Developments in asset-based welfare policy

At the time of the Pre-Budget Report, the Treasury published a second consultation document discussing two proposed asset-based welfare policies, the Saving Gateway and the Child Trust Fund. These are intended to ‘extend the benefits of saving and asset-ownership more widely’.1 In this chapter, we consider each of these two policies in turn. We discuss what the new document tells us about the policies and then consider what issues remain to be resolved before the policies are implemented

Is middle Britain middle-income Britain?

There is a strong consensus that the British general election successes of the Labour Party in 1997 and 2001 owed much to attracting and retaining support from amongst the 'middle-class' voters of 'middle Britain'. But are the supposed residents of middle Britain in the middle of the income distribution? In this briefing note, we look at where we might find the 'middle classes' in the income distribution, and at the pattern of income distribution more generally

Transatlantic Surveys of Seabirds, Cetaceans and Turtles, July 2013 and July 2018

Analysis of multi-species tracking data suggest that an area of the deep northwest Atlantic bounded by Flemish Cap, Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone and Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) has a relatively high abundance and diversity of pelagic seabirds. It is also thought to be important for other wideranging, air-breathing higher predators, including cetaceans and tunas. The area’s oceanography is dominated by a system of banded zonal fronts associated with the North Atlantic Current and this may be responsible for levels of diversity and abundance that are unusual for oceanic waters. The area is currently therefore being considered by the OSPAR Committee as a candidate high seas Marine Protected Area (cMPA). The seabird distribution patterns inferred from tracking data were confirmed in part by research cruise DY080, which surveyed the area in June 2017. However, weather during that cruise was not ideal for detecting small and medium deep-diving cetaceans and relatively few other at-sea surveys have been carried out in the deep northwest Atlantic. Here, I summarise seabird, cetacean and turtle sightings from surveys carried out opportunistically during transatlantic crossings aboard a cruise ship in July 2013 and July 2018, which passed though the cMPA. In 2013, 180 km of track was surveyed, with the weather being ideal for detecting cetaceans in the southwest of the cMPA. In 2018, 470 km of track was surveyed. The weather was poorer for detecting cetaceans in the cMPA but ideal to the east of the MAR. Seabird data support the findings of previous studies, showing high seabird diversity and abundance between the Flemish Cap and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. During the cruises, great shearwaters, northern fulmars and Cory’s shearwaters dominated the avifauna of cMPA. Long-tailed and south polar skuas were also relatively abundant and a Fea’s petrel was sighted for the first time at sea in the cMPA, confirming tracking observations of this species. In 2013, a high diversity of cetaceans was recorded in the southwest of the cMPA, including Kogia and Mesoplodon spp. and in 2018 common minke whales were recorded for the first time in the cMPA. These results suggest that the cMPA has a relatively high diversity of cetaceans. An area of high cetacean diversity, including Sowerby’s beaked whales and northern bottlenose whales, was also encountered east of the MAR in 2018, in the vicinity of the Thulean Rise

MICROBIOLOGY OF SOIL

The discovery that certain microorganisms isolated from soil could produce antibiotics when grown in pure cultures in the lab­ oratory has served to focus attention as never before on the sub­ject of soil microbiology. The main emphasis, however, is on prob­lems entirely unrelated to the processes which go on in the soil. The fact that an organism was isolated from soil and then used in medicine, fermentations, or some such way, does not bring such work in the actual field of soil microbiology. Practically all except the more fastidious animal and plant pathogens can be found in the soil at one time or another. Even some of the fastidious or­ ganisms are quite regularly found. That is not surprising consider­ ing that all sorts of materials find their way back to the soil-the dumping place of much of our refuse. In addition, the soil serves as a good matrix for the preservation of microorganisms, provided competition between the various forms is not too severe. Waksman (1) reviewed the literature up to 1932, and then supplemented his book with a review (2) covering the years 1932- 36. A decade later, Norman (3) very briefly surveyed the field and discussed the status of the science, especially the lack of support allotted to it. It is the purpose of the present paper to review some of the more important work published since 1936. The coverage of the literature cannot be complete owing to the limitation of space; more attention will be paid to some work, less to others. Responsibility for the selection of the references discussed will be the reviewer\u27s, who will be influenced a great deal by his own in­terests

Water Quality Assessment of Sager Creek Utilizing Physiochemical Parameters and a Family-Level Biotic Index

An annual rapid bioassessment and physiochemical survey of Sager Creek in Northwest Arkansas was conducted. Sager Creek is a first to second order stream that flows through the city of Siloam Springs, AR. Invertebrate collections and water samples were collected at three different reaches, with the most downstream reach being below the effluent of the Siloam Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant. Benthic arthropods were collected, identified, and counted to produce a family-level biotic index and a family-level index of diversity. Statistical analysis revealed that these indices were significantly different for the effluent- influenced reach. However, this difference could not be correlated to any measured physiochemical parameter

Explosive welding technique for joining aluminum and steel tubes

Silver sheet is wrapped around aluminum portion of joint. Mylar powder box is wrapped over silver sheet. Explosion welds silver to aluminum. Stainless-steel tube is placed over silver-aluminum interface. Mylar powder box, covered with Mylar tape, is wrapped around steel member. Explosion welds steel to silver-aluminum interface

Persistence of Urban Stream Syndrome Effects from Point Source and Non-Point Source Pollutants

In a previous study, Sager Creek, a small 1st-3rd order stream in northwest Arkansas was shown to be negatively impacted by urban land usage within the watershed, producing a stream that exhibited several indicators of urban stream syndrome. This included (1) physical disturbances: increases in impervious surfaces in the watershed, dams built across the stream, and alteration of the natural stream flow through the construction of retaining walls, (2) chemical disturbances: increases in electrical conductivity (EC) and total dissolved solids (TDS) as well as elevated PO4 levels (3) and biological disturbances: low populations of pollution intolerant macroinvertebrate species and high populations of pollution tolerant species. It could be hypothesized that these negative impacts could be mitigated by both biological and physiochemical remediation processes downstream from the effluent of the Siloam Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant (SSWTP), the most heavily effected of the previous study sites. A three-year investigation to test this hypothesis was completed. Utilizing physiochemical properties and biological assessments, four stream reaches, two in the previous research site and two downstream, were assessed for negative urban impact. Some acquired data supported the hypothesis that negative effects are mitigated downstream, particularly a lowering of EC and TDS levels and an increase in macroinvertebrate diversity. However, a larger amount of data, including mean water temperature, total water flow, pH, dissolved O2 and NO3 levels and mean Family-level Biotic Indices supported the null hypothesis that reaches above, at and, below the SSWTP were all equivalent in investigated physiochemical parameters and biological indicators

A geographical study of the New Zealand textile manufacturing industry, with particular reference to the Wellington region

This thesis is a study of the New Zealand textile manufacturing industry and its components. It investigates the nature of location patterns, the changes within the components of the industry and the changes in industrial organisation which have occurred since 1950. The location of factories engaged in manufacturing textiles is detailed, shifts in components of the industry are analysed and early location factors in the industry are discussed. It is argued that technological advances in various facets of the industry have been influential in determining the present day location of the factories in the industry. The impact of technology and its requirements within the industry are examined specifically in terms of process product and organisational adjustments. The resulting developments, particularly the form of intra- and inter- industry linkages are outlined. In addition the form of industry intra-urban linkages are explored with particular reference to the Wellington Region