536 research outputs found
Collaborative research and development (R&D) for climate technology transfer and uptake in developing countries: Towards a needs driven approach
While international cooperation to facilitate the transfer and uptake of climate technologies in developing countries is an ongoing part of climate policy conversations, international collaborative R&D has received comparatively little attention. Collaborative R&D, however, could be a potentially important contributor to facilitating the transfer and uptake of climate technologies in developing countries. But the complexities of international collaborative R&D options and their distributional consequences have been given little attention to date. This paper develops a systematic approach to informing future empirical research and policy analysis on this topic. Building on insights from relevant literature and analysis of empirical data based on a sample of existing international climate technology R&D initiatives, three contributions are made. First, the paper analyses the coverage of existing collaborative R&D efforts in relation to climate technologies, highlighting some important concerns, such as a lack of coverage of lower-income countries or adaptation technologies. Second, it provides a starting point for further systematic research and policy thinking via the development of a taxonomic approach for analysing collaborative designs. Finally, it matches characteristics of R&D collaborations against developing countriesâ climate technology needs to provide policymakers with guidance on how to Configure R&D collaborations to meet these needs
Dynamics of Spreading of Chainlike Molecules with Asymmetric Surface Interactions
In this work we study the spreading dynamics of tiny liquid droplets on solid
surfaces in the case where the ends of the molecules feel different
interactions with respect to the surface. We consider a simple model of dimers
and short chainlike molecules that cannot form chemical bonds with the surface.
We use constant temperature Molecular Dynamics techniques to examine in detail
the microscopic structure of the time dependent precursor film. We find that in
some cases it can exhibit a high degree of local order that can persist even
for flexible chains. Our model also reproduces the experimentally observed
early and late-time spreading regimes where the radius of the film grows
proportional to the square root of time. The ratios of the associated transport
coefficients are in good overall agreement with experiments. Our density
profiles are also in good agreement with measurements on the spreading of
molecules on hydrophobic surfaces.Comment: 12 pages, LaTeX with APS macros, 21 figures available by contacting
[email protected], to appear in Phys. Rev.
Remote Sensing Of Rice-Based Irrigated Agriculture: A Review
The âGreen Revolutionâ in rice farming of the late 1960âs denotes the beginning of the extensive breeding programs that have led to the many improved rice varieties that are now planted on more than 60% of the worldâs riceland (Khush, 1987). This revolution led to increases in yield potential of 2 to 3 times that of traditional varieties (Khush, 1987). Similar trends have also been seen in the Irrigation Areas and Districts of southern New South Wales (NSW) as the local breeding program has produced many improved varieties of rice adapted to local growing conditions since the 1960âs (Brennan et al., 1994). Increases in area of rice planted, rice quality, and paddy yield resulted (Brennan et al., 1994). Increased rice area, however, has led to the development of high water tables and risk of large tracts of land becoming salt-affected in southern NSW (Humphreys et al., 1994b). These concerns have led to various environmental regulations on rice in the region, culminating in 1994 when restrictions on rice area, soil suitability, and water consumption were fully enacted (Humphreys et al., 1994b). Strict environmental restrictions in combination with large areas of land make the management of this region a difficult task. Land managers require, among other things, a way of regulating water use, assessing or predicting crop area and productivity, and making management decisions in support of environmentally and economically sustainable agriculture. In the search for more time and cost effective methods for attaining these goals, while monitoring complex management situations, many have turned to remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies for assistance. The spectral information and spatial density of remote sensing data lends itself well to the measurement of large areas. Since the launch of LANDSAT-1 in 1972, this technology has been used extensively in agricultural systems for crop identification and area estimation, crop yield estimation and prediction, and crop damage assessment. The incorporation of remote sensing and GIS can also help integrate management practices and develop effective management plans. However, in order to take advantage of these tools, users must have an understanding of both what remote sensing is and what sensors are now available, and how the technology is being used in applied agricultural research. Accordingly, a description of both follows: first a description of the technology, and then how it is currently being applied. The applications of remote sensing relevant to this discussion can be separated into crop type identification; crop area measurement; crop yield; crop damage; water use/ moisture availability (ma) mapping; and water use efficiency monitoring/mapping. This report focuses on satellite remote sensing for broad-scale rice-based irrigation agricultural applications. It also discusses related regional GIS analyses that may or may not include remote sensing data, and briefly addresses other sources of finer-scale remote sensing and geospatial data as they relate to agriculture. Since a complete review of the remote sensing research was not provided in the rice literature alone, some generic agricultural issues have been learned from applications not specifically dealing with rice. Remote sensing specialists may wish to skip to section 2
Molecular ordering of precursor films during spreading of tiny liquid droplets
In this work we address a novel feature of spreading dynamics of tiny liquid
droplets on solid surfaces, namely the case where the ends of the molecules
feel different interactions to the surface. We consider a simple model of
dimers and short chain--like molecules which cannot form chemical bonds with
the surface. We study the spreading dynamics by Molecular Dynamics techniques.
In particular, we examine the microscopic structure of the time--dependent
precursor film and find that in some cases it can exhibit a high degree of
local order. This order persists even for flexible chains. Our results suggest
the possibility of extracting information about molecular interactions from the
structure of the precursor film.Comment: 4 pages, revtex, no figures, complete file available from
ftp://rock.helsinki.fi/pub/preprints/tft/ or at
http://www.physics.helsinki.fi/tft/tft_preprints.html (to appear in Phys.
Rev. E Rapid Comm.
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