Sharing developed countries’ post-2012 greenhouse gas emission reductions based on comparable efforts

The Bali Action Plan as adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2007, states that Annex I (developed) countries should reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, based on comparable efforts. Within this context, we have explored various comparable effort approaches (for example, equal marginal abatement costs for all countries) for reducing emissions by the year 2020 for individual countries and regions. In all calculations, the total reduction for Annex I countries as a group is assumed to be 30% below 1990 levels. In the analysis, we compare the reduction targets as calculated from the different approaches with the emission reductions as pledged by these countries as part of the Copenhagen Accord, as drafted under the UNFCCC in 2009. Our analysis indicates that the different elements in these calculations may cause a diversity in outcomes and that, therefore, individual countries may favour certain elements over others. These elements include (a) the choice of the approach itself (the same approach may produce very different outcomes for countries with diverging national circumstances, such as Canada and Russia); (b) the reference year (such as 1990 or 2006 emissions, is very important for countries with an increase in emissions since 1990 (e.g. the United States, Canada) or for those that have lower emission levels (e.g. Russia, the Ukraine)); and (c) rules on land use (these are important for countries with large forest areas). It should be noted that the stringency of the individual countries’ reductions as pledged, differs substantially from the stringency of the reduction targets calculated from the effort-sharing approaches. The current pledges by both the European Union and the United States, are lower than the reductions that would be obtained in the effort-sharing approaches for a 30% overall reduction in Annex I countries.     

How to uncoil your partner—“mating songs” in giant pill-millipedes (Diplopoda: Sphaerotheriida)

The stridulation of the giant pill-millipede genus Sphaerotherium from South Africa, one of only three groups of millipedes that produce sounds, was studied. One hundred one stridulation series of a total of nine different species (Sphaerotherium dorsaloide, Sphaerotherium hanstroemi, Sphaerotherium mahaium, Sphaerotherium similare, Sphaerotherium punctulatum, Sphaerotherium convexitarsum, Sphaerotherium dorsale, Sphaerotherium rotundatum, and Sphaerotherium perbrincki) were analyzed. Stridulation sounds are produced only with a special field of ribs on the posterior surface of the posterior telopod, which is actively moved over a field of sclerotized nubs on the inner margin of the anal shield. The Sphaerotherium male usually stridulates only when in contact with a female to initiate mating. This seems to prevent the female from volvating into a ball or stimulate the female to uncoil when already rolled in. The sound analyzes revealed a broad frequency spectrum in all stridulation sounds produced, without obvious differences in frequency distribution among species. However, the temporal pattern of the stridulation varies greatly between species and seems to be species-specific, arguing for a species recognition function of the stridulation during courtship behavior. A single species (S. punctulatum) was found to stridulate during mating while three species also show postcopulatory stridulation. Apparently, pill-millipedes are not capable of acoustic perception, as no hearing organs are known, indicating that the communication is mainly based on perception of temporal vibration patterns, and not of the acoustic signal itself. The need to overcome the rolling-in reflex of the female is developed as a hypothesis why stridulation exists only in millipedes able to coil into a ball, and apparently evolved four times independently in the superorder Oniscomorpha.     

Multicenter clinical experience with non-invasive cell-free DNA screening for monosomy X and related X-chromosome variants

Objective

We aimed to investigate how the presence of fetal anomalies and different X chromosome variants influences Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) screening results for monosomy X.

Methods

From a multicenter retrospective survey on 673 pregnancies with prenatally suspected or confirmed Turner syndrome, we analyzed the subgroup for which prenatal cfDNA screening and karyotype results were available. A cfDNA screening result was defined as true positive (TP) when confirmatory testing showed 45,X or an X-chromosome variant.

Results

We had cfDNA results, karyotype, and phenotype data for 55 pregnancies. cfDNA results were high risk for monosomy X in 48/55, of which 23 were TP and 25 were false positive (FP). 32/48 high-risk cfDNA cases did not show fetal anomalies. Of these, 7 were TP. All were X-chromosome variants. All 16 fetuses with high-risk cfDNA result and ultrasound anomalies were TP. Of fetuses with abnormalities, those with 45,X more often had fetal hydrops/cystic hygroma, whereas those with “variant” karyotypes had different anomalies.

Conclusion

Both, 45,X or X-chromosome variants can be detected after a high-risk cfDNA result for monosomy X. When there are fetal anomalies, the result is more likely a TP. In the absence of fetal anomalies, it is most often an FP or X-chromosome variant.     

An experimental study on the temperature dependence of CO2 explosive evaporation

The need for transportation and storage of CO₂ in bulk quantities is likely to increase in the near future. The handling of CO₂ on such scale gives rise to a number of technological challenges and safety aspects. The accidental rupture of a vessel containing liquefied CO₂ may lead to a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE). Whether explosive evaporation of liquefied CO₂ is also possible at storage temperatures below the homogeneous nucleation temperature 271 K (?2 °C) is unclear.This article describes the results of 12 experiments with 40 L CO₂ cylinders at various temperatures to investigate the temperature dependence of explosive evaporation. The cylinders were opened with linear shaped charges to simulate a near instantaneous rupture, and blast was measured at various locations. The observed blast could be clearly attributed to explosive evaporation. The results show that below the homogeneous nucleation temperature, BLEVE blast does not disappear abruptly, but instead follows a gradual decay. Predictions with a numerical BLEVE blast model overestimate the observed blast peak overpressure and impulse, but qualitatively show a similar behaviour. The energy lost by the acceleration of the cylinder parts is a possible reason for overestimations of the model.The consequence of the test results is that for accident scenarios with CO₂ at low temperatures a BLEVE should not be neglected in hazard assessments. Future large scale bulk storage will take place at a 10⁵ times larger volume than the cylinders applied in the current small scale experiments. We expect that the blast-reducing effects of a tank shell will disappear at such scale.The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under grant agreement n° 241381.     

Slip Resistance of Industrial Floor Surfaces: Development of an Elastomer Suited to In-Situ Measurement

Slips contribute to 12% of occupational accidents. A slip resistant floor is a mean to prevent slipping accidents occurring in workshops. Floor slip resistance is often evaluated by measuring a friction index, proportional to the force opposing slipping of a reference elastomer on the floor surface under test. When implementing a portable appliance, slip resistance measurements carried out on lubricated floors were not stabilized. The authors advanced the hypothesis of oil impregnating the elastomer. A new elastomer suited to in-situ measurement has been developed to achieve stable measuring conditions. This study highlights the fact that the nature and characteristics of a reference elastomer must be specified when slip resistance measurements are carried out.     

Integrated Freshwater Solutions — A New Zealand Application of Mediated Modeling

Mediated Modeling (MM) refers to “model building with stakeholders,” enabling collaborative learning and decision support. This article presents results from the Integrated Freshwater Solutions (IFS — www.ifs.org.nz ) action research project in the Manawatū River watershed, New Zealand. Water quality in the watershed often rates poorly, with the key issues being sedimentation, eutrophication, and habitat destruction. IFS is to develop and test MM to support collaborative and adaptive freshwater management. The project team was presented with the opportunity to collaborate with the Manawatū River Leaders' Forum (MRLF), an initiative driven by the Regional Council to improve water quality. This article describes the process of MM and how it was adapted to meet the needs of MRLF stakeholders. This highlights some important conditions for collaborative and adaptive capacity building. The MM/MRLF stakeholders, represented: industry, farming, local and regional authorities, environmental groups, and indigenous Māori iwi/hapū (tribe/sub‐tribe). This article describes how MM assisted early in the collaborative process to develop the following: (1) a shared and more integrated understanding of causes and effects and (2) a sense of the order of magnitude of the problems and the impact proposed solutions might have. It also describes how the context of politics, time, and resource constraints played an important role reverting to a more traditional planning approach part way through the process.     

Moist olive husks addition to a silty clay soil: influence on microbial and biochemical parameters

To investigate the effects of moist olive husks (MOH-residues) on soil respiration, microbial biomass, and enzymatic (o-diphenoloxidase, beta-glucosidase, dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase) activities, a silty clay soil was incubated with 0 (control), 8 x 10(3) (D), 16 x 10(3) (2D) and 80 x 10(3) (10D) kg ha-1 of MOH-residues on a dry weight basis. Soil respiration and microbial biomass data indicated that the addition of MOH-residues strongly increased microbial activity proportionally to the amounts added. Data of qCO2 suggested that the respiration to biomass ratio of the microbial population was strongly modified by MOH-residues additions during the first 90 days of incubation. The qCO2 data suggested a low efficiency in energy yields from C oxidation during the first 2 months of soil incubation. qFDA seemed to be relatively unaffected for treatments D and 2D as compared to the control, but was significantly lowered by the application of 10D, showing the lowest hydrolytic activity of microbial biomass in this treatment up to 360 days of incubation. o-Diphenoloxidase activity was delayed, and this delay was extended with the addition of larger quantities of MOH-residues. Alkaline phosphatase, beta-glucosidase and dehydrogenase activities were in line with the findings on microbial biomass changes and activities. The biological and biochemical data suggest that the addition of a large quantity of MOH-residues (80 x 10(3) kg ha-1) strongly modifies the soil characteristics affecting the r- and K-strategist populations, and that these changes last for at least the 360 days of incubation. The data also suggest that application rates exceeding 16 x 10(3) kg ha-1 are not recommended until the agro-chemical and -physical functions of the soil are further studied.