Fuzzy finite element model updating of a laboratory wind turbine blade for structural modification detection

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Damage severity assessment of a laboratory wind turbine blade using virus optimisation algorithm

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Damage severity assessment in wind turbine blade laboratory model through fuzzy finite element model updating

Peer reviewedPostprin

An evaluation of the Scientific Basis of the Traffic Light System for Norwegian Salmonid Aquaculture

This document is the final report produced by an Evaluation Committee (EvalComm) set up under the auspices of the Research Council of Norway, at the request of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, to evaluate the scientific basis of the Traffic Light System (TLS) that is used to regulate the growth of the Norwegian salmon farming sector. The remit of the Committee was to focus primarily on two issues: (i) the choice of scientific models and methods (including their strengths and weaknesses, the handling of risk and uncertainty, and the quality of the assessments); and (ii) the extent to which the recommendations generated from the TLS reflect the scientific evidence. The EvalComm was formally constituted in late 2020 and met over the course of a year to fulfil its remit, which included an Interim Note in July 2021 as well as this final report. In addition to meetings among EvalComm members (mostly using an on-line medium) there were also a number of interactions early in the process with members of the Expert and Steering Groups linked to the TLS, to clarify questions of operational process and to ensure that all relevant documentation was available to the EvalComm

Differential physiological responses to environmental change promote woody shrub expansion

Direct and indirect effects of warming are increasingly modifying the carbon-rich vegetation and soils of the Arctic tundra, with important implications for the terrestrial carbon cycle. Understanding the biological and environmental influences on the pr

Differential physiological responses to environmental change promote woody shrub expansion

© The Author(s), 2013. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Ecology and Evolution 3 (2013): 1149–1162, doi:10.1002/ece3.525.Direct and indirect effects of warming are increasingly modifying the carbon-rich vegetation and soils of the Arctic tundra, with important implications for the terrestrial carbon cycle. Understanding the biological and environmental influences on the processes that regulate foliar carbon cycling in tundra species is essential for predicting the future terrestrial carbon balance in this region. To determine the effect of climate change impacts on gas exchange in tundra, we quantified foliar photosynthesis (Anet), respiration in the dark and light (RD and RL, determined using the Kok method), photorespiration (PR), carbon gain efficiency (CGE, the ratio of photosynthetic CO2 uptake to total CO2 exchange of photosynthesis, PR, and respiration), and leaf traits of three dominant species – Betula nana, a woody shrub; Eriophorum vaginatum, a graminoid; and Rubus chamaemorus, a forb – grown under long-term warming and fertilization treatments since 1989 at Toolik Lake, Alaska. Under warming, B. nana exhibited the highest rates of Anet and strongest light inhibition of respiration, increasing CGE nearly 50% compared with leaves grown in ambient conditions, which corresponded to a 52% increase in relative abundance. Gas exchange did not shift under fertilization in B. nana despite increases in leaf N and P and near-complete dominance at the community scale, suggesting a morphological rather than physiological response. Rubus chamaemorus, exhibited minimal shifts in foliar gas exchange, and responded similarly to B. nana under treatment conditions. By contrast, E. vaginatum, did not significantly alter its gas exchange physiology under treatments and exhibited dramatic decreases in relative cover (warming: −19.7%; fertilization: −79.7%; warming with fertilization: −91.1%). Our findings suggest a foliar physiological advantage in the woody shrub B. nana that is further mediated by warming and increased soil nutrient availability, which may facilitate shrub expansion and in turn alter the terrestrial carbon cycle in future tundra environments.This study was supported by the National Science Foundation #0732664; Australian Research Council DP0986823; and Marsden Fund of the Royal Society of New Zealand

The role of the international cocoa germplasm database and the international cocoa quarantine centre in information management and distribution of cocoa genetic resources

A range of physiological parameters (canopy light transmission, canopy shape, leaf size, flowering and flushing intensity) were measured from the International Clone Trial, typically over the course of two years. Data were collected from six locations, these being: Brazil, Ecuador, Trinidad, Venezuela, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. Canopy shape varied significantly between clones, although it showed little variation between locations. Genotypic variation in leaf size was differentially affected by the growth location; such differences appeared to underlie a genotype by environment interaction in relation to canopy light transmission. Flushing data were recorded at monthly intervals over the course of a year. Within each location, a significant interaction was observed between genotype and time of year, suggesting that some genotypes respond to a greater extent than others to environmental stimuli. A similar interaction was observed for flowering data, where significant correlations were found between flowering intensity and temperature in Brazil and flowering intensity and rainfall in Côte d’Ivoire. The results demonstrate the need for local evaluation of cocoa clones and also suggest that the management practices for particular planting material may need to be fine-tuned to the location in which they are cultivated

An Evaluation of the Scientific Basis of the Traffic Light System for Norwegian Salmonid Aquaculture

This document is the final report produced by an Evaluation Committee (EvalComm) set up under the auspices of the Research Council of Norway, at the request of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, to evaluate the scientific basis of the Traffic Light System (TLS) that is used to regulate the growth of the Norwegian salmon farming sector. The remit of the Committee was to focus primarily on two issues: (i) the choice of scientific models and methods (including their strengths and weaknesses, the handling of risk and uncertainty, and the quality of the assessments); and (ii) the extent to which the recommendations generated from the TLS reflect the scientific evidence. The EvalComm was formally constituted in late 2020 and met over the course of a year to fulfil its remit, which included an Interim Note in July 2021 as well as this final report. In addition to meetings among EvalComm members (mostly using an on-line medium) there were also a number of interactions early in the process with members of the Expert and Steering Groups linked to the TLS, to clarify questions of operational process and to ensure that all relevant documentation was available to the EvalComm