those derived from tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBP-A) or tetrabromobisphenol-S.3,4 The persistency and toxicity of these impurities or related compounds, as well as their presence in the environment is still largely unknown. We present and discuss here an overview of our results on the investigations of impurities and degradation products of FRs, namely from TTBP-TAZ2, RDP5, TBBPA and TBBPA-based products6 and the impurity diphenyl phosphate (DPHP) that derives from a variety of phosphorus flame retardants (PFRs