Patterns of preference and practice: bridging actors in wildfire response networks in the American Northwest

The roles of bridging actors in emergency response networks can be important to disaster response outcomes. This paper is based on an evaluation of wildfire preparedness and response networks in 21 large‐scale wildfire events in the wildland—urban interface near national forests in the American Northwest. The study investigated how key individuals in responder networks anticipated seeking out specific people in perceived bridging roles prior to the occurrence of wildfires, and then captured who in fact assumed these roles during actual large‐scale events. It examines two plausible, but contradictory, bodies of theory—similarity and dissimilarity—that suggest who people might seek out as bridgers and who they would really go to during a disaster. Roughly one‐half of all pre‐fire nominations were consistent with similarity. Yet, while similarity is a reliable indicator of how people expect to organise, it does not hold up for how they organise during the real incident.     

Continue to blame it on the rain? Conceptualization of drought and failure of food systems in the Greater Horn of Africa

Food insecurity continues to be prevalent in parts of Africa. In December 2015, there were approximately 21.6 million food insecure people in the Horn and East Africa. Climate change is likely to exacerbate current volatility of agricultural production and lead to further food insecurity. Whilst the academic literature has acknowledged the complexity of food insecurity and systems, it is not clear to what extent this has been translated into practice. We argue that there is a tendency to explain complex failures of food systems as ‘droughts’, with insufficient attention paid to other drivers. We analyse humanitarian documents and climate outlook statements in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia and assess how these are reflected in the humanitarian responses to food insecurity in the region by analysing the financing of humanitarian operations. Our findings indicate that the continued evolution in understanding the complex causes of food insecurity and attempts to move away from emergency relief to a more sophisticated approach has not translated into an observable change in humanitarian responses. The reasons behind this persistence of short-term relief, which is being justified with reference to climatic factors, mainly drought, would warrant further research into the decision-making process that triggers humanitarian responses.

List of abbreviations: ACF: Action Contre le Faim; DCM: Drought Cycle Management; DEC: Disaster Emergency Committee; ECHO: European Commission Humanitarian Office; EU: European Union; EWS: Early Warning System; FAO: Food and Agricultural Organization; FEWSNET: Famine Early Warning System Network; FSNAU: Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit; FTS: Financial Tracking Service; GHACOF: Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum; GIEWS: Global Information and Early Warning System; IASC: Inter Agency Standing Committee; ICPAC: IGAD Climate Application and Prediction Centre; IFRC: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; IGAD: Inter-Governmental Authority on Development; IPCC: International Panel for Climate Change; LEWS: Livestock Early Warning System; ODI: Overseas Development Initiative; PASDEP: Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to Eradicate Poverty; PSNP: Productive Safety Net Programme; UNDRO: United Nations Disaster Relief Office; UNISDR: United Nations International; UN OCHA: United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; USAID: United States Agency for International Development; WFP: World Food Programme     

Optimization of pretreatment conditions for enhanced sugar release

Present investigation was done to evaluate various algal genera found in water bodies of Varanasi city. The potential of any biomass for biofuels (bioalcohols, biohydrogen, etc.) production depends on the quantity of extractable sugar present in it. Acid (H₂SO₄) and alkali (NaOH) pretreatment were performed, and H₂SO₄ was chosen due to its nearly double yield as compared with alkaline pretreatment. Response surface methodology was utilized for the optimization of operating parameters such as treatment temperature, time, and acid concentration. Sugar yield up to 0.33 g/g of dry biomass was obtained using cyanobacterial biomass of Lyngbya limnetica, at 100°C, 59.19 min, and H₂SO₄ concentration of 1.63 M.     

深厚黄土覆盖层上土石坝地震响应特性分析

采用非线性有限单元法和笔者曾提出的动孔压试验曲线法,对某深厚黄土覆盖层上土石坝进行了有效应力法地震响应分析,重点分析大坝的绝对加速度、动位移和动应力等动力响应及动孔隙水压力分布情况。分析结果表明,在现有设计条件下,由于坝基软弱黄土覆盖层较厚,大坝在7度地震作用下地震响应不强烈,但坝基黄土覆盖层会出现液化情况,需采取相应的抗液化工程措施。     

考虑拦污栅-坝体相互作用的混凝土重力坝抗震安全性分析

对考虑拦污栅-坝体的动力相互作用的弹性连接和刚性连接的拦污栅-坝体以及不作耦联分析的拦污栅-坝体这三种不同模型结构形式的动力特性和动力响应进行了比较分析。研究发现,拦污栅的不同模型结构形式对大坝的抗震安全性分析有重要影响,考虑拦污栅-坝体的动力相互作用后,坝体损伤开裂的程度明显加大,坝顶的水平位移响应也明显提高。按《规范》规定的对拦污栅和坝体不作耦联分析的抗震计算方法,所得结果对坝体是偏于不安全的,而如考虑拦污栅-坝体之间的弹性连接,所得结果则是偏于安全的。     

地下储液罐抗爆炸地冲击作用的流固耦合有限元分析

储液罐的抗震性能虽然得到了较为深入的研究,但对其抗爆炸产生的地冲击作用的研究还十分罕见。本文通过建立流固耦合的数值分析模型,研究爆炸地冲击作用下地下立式储液罐的动力特性,包括储液晃动波高、罐壁的应力和应变、底板的提离和浮放储液罐的"象足"变形产生原因及破坏机理等。研究结果表明,储液罐在爆炸地冲击荷载和地震荷载作用下的动力响应有明显区别,地震荷载作用下的储液罐抗震验算方法不适用于爆炸地冲击荷载。     

偏心结构空间杆系模型与空间实体模型的对比分析研究

分别用空间杆系模型和空间实体模型对偏心结构进行弹塑性时程分析,并比较两者的差别。研究发现,在结构刚进入塑性阶段时,采用空间杆系模型和空间实体模型得出的偏心结构塑性变形接近;而结构产生较大塑性变形时,采用空间实体模型得出的偏心结构塑性变形要比采用空间杆系模型得出的大许多。     

福州市主城区土地利用／覆被变化的洪涝响应

以福州市主城区1988年和2008年的TM影像为基础,对福州市主城区土地利用/覆被变化特征进行分析.结果表明:研究区1988-2008年期间土地利用结构发生了很大的变化,不同土地利用类型之间相互转化,其中建设用地面积剧增,导致不透水层的大面积增加.结合土地利用/覆被变化的水文效应分析表明,主城区土地利用/覆被变化对洪水的产流、汇流过程及河网水系结构产生很大的影响.     

岩溶山区不同土地利用方式下土壤质量指标响应

探讨了岩溶山区不同土地利用方式与土壤质量指标之间的响应关系.对重庆市北碚岩溶山区土壤肥力指标进行主因子分析的结果表明,原有22个土壤质量指标可归为4 类,分别以有机质,有效含水量,通气孔隙度,细菌、真菌数量百分比为代表,这4类因子基本反映了土壤质量随土地利用变化的综合变化状况.通径分析表明,不同土地利用方式下土壤持水性能主要与有机质、＞0.25 mm水稳性团聚体有关,二者的效应均大于黏粒.在土地利用方式变化过程中,土壤质量变化体现在有机质含量、土壤供持水能力、土壤结构状况和土壤微生物特性的变化上.     

藜麦Hsf家族的进化与多胁迫条件下的转录应答

Hsf转录因子参与调控植物在生物和非生物胁迫下的防御应答机制.基于系统的生物信息学分析方法,对藜麦Hsf家族成员进行序列特征、进化和多种生物和非生物逆境胁迫下的基因表达水平分析.在藜麦基因组中共鉴定得到31个Hsf转录因子,主要分布在7号染色体.系统进化树将藜麦31个Hsf成员划分到A1-A9、B1-B5和C组中;但藜...