Wastewater disposal and problem soils in Lanzhou, China

Wastewater disposal and problem soils in Lanzhou, Chin

Hunting for landslides in St Lucia

Dr Colm Jordan and Dr Tom Dijkstra have both just returned from a trip to the Caribbean. This may sound like a glamorous location, but their work is associated with more serious matters

Climate change and slope stability in the UK: challenges and approaches

It is now widely accepted that climate change is occurring and that this will affect the processes and parameters that determine the stability of slopes. There remains, however, significant uncertainty in forecasting these changes in the long term. This issue was addressed in a series of workshops, organized as part of a UK-wide network on CLimate Impact Forecasting For Slopes (CLIFFS). The major outcomes from the workshop discussions provide a focus for the modelling environment relevant to long-term forecasting of slope stability that include better definition of material properties, improved understanding of processes (notably an upgrading from the site-specific to the regional scale) and more effective communication to achieve synergies of understanding in this multidisciplinary research environment

Was there a wind-driven Tethys Circumglobal Current in the Late Cretaceous?

International audienceThe problem of the existence of a Tethys Circumglobal Current (TCC) in the Late Cretaceous continental geometry (Campanian) is addressed.Within an ocean model which is expected to strongly overestimate the wind-driven TCC volume transport, a relatively weak TCC is found for the reconstructed Campanian paleogeography used. As a measure of the strength of the TCC, a Circumglobal Flow Index is introduced. This index is based on volume fluxes through meridional sections within the equatorial part of the domain. The impact of changes in the paleogeography on the TCC is considered by computing steady flows for different shapes of Eurasia. The results on the extent of Eurasia such that a strong TCC appears provide support that no strong wind-driven TCC has existed during the Campanian

Risk information services for Disaster Risk Management (DRM) in the Caribbean : mainstreaming opportunities

This document describes the assessment of opportunities for mainstreaming the satellite Earth Observation (EO) information products / services delivered by the British Geological Survey (BGS) via the framework of the European Space Agency (ESA) eoworld2 initiative. The products /services were delivered to the Caribbean region and the World Bank (WB) primarily via the ‘Caribbean Handbook on Risk Information Management’ project (CHARIM) which is financed by the EU-funded ACP-EU Natural Disaster Risk Reduction Program, managed by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, led by the WB team, and implemented with the University of Twente, ITC and the local users from various Government Ministries in the Caribbean region. The prospect of increased exploitation and additional opportunities in further WB operations, programmes and initiatives is briefly addressed, as is an evaluation of further actions to be taken to further grow uptake of EO products / services across the WB in future

Risk information services for Disaster Risk Management (DRM) in the Caribbean : service utility document

This document describes the assessment of the Earth Observation (EO) information products / services delivered by the British Geological Survey (BGS) via the framework of the European Space Agency (ESA) eoworld2 initiative. The products / services were delivered to the Caribbean region and the World Bank (WB) primarily via the ‘Caribbean Handbook on Risk Information Management’ project (CHARIM) which is financed by the EU-funded ACP-EU Natural Disaster Risk Reduction Program, managed by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, led by the WB team, and implemented with the University of Twente, ITC and the local users from various Government Ministries in the Caribbean region

Extending natural hazard impacts: an assessment of landslide disruptions on a national road transportation network

Disruptions to transportation networks by natural hazard events cause direct losses (e.g. by physical damage) and indirect socio-economic losses via travel delays and decreased transportation efficiency. The severity and spatial distribution of these losses varies according to user travel demands and which links, nodes or infrastructure assets are physically disrupted. Increasing transport network resilience, for example by targeted mitigation strategies, requires the identification of the critical network segments which if disrupted would incur undesirable or unacceptable socio-economic impacts. Here, these impacts are assessed on a national road transportation network by coupling hazard data with a transport network model. This process is illustrated using a case study of landslide hazards on the road network of Scotland. A set of possible landslide-prone road segments is generated using landslide susceptibility data. The results indicate that at least 152 road segments are susceptible to landslides, which could cause indirect economic losses exceeding £35 k for each day of closure. In addition, previous estimates for historic landslide events might be significant underestimates. For example, the estimated losses for the 2007 A83 'Rest and Be Thankful' landslide are £80 k day−1, totalling £1.2 million over a 15 day closure, and are ~60% greater than previous estimates. The spatial distribution of impact to road users is communicated in terms of 'extended hazard impact footprints'. These footprints reveal previously unknown exposed communities and unanticipated spatial patterns of severe disruption. Beyond cost-benefit analyses for landslide mitigation efforts, the approach implemented is applicable to other natural hazards (e.g. flooding), combinations of hazards, or even other network disruption events

Additive Dose Response Models: Explicit Formulation and the Loewe Additivity Consistency Condition

Lederer S, M. H. Dijkstra T, Heskes T. Additive Dose Response Models: Explicit Formulation and the Loewe Additivity Consistency Condition. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2018;9: 31

Structure, Multiplexity, and Centrality in a Corruption Network:The Czech Rath Affair

The present study is an analysis of a Czech political corruption network known as the Rath affair reconstructed with publicly available data. We argue that for the study of criminal networks it is fruitful to follow a multiplex approach, i.e., to distinguish several interdependent network dimensions and study how they are interrelated. Relational elements in corruption are identified, and we propose three dimensions that are essential for understanding the Rath network: pre-existing ties (e.g., marriage or co-membership of the same party), resource transfer (e.g., bribing), and collaboration (e.g., communication). The aim of the study was threefold. We aimed to examine if the network exhibits the core/periphery structure, to investigate the multiplex structure of the network by assessing the overlap of the main dimensions of the network, and to determine the central and multiplex actors while considering the differentiation of centrality according to the three network dimensions. The core/periphery model appears to have a perfect fit to the aggregated network, leading to a four-block adjacency matrix. Studying the frequency of ties in these blocks shows that collaboration ties are present in all the blocks, while resource transfer ties are mainly located between the core and periphery, and pre-existing ties are rare generally. We also identify central actors, none of which are strategically positioned, occupying more visible positions instead. The majority of actors display strong multiplexity in the composition of their own ties. In the conclusion the potential usefulness of multiplex descriptive measures and of mixed methods approaches, implications of our results for trust incriminal networks, and potential merits of analytical sociology approach are discussed

Poisonous connections:a case study on a Czech counterfeit alcohol distribution network

Using data on 32 actors and ties among them drawn from available court files, we combine analytical sociology with statistical models for networks in order to analyse a case of a counterfeit alcohol distribution network from the Czech Republic. We formulate a theory of action and identify relational mechanisms which could explain how the structure of the network emerged and describe. We use the exponential random graph model to test these mechanisms. The analysis reveals that the two actors capable of manufacturing the poisonous mixture were considerably though not optimally proximate to others enabling fast distribution of the mixture. Our model results that the structure was formed by mechanisms of triadic closure, negative tendency to concentrate ties, and tie translation of pre-existing ties into operational ties. We conclude with the discussion of the implications our approach for the study of criminal networks