Development of a management tool for the equal evaluation of economic, social and ecological effects of adaptation scenarios for attenuating the effects of climate change induced flooding

Climate change is expected to influence river flooding which may have important implications for socio-economic and ecological systems. Changed flood risks require a proper policy. Water managers need to develop and select those adaptation scenarios that maximise welfare. Doing so requires addressing various challenges; integrating climate change effects in flood modelling, development of assessment methods for flood risk to social and ecological systems, development of methodologies for the assessment of non-flood related impacts from adaptation scenarios and, finally, integrating all effects, both positive and negative, related to an adaptation scenario in a comprehensive decision framework. The ADAPT project, which is financed by the Belgian Science Policy (BELSPO), aims to tackle these challenges by the development of a practical methodology, for assisting decision making about adaptation scenarios for attenuating the effects of climate change induced flooding, that builds on the integrated evaluation of economic, social as well as ecological effects. The study builds on two case studies, located in the two major Belgian river basins, for both the development and the illustration of the methodology.status: publishe

Pension fund finance and sponsoring companies

Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012.We present empirical evidence on the funding and portfolio allocation of around 200 Dutch corporate pension funds over the period 1996-2005, with a special focus on the influence of the sponsoring firm. We find that unprofitable and small firms contribute less to their pension funds than profitable and large firms, consistent with theories of capital market imperfections. Sponsor contributions are found to be positively correlated with leverage, suggesting that tax effects play a role. Defined benefit funds invest relatively more in equity and less in bonds than their defined contribution counterparts, which is in accordance with the risk shifting theory

Fine-root dynamics in mixed boreal conifer-broad-leafed forest stands at different successional stages after fire

Fine-root (diameter ≤ 10 mm) standing biomass, length, distribution, production, and decomposition were studied in mixed conifer broad-leafed forest stands 48, 122, and 232 years after fire on clay soils in the southern boreal forest of Quebec. A combination of ingrowth bags, soil cores, and root litter bags was used. Forest composition changed from trembling aspen- (Populus tremuloides Michx.) dominated stands in the youngest stage to balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.), and then to eastern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) stands in the oldest stage. The fine- and small-root standing biomass did not differ significantly between the forest successional stages. However, the total root length was significantly more developed in the 48-year-old successional stand than in the 232-year-old stand. Within the investigated soil profile (depth = 30 cm) most roots (>80%) were found in the 5 to 8 cm thick organic layer and the top 10 cm of the mineral soil. Root biomass in the organic layer increased significantly after fire, and a simultaneous increase in thickness of the organic layer was observed. The ingrowth of roots into ingrowth bags during one and two growing seasons was more than twice as high m the youngest stand as in the oldest one. However, the differences were not statistically significant because of high variation. Fine roots of aspen decomposed significantly faster than those of balsam fir and cedar in all forest stands. The results suggest that root production, the rate of decomposition, and presumably the rate of turnover are higher in forest stands dominated by early successional broad-leafed species such as aspen than in stands composed of late successional coniferous species such as fir, spruce, and cedar. Differences in root dynamics may contribute significantly to the change in the carbon and nutrient cycling often reported with succession in the boreal forest

The nature of care giving in a community sample of people with multiple sclerosis

Purpose: The provision of informal care plays a crucial role in supporting those with long term illness such as MS to stay in the community, but there is no recent United Kingdom (UK) research into the nature of this care provision and how it interacts with professional community care. The aim of this study was to investigate the nature of informal and professional care in a community population of people with MS living in the UK from the perspectives of people with MS. Method: Data on the Standard Day Dependency Record (SDDR), Barthel Index, a measure of disability, and SF-36 were collected from a community sample of volunteers with MS from a postal questionnaire and visits from researchers. Results: The response rate was 61%, (n = 169). Respondents in this study were most likely to be assisted by family rather than health or social service professionals and the help was considered essential for approximately 70% of individuals. Only 15% of respondents in this survey received visits from a professional in the preceding 24 h. There was a subgroup who considered help to be significantly more essential and who required assistance on more occasions by the SDDR (t = 13.01, df = 622, p < 0.001, t = 10.38, df = 36.4, p < 0.001). Other subgroups were also identified who may be in need of support from professionals but who were not receiving it. Conclusions: There are reports of considerable amounts of care being provided by families to people with MS who may not be receiving the support required from professional caregivers. Further work needs to establish which groups need assistance and what form this assistance should take

An Introduction to Pervasive Interface Automata

Pervasive systems are often context-dependent, component based systems in which components expose interfaces and offer one or more services. These systems may evolve in unpredictable ways, often through component replacement. We present pervasive interface automata as a formalism for modelling components and their composition. Pervasive interface automata are based on the interface automata of Henzinger et al, with several significant differences. We expand their notion of input and output actions to combinations of input, output actions, and callable methods and method calls. Whereas interfaces automata have a refinement relation, we argue the crucial relation in pervasive systems is component replacement, which must include consideration of the services offered by a component and assumptions about the environment. We illustrate pervasive interface autmotata and component replacement with a small case study of a pervasive application for sports predictions