Forest Fires Across Italian Regions and Implications for Climate Change: A Panel Data Analysis

In this paper, we analyze the determinants of monthly variations in forest fire frequency and on the size of the area burnt for Italian regions between 2000 and 2011. We employ panel data techniques, which allow capturing the dynamics of fire danger due to changes in past climatic conditions, after accounting for regional fixed effects to control region-specific unobserved and time-invariant factors. Results highlight a significant heterogeneity of the effects of driving factors across the Italian peninsula and weather seasons. Climatic conditions also show lasting effects within the year. Using climate change projections for 2016–2035, we then obtain the projected forest fire frequency and total area burnt across the Italian peninsula for the same period. Climate change is expected to increase the number of forest fires across the whole peninsula, which is more evident for the central part of Italy. Even though most of annual increases in fire events relate to the summer period, intensifications in frequency during autumn become more evident in the southern Italy. We extend finally our analysis to investigate the contribution of socio-economic factors to fire regime and the role of education and the containment of fraudulent activity is also highlighted.</p

Design concepts for a next generation light source at LBNL

The NGLS collaboration is developing design concepts for a multi-beamline soft x-ray FEL array powered by a superconducting linear accelerator, operating with a high bunch repetition rate of approximately 1 MHz. The CW superconducting linear accelerator design is based on developments of TESLA and ILC technology, and is supplied by an injector based on a high-brightness, highrepetition- rate photocathode electron gun. Electron bunches from the linac are distributed by RF deflecting cavities to the array of independently configurable FEL beamlines with nominal bunch rates of ∼100 kHz in each FEL, with uniform pulse spacing, and some FELs capable of operating at the full linac bunch rate. Individual FELs may be configured for different modes of operation, including self-seeded and external-laser-seeded, and each may produce high peak and average brightness x-rays with a flexible pulse format, and with pulse durations ranging from femtoseconds and shorter, to hundreds of femtoseconds. In this paper we describe current design concepts, and progress in RandD activities. Copyright © 2013 CC-BY-3.0 and by the respective authors

Development of a Cryogenic Calorimeter for Investigating Beam-Based Heat Load of Superconducting Undulators

Superconducting undulators provide higher magmatic field to increase the brilliance and photon energy of synchrotron light sources. To quantify the amount of beam-based heat load of storage rings and optimize the design of cryogenic system, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) proposed a cryogenic calorimeter to perform the working condition of superconducting undulators. The calorimeter has been developed by Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics (SINAP) and installed on storage ring of Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF). Also, online experiments started in September of 2012. This paper describes the cryogenic system and beam-based heat load measurement system. Also, some measurement results are given in the paper

Economic Impacts of Non-Native Forest Insects in the Continental United States

Reliable estimates of the impacts and costs of biological invasions are critical to developing credible management, trade and regulatory policies. Worldwide, forests and urban trees provide important ecosystem services as well as economic and social benefits, but are threatened by non-native insects. More than 450 non-native forest insects are established in the United States but estimates of broad-scale economic impacts associated with these species are largely unavailable. We developed a novel modeling approach that maximizes the use of available data, accounts for multiple sources of uncertainty, and provides cost estimates for three major feeding guilds of non-native forest insects. For each guild, we calculated the economic damages for five cost categories and we estimated the probability of future introductions of damaging pests. We found that costs are largely borne by homeowners and municipal governments. Wood- and phloem-boring insects are anticipated to cause the largest economic impacts by annually inducing nearly $1.7 billion in local government expenditures and approximately$830 million in lost residential property values. Given observations of new species, there is a 32% chance that another highly destructive borer species will invade the U.S. in the next 10 years. Our damage estimates provide a crucial but previously missing component of cost-benefit analyses to evaluate policies and management options intended to reduce species introductions. The modeling approach we developed is highly flexible and could be similarly employed to estimate damages in other countries or natural resource sectors

Development of a Cryogenic Calorimeter for Investigating Beam-Based Heat Load of Superconducting Undulators

Superconducting undulators provide higher magmatic field to increase the brilliance and photon energy of synchrotron light sources. To quantify the amount of beam-based heat load of storage rings and optimize the design of cryogenic system, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) proposed a cryogenic calorimeter to perform the working condition of superconducting undulators. The calorimeter has been developed by Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics (SINAP) and installed on storage ring of Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF). Also, online experiments started in September of 2012. This paper describes the cryogenic system and beam-based heat load measurement system. Also, some measurement results are given in the paper