Stacking of Uninsured and Underinsured Motor Vehicle Coverages

Often, the first question asked by a plaintiff\u27s attorney in evaluating a serious automobile accident case is, How much insurance coverage is available? That same question can pose perplexing issues for defense attorneys or insurance counsel in assessing a client\u27s exposure to liability. In Virginia, these questions often re- quire the attorney to consider the application of Virginia\u27s Uninsured Motorist statutes and the import of stacking of coverage

Closing the global radiocarbon budget 1945-2005

The global radiocarbon cycle of the last 60 years was simulated with the Global RAdioCarbon Exploration Model (GRACE). The total radiocarbon production by atmospheric nuclear bomb tests was determined using available stratospheric and tropospheric radiocarbon (14C) observations as constraints. To estimate the range of uncertainty in the explosive force of atmospheric nuclear bomb tests and their respective 14C yield factor, we applied different published bomb test compilations. Furthermore, to account for a possible small bias in the available stratospheric excess radiocarbon observations, we tested the different bomb test compilations with both uncorrected and corrected stratospheric 14C observations. For each of these scenarios of the total bomb 14C burden, the model simulated the distribution of excess radiocarbon among the stratosphere, troposphere, biosphere, and ocean carbon reservoirs. With a global bomb 14C production of 598—632*10^26 atoms (99-105 kmol) 14C between 1945 and 1980, simulated excess radiocarbon inventories are in good agreement with all available stratospheric and tropospheric radiocarbon observations as well as with the latest estimates of the ocean excess radiocarbon inventories during the GEOSECS and WOCE surveys from Peacock (2004) and Key et al. (2004). For the very first time, our model is thus capable of closing the excess radiocarbon budget on the basis of our current knowledge of exchange rates and reservoir sizes in the global carbon system

The Networking of Planning Schools in Asia

The use of composite materials is proliferating these days. Their excellent strength-to- weight ratio has been the major reason for their popularity. Other reasons include: tailoring of desired properties, excellent corrosion properties, etc. Use of composites in underwater applications such as submarine hulls, due to their stealth properties, is becoming very attractive. Composites absorb sonar rays, making it difficult to detect submarines. Composites are also being used as pressure vessels and missile bodies. In these applications the structural shape is cylindrical or a surface of revolution. Very large composite cylinders with thickness of 3–4 inches have been manufactured for a variety of applications. These cylindrical shapes, in general, are manufactured by filament winding process. Continuous fiber is dipped in the adhesive and is wound on a mandrel. The fiber has to be under tension for good adhesion and reduced porosity. The cure process is an exothermic reaction and due to fiber tension and cooling, compressive stresses develop in the cylinders. It has been observed that due to these stresses the cylinders develop waviness in the fibers. It is not difficult to see that this waviness in fibers will result in reduced strength, of composites in compression, Garala [1], and increased fiber matrix debonding in tension. Hyer et al. [2] and Telegadas and Hyer [3] have studied the effect of fiber waviness on the stress state in hydrostatically loaded cylinders. The sample used by them had a single wave in a thermoset composite. The civil structural industry is finding new ways to use the composites. Small 3 inch long glass fiber wavy composites, wave length about 1 mm, are being tested as inclusions in reinforced concrete. The motivation for this study comes from the above applications of composites

Observations and modelling of the global distribution and long-term trend of atmospheric 14CO2

Global high-precision atmospheric Δ14CO2 records covering the last two decades are presented, and evaluated in terms of changing (radio)carbon sources and sinks, using the coarse-grid carbon cycle model GRACE. Dedicated simulations of global trends and interhemispheric differences with respect to atmospheric CO2 as well as δ13CO2 and Δ14CO2, are shown to be in good agreement with the available observations (1940–2008). While until the 1990s the decreasing trend of Δ14CO2 was governed by equilibration of the atmospheric bomb 14C perturbation with the oceans and terrestrial biosphere, the largest perturbation today are emissions of 14C-free fossil fuel CO2. This source presently depletes global atmospheric Δ14CO2 by 12–14‰ yr−1, which is partially compensated by 14CO2 release from the biosphere, industrial 14C emissions and natural 14C production. Fossil fuel emissions also drive the changing north–south gradient, showing lower Δ14C in the northern hemisphere only since 2002. The fossil fuel-induced north–south (and also troposphere–stratosphere) Δ14CO2 gradient today also drives the tropospheric Δ14CO2 seasonality through variations of air mass exchange between these atmospheric compartments. Neither the observed temporal trend nor the Δ14CO2 north–south gradient may constrain global fossil fuel CO2 emissions to better than 25%, due to large uncertainties in other components of the (radio)carbon cycle