Spanish Climate Change Adaptation Policies: A Comprehensive Analysis of Participatory Elements

The urgency of addressing the impacts of climate change has underscored the critical need for effective adaptation policies. In this context, the incorporation of participatory elements in climate change adaptation policies plays a pivotal role in ensuring inclusivity and collaboration. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of participatory elements in Spanish climate change adaptation policies, with a focus on identifying the extent to which these policies incorporate participatory elements and highlighting potential gaps. Against this background, we conducted an analysis of participatory elements in Spanish climate change adaptation policies with Spain being one of the most vulnerable countries in the European Union (Rodrigo et al. 2023). We addressed the research questions of how well Spanish national climate change adaptation policies incorporate participatory elements and where we identify policy gaps. By scrutinizing participation mechanisms, policymakers can tailor policies to better address the needs and concerns of various stakeholders. The analysis facilitates the identification of best practices and case studies

Towards a More Sustainable Arctic. Background Paper 4/2021

In July 2020, the European External Action Service of the European Commission launched a public consultation on the way forward for the European Union’s Arctic policy. The consultation was held to re-examine the role of the EU in Arctic affairs, to revise the priorities of the current Joint Communication on an integrated European Union policy for the Arctic and the actions thereunder, and to identify possible new policy areas to be developed. As part of its work within the NDI Think Tank Action, IIASA responded to this call addressing specific questions of this public consultation. This paper presents the submitted material and provides further reflections on the discussed matters from the Northern Dimension perspective

Matrix Correction Minimal with respect to the Euclidean Norm of a Pair of Dual Linear Programming Problems

Abstract. The paper presents problem formulations, theorems and illustrative numerical examples describing conditions for the existence and a form of solutions of the problem of matrix correction minimal with respect to the Euclidean norm of a pair of dual linear programming (LP) problems. The main results of the paper complement classical duality theory and can serve as a tool to tackle improper LP problems, and/or to ensure the achievement of prespecified optimal solutions of the primal and dual problems via the minimal with respect to the Euclidean norm correction of the constraint matrix elements, the right-hand sides of the constraints and the objective functions of the original problems. Keywords: dual pairs of linear programs, improper linear programs, the minimum matrix correction, the Euclidean norm

CIRCULAR DICHROISM OF LIGHT-HARVESTING COMPLEXES FROM PURPLE PHOTOSYNTHETIC BACTERIA

The CD spectra of a range of antenna complexes from several different species of purple photosynthetic bacteria were recorded in the wavelength range of 190 to 930 nm. Analysis of the far UV CD (190 to 250 nm) showed that in each case except for the B800-850 from Chr. vinosum the secondary structure of the light-harvesting complexes contains a large amount of α-helix (50%) and very little 0-pleated sheet. This confirms the predictions of the group of Zuber of a high a-helical content based upon consideration of the primary structures of several antenna apoproteins. The CD spectra from the carotenoids and the bacteriochlorophylls show considerable variations depending upon the type of antenna complex. The different amplitude ratios in the CD spectrum for the bacteriochlorophyll Qy, Qx and Soret bands indicate not only different degrees of exciton coupling, but also a strong and variable hyperchromism (Scherz and Parson, 1984a, b)

The significance of retained austenite in the high strength and plasticity of medium carbon Q&P steel

The Fe-0.44%C-1.8%Si-1.3%Mn-0.82%Cr-0.28%Mo steel treated by the quenching-partitioning partitioning process showed a product of strength and elongation of 30 GPa % with yield stress of 1350 MPa. Such a combination of high ultimate tensile strength and good ductility is attributed to a high portion of retained austenite (≥20%) transforming to martensite under tension. The high yield stress is provided by carbon supersaturation of austenite and a high dislocation density in this phas

Myth as a Means of Ordering and Organizing Social Reality

This study investigates the phenomenon of social myth as a factor of forming and transforming the consciousness of social actors. It is defined that one of the factors of appealing to mythological representation of reality is the crisis of scientific orientations of modernism. In this plane, the article studies phenomenological receptions of myth as well as the process of mythologization of modern social reality. Moreover, attention is drawn to the fact that mythologization fixes an idea of social reality and its axiological (value) dimension in the consciousness of separate individuals and their groups. Myths are axiological indicators; the more controversial society values are the greater number of myths is produced by social consciousness to eliminate these contradictions. The difference between modern and archaic myth has both qualitative and quantitative aspects. Modern society generates a great number of myths with much more narrow content. This is a consequence of "specialization" of myths, their orientation towards solving particular local tasks: political, economic, etc. Functional and structural changes of social myths can be accounted for by critical, permanently transitional condition of society in which myth compensates the unformed elements of new social practices. However, the content side of myth is not a crisis but social request and values of particular culture. The question about the necessity to fight against myths probably should be answered negatively if we don’t mean the most dangerous myths posing a serious threat for society. Myths are in harmony with social consciousness and arise in places where there is a fault between current and desirable normativity. Thus, when social practices become stable social consciousness itself displaces and nullifies myths that are responsible for harmonization of new order and they become demanded

The Boltzmann equation for colourless plasmons in hot QCD plasma. Semiclassical approximation

Within the framework of the semiclassical approximation, we derive the Boltzmann equation describing the dynamics of colorless plasmons in a hot QCD plasma. The probability of the plasmon-plasmon scattering at the leading order in the coupling constant is obtained. This probability is gauge-independent at least in the class of the covariant and temporal gauges. It is noted that the structure of the scattering kernel possesses important qualitative difference from the corresponding one in the Abelian plasma, in spite of the fact that we focused our study on the colorless soft excitations. It is shown that four-plasmon decay is suppressed by the power of $g$ relative to the process of nonlinear scattering of plasmons by thermal particles at the soft momentum scale. It is stated that the former process becomes important in going to the ultrasoft region of the momentum scale.Comment: 41, LaTeX, minor changes, identical to published versio

Computers from plants we never made. Speculations

We discuss possible designs and prototypes of computing systems that could be based on morphological development of roots, interaction of roots, and analog electrical computation with plants, and plant-derived electronic components. In morphological plant processors data are represented by initial configuration of roots and configurations of sources of attractants and repellents; results of computation are represented by topology of the roots' network. Computation is implemented by the roots following gradients of attractants and repellents, as well as interacting with each other. Problems solvable by plant roots, in principle, include shortest-path, minimum spanning tree, Voronoi diagram, $\alpha$-shapes, convex subdivision of concave polygons. Electrical properties of plants can be modified by loading the plants with functional nanoparticles or coating parts of plants of conductive polymers. Thus, we are in position to make living variable resistors, capacitors, operational amplifiers, multipliers, potentiometers and fixed-function generators. The electrically modified plants can implement summation, integration with respect to time, inversion, multiplication, exponentiation, logarithm, division. Mathematical and engineering problems to be solved can be represented in plant root networks of resistive or reaction elements. Developments in plant-based computing architectures will trigger emergence of a unique community of biologists, electronic engineering and computer scientists working together to produce living electronic devices which future green computers will be made of.Comment: The chapter will be published in "Inspired by Nature. Computing inspired by physics, chemistry and biology. Essays presented to Julian Miller on the occasion of his 60th birthday", Editors: Susan Stepney and Andrew Adamatzky (Springer, 2017