‘Sea of blood’: the intended and unintended effects of criminalising humanitarian volunteers assisting migrants in distress at sea

This paper investigates the impact of the recent criminalisation of humanitarian actors engaged in the search for and rescue of migrants in distress in the Mediterranean Sea, focusing on the impact on the motivation and engagement of humanitarian volunteers in Greece. It argues that criminalisation is aimed at reducing search and rescue (SAR) activities and thus removing perceived ‘pull factors’ for migrants. The paper locates this phenomenon within the broader trend of policing and punishing those who assist migrants in order to deter them and prevent others from engaging in such endeavours. It finds that efforts to criminalise can have the unintended effects of encouraging and mobilising volunteers, as well as generating public attention and support for migrants. However, the negative consequences of criminalisation are far-reaching, including contributing to a high mortality rate among those crossing the Mediterranean without SAR capabilities and the heightened risk of violence against migrants and those who help them.     

Inventory and vertical migration of 90Sr fallout and 137Cs/90Sr ratio in Spanish mainland soils

In this paper the inventory of ⁹⁰Sr in 34 points distributed along the Spanish peninsular territory is presented. Obtained values range between 173 Bq/m² and 2047 Bq/m². From these data set and those ¹³⁷Cs data obtained in a previous work the ¹³⁷Cs/⁹⁰Sr activity ratio has been established, laying this value between 0.9 and 3.6. Also the migration depth of both radionuclides has been analysed obtaining for ¹³⁷Cs an average value 57% lower than that obtained for ⁹⁰Sr.Additionally, this paper presents the results obtained in 11 sampling points in which the activity vertical profile has been measured. These profiles have been analysed to state the behaviour of strontium in soils and after, by using a convective-diffusive model, the parameters of the model which governs the vertical migration of ⁹⁰Sr in the soil, v (apparent convection velocity) and D (apparent diffusion coefficient) have been evaluated. Mean values obtained are 0.20 cm/year and 3.67 cm²/year, respectively.     

贸易开放、劳动力转移和就业

长久以来主流国际贸易模型中充分就业的假设使经济学界忽略了对贸易开放如何影响就业的分析,而哈里斯-托达罗模型则为此提供了一个可供扩展的框架.将哈里斯-托达罗模型扩展到存在贸易开放的情况后,本文发现如果一国的比较优势为制造品,贸易开放将会减少就业,这是因为制造品价格的提高会吸引更多的劳动力从农业向制造业转移,而制造业部门劳动力市场刚性的存在则阻碍了劳动需求的增加.为了研究我国改革开放以来贸易开放对就业的影响机制,并且考虑到就业的持续性,本文利用我国省际面板动态数据进行实证研究,并使用国有企业和政府部门劳动力占比度量我国劳动力市场刚性程度.实证研究结果发现当不考虑劳动市场刚性时,由于我国的比较优势是劳动密集型产品,贸易开放能增加就业;而当劳动力市场刚性较大时,劳动力转移过程反而促使贸易开放减少我国的就业,恰好验证了本文的理论分析结果.该文的政策含义则意味着政府应努力降低劳动力市场刚性以促使贸易开放增加就业.     

Fate of Co at a sludge land application site

Vertical distributions of ⁶⁰Co are determined in soil cores obtained from a 10-ha grassland, where anaerobically digested sludge was applied by surface spraying from 1986 to 1995 on the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation. These results, along with historical application records, are used to estimate vertical-migration rates and perform a mass balance. The presence of ⁶⁰Co results solely from the sludge-application process. Soil, vegetation, and surface-water samples were collected. Eleven soil cores were sectioned into 3-cm increments and analyzed by gamma-ray spectrometry. No ⁶⁰Co was detected in the vegetation or water samples. The downward migration rate of ⁶⁰Co in the upper 15 cm of soil ranged from 0.50 to 0.73 cm/yr. About 98%, 0.020 ± 0.011 Bq/cm², of ⁶⁰Co remained in the upper 15 cm of soil, which compared favorably with the expected ⁶⁰Co activity based on historical records of 0.019 ± 0.010 Bq/cm².     

Development of a model to simulate soil heavy metals lateral migration quantity based on SWAT in Huanjiang watershed, China

Lateral transportation of soil heavy metals in rainfall events could significantly increase the scope of pollution. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a model with high accuracy to simulate the migration quantity of heavy metals. A model for heavy metal migration simulation was developed based on the SWAT(Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model. This model took into consideration the influence of soil p H value, soil particle size, runoff volume, sediment amount,concentration of water-soluble heavy metals dissolved in runoff and insoluble absorbed to the soil particles. This model was reasonable in Huanjiang watershed, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, south China, covering an area of 273 km~2. The optimal drainage area threshold was determined by analyzing the effects of watershed subdivision on the simulation results to ensure the simulation accuracy. The main conclusions of this paper were:(1) watershed subdivision could affect simulation migration quantity of heavy metals;(2) the quantity of heavy metals transported by sediment accounted for 97%–99% of the total migration quantity in the study watershed. Therefore, sediment played the most important role in heavy metal migration;(3) the optimal drainage area threshold percentage to ensure high simulation accuracy was determined to be 2.01% of the total watershed;(4) with the optimal threshold percentage, this model could simulate the migration quantity of As, Pb and Cd accurately at the total watershed and subwatershed level. The results of this paper were useful for identifying the key regions with heavy metal migration.     

Simulation of 137Cs Migration over the Soil–Plant System of Peat Soils Contaminated after the Chernobyl Accident

A mathematical model was constructed to simulate the processes of ¹³⁷Cs migration in peat soils and its uptake by vegetation. Model parameters were assessed and the pattern of ¹³⁷Cs distribution over soil profile was predicted in case of peat soils, which are typical of the Russian regions contaminated after the Chernobyl accident. The ecological half-life of ¹³⁷Cs in the plant-root soil zone was calculated, and a long-term prognosis of the radionuclide uptake by plants was made.     

Assessing the Effects of Alternative Setback Channel Constraint Scenarios Employing a River Meander Migration Model

River channel migration and cutoff events within large river riparian corridors create heterogeneous and biologically diverse landscapes. However, channel stabilization (riprap and levees) impede the formation and maintenance of riparian areas. These impacts can be mitigated by setting channel constraints away from the channel. Using a meander migration model to measure land affected, we examined the relationship between setback distance and riparian and off-channel aquatic habitat formation on a 28-km reach of the Sacramento River, California, USA. We simulated 100 years of channel migration and cutoff events using 11 setback scenarios: 1 with existing riprap and 10 assuming setback constraints from about 0.5 to 4 bankfull channel widths (bankfull width: 235 m) from the channel. The percentage of land reworked by the river in 100 years relative to current (riprap) conditions ranged from 172% for the 100-m constraint setback scenario to 790% for the 800-m scenario. Three basic patterns occur as the setback distance increases due to different migration and cutoff dynamics: complete restriction of cutoffs, partial restriction of cutoffs, and no restriction of cutoffs. Complete cutoff restriction occurred at distances less than about one bankfull channel width (235 m), and no cutoff restriction occurred at distances greater than about three bankfull widths (∼700 m). Managing for point bars alone allows the setbacks to be narrower than managing for cutoffs and aquatic habitat. Results suggest that site-specific “restriction of cutoff” thresholds can be identified to optimize habitat benefits versus cost of acquired land along rivers affected by migration processes.     

Dip-angle influence on areal DNAPL recovery by co-solvent flooding with and without pre-flooding

A two-dimensional (2D) laboratory model was used to study effects of gravity on areal recovery of a representative dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) contaminant by an alcohol pre-flood and co-solvent flood in dipping aquifers. Recent studies have demonstrated that injection of alcohol and co-solvent solutions can be used to reduce in-situ the density of DNAPL globules and displace the contaminant from the source zone. However, contact with aqueous alcohol reduces interfacial tension and causes DNAPL swelling, thus facilitating risk of uncontrolled downward DNAPL migration. The 2D laboratory model was operated with constant background gradient flow and a DNAPL spill was simulated using tetrachloroethene (PCE). The spill was dispersed to a trapped, immobile PCE saturation by a water flood. Areal PCE recovery was studied using a double-triangle well pattern to simulate a remediation scheme consisting of an alcohol pre-flood using aqueous isobutanol ( approximately 10% vol.) followed by a co-solvent flood using a solution of ethylene glycol (65%) and 1-propanol (35%). Experiments were conducted with the 2D model oriented in the horizontal plane and compared to experiments at the 15 degrees and 30 degrees dip-angle orientations. Injection was applied either in the downward or upward direction of flow. Experimental results were compared to theoretical predictions for flood front stability and used to evaluate effects of gravity on areal PCE recovery. Sensitivity experiments were performed to evaluate effects of the alcohol pre-flood on PCE areal recovery. For experiments conducted with the alcohol pre-flood and the 2D model oriented in the horizontal plane, results indicate that 89-93% of source zone PCE was recovered. With injection oriented downward, results indicate that areal PCE recovery was 70-77% for a 15 degrees dip angle and 57-59% for a 30 degrees dip angle. With injection oriented upward, results indicate that areal PCE recovery was 57-60% at the 30 degrees dip angle, which was similar to PCE recovery for injection in the downward flow direction. Lower areal PCE recovery at greater dip angles in either direction of flow was attributed to DNAPL swelling and migration, flood front instabilities and bypassing of the displaced fluid past the extraction wells during the alcohol pre-flood. Additional results demonstrate that the use of an alcohol pre-flood can be beneficial in improving DNAPL recovery in the horizontal orientation, but pre-flooding may reduce areal recovery efficiency in dip-angle orientations. This study also demonstrates the use of theoretical perturbation (fingering) analysis in predicting NAPL recovery efficiency for flooding processes in remediating aquifers with dip angles.     

连续起伏管道投产过程中的气相运移研究*

为应对山区液体管道在投产过程中可能出现的气阻、超压问题,从气相运移角度出发,建立液顶气模型,研究在1个U型单元内积气形成、压缩和破碎的全过程,在此基础上,提出连接各个U型单元的气相的传递函数,探讨背压累积因素下,连续起伏管道投产过程中各个U型管段的积气情况和压力的变化,进行动态的建模和计算。以国内某原油管道的现场投产数据与模型结果进行比对。结果表明:可以更加准确地预测山区液体管道投产过程中的气相传递和压力变化过程,能为未来连续起伏大落差液体管道投产的安全稳定运行提供理论指导和技术支持。     

丁坝对河流污染物迁移扩散的影响模拟研究

以深度平均的水流和污染物迁移扩散的通用微分方程为控制方程建立数学模型。设置上游丁坝,模拟分析丁坝长度占河宽的不同比例(10%、20%、40%)以及污水口在坝前2m的位置条件下,丁坝对水流流场及污染物迁移扩散的影响。结果表明:当丁坝长度达到河宽的40%的时候,污染带的宽度最大,而出口端面污染物浓度较低。通过设置合理的丁坝长度比例,可以在一定程度上降低沿程污染物的浓度。