The use of cost–benefit analysis in environmental policies: Some issues raised by the Water Framework Directive implementation in France

This paper aims to practically contribute to the literature on the use of cost–benefit analysis (CBA) and economic evaluation in environmental decision-making through a practical case study: the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in France, for the first cycle (2010–2015). The WFD requires that Member States achieve “good status” for all water bodies in 2015. However, exemptions can apply, if justified, on natural, technical or economic reasons. For the latter, EU guidance documents recommend to use CBA. In France, the water agencies carried out 710 CBAs on proposed restoration projects for water bodies. This article reports on this experience. Issues concerning these analyses are discussed, especially the assessment of non-market benefits. Finally, this article questions the use of economic analysis in the implementation of environmental policy.     

What makes institutional crafting successful? Applying the SES to case studies from India and the greater Mekong Region

Using two very different empirical settings, this paper emphasizes the required conditions for the successful crafting of sustainable institutions. In the first setting, different farmer groups in Cambodia and Vietnam try to establish a collective approach for small-scale community-based aquaculture and fail. In the second setting, the collective initiatives of urban women in India are analysed. The Indian women succeed in their objective of a fuel transition from firewood to gas cookers using a cooperative approach. Ostrom's variables identified in the “Multitier Framework for Analyzing Social–Ecological Systems (SES)” (Ostrom, 2007) are applied to local collective action initiatives in both settings to understand which factors make some of the groups succeed in their objectives and others fail. This research highlights the complexity as well as the uniqueness of different SESs. At the same time, the paper contributes to demonstrating the usability of the SES and certain variables to estimate the likelihood of success of self-organisation and crafting of rules. It highlights the relevance of certain conceptual variables for sustainable or unsustainable outcomes for different cases.     

Insights into the pathophysiology of twin–twin transfusion syndrome

Twin–twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is attributed to trans-anastomotic transfusion between twins. Anastomoses are ubiquitous in monochorionic (MC) placentae, yet TTTS develops in only 15%. Although ex vivo and in vivo studies fail to identify a unique anastomotic signature, TTTS placentae are typically associated with an imbalance in unidirectional arteriovenous anastomoses with absent bidirectional anastomoses. Doppler detection of an artery-artery anastomosis reduces the chance of TTTS, whereas, in those that develop the disease, it improves stage-independent survival. Selective laser is often curative, but an increasingly recognized risk of persistent or reverse TTTS may be attributable to atypical arteriovenous anastomoses not identifiable from the chorionic plate. Simple dysvolaemia fails to explain several phenotypic features, including haematological concordancy, recipient hypertension, and reversibly absent end diastolic flow in the donor. The renin-angiotensin system is upregulated in the donor and downregulated in the recipient's kidneys, while paradoxically raised renin levels in the recipient may contribute to raised afterload along with endothelin. Although research is limited in humans by therapy and the lack of a suitable experimental model, further studies of placental and vascular pathophysiology may not only refine current treatment modalities but may also, in addition, suggest further avenues for downstream management such as genetic predisposition testing or pharmacological intervention. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantitative Relationships between Predatory and Nonpredatory Animals in Freshwater Ecosystems

The ratios between the sizes of predators and prey have been estimated. On average, the linear sizes and body weights of aquatic predatory animals are approximately three and nine times greater, respectively, than those of nonpredatory animals. The biomass of predators in waters with different productivity levels is, on average, about 20% of the biomass of nonpredatory animals. However, the ratio between the biomasses of predatory and nonpredatory animals in the same water body may vary seasonally and annually and differ in different parts of this water body. The average numbers of predatory fish in ichthyocenoses are no more than 3% of the numbers of nonpredatory fish. The living space (individual range) of predatory fish is about 40 times larger than that of their prey. The relatively low numbers of predators in water bodies may be accounted for by the lower number of predatory species and their higher mortality at early developmental stages, compared to nonpredatory species.     

Identification of a small supernumerary marker chromosome,r(2)(p10q11.2), and the problem of determining prognosis

The identification of small supernumerary marker chromosomes (SMCs) and the elucidation of their clinical significance remain two of the problems in classical human cytogenetics. We observed a small supernumerary ring in amniotic fluid cell cultures and identified its origin as r(2)(p10q11.2) and its extent by means of fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH). Uniparental disomy (UPD) was excluded by microsatellite analysis using polymorphic markers localised in the same region. On the basis of normal ultrasonographic checks, the patient decided to continue the pregnancy. A normal female was delivered at term and subsequent neonatal follow-ups confirmed the normal phenotype and development. In the present case, genetic counselling was not helpful because of the absence of reference cases. Detailed characterisation made it possible to correlate the normal baby phenotype with the trisomic 2p10-2q11.2 genomic region. Further molecular cytogenetic investigations of SMCs classified by DNA content and pregnancy outcome data should improve genetic counselling and risk evaluation. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A comparative study of countries’ responsibilities for carbon dioxide emission in an open economy

In an open economy, embodied carbon dioxide emissions in international trade should be taken into consideration to scientifically define each country’s emissions responsibility. In this study, a multiregional input–output model is constructed to calculate the embodied carbon dioxide emissions of 25 World Trade Organization members, including China, according to the producer–consumer shared responsibility principle. The study indicates that: it is fairer and more efficient to identify each country’s carbon dioxide emissions responsibility according to the shared responsibility principle; China’s producer responsibility is 1.4 times that of the USA, while China’s consumer responsibility is only one-tenth that of the USA; according to the producer responsibility principle, China shoulders the greatest responsibility. According to the producer–consumer shared responsibility principle, China’s responsibility shows a large decrease. Resource endowment, economic development stage, and trade structure account for the abovementioned changes in China’s emissions responsibility.     

Modeling and simulation of arc: Laser and hybrid welding process

Welding is a fabrication process to join two different materials. Among the many welding processes, the arc and laser welding processes are the most widely used. Great effort is required to understand the physical phenomena of arc and laser welding due to the complex behaviors which include liquid phase, solid phase and, gas phase. So it is necessary to conduct numerical simulation to understand the detailed procedures of welding. This paper will present the various numerical simulation methods of the arc welding processes such as arc plasma, gas tungsten arc welding, gas metal arc welding, laser welding, and laser–arc hybrid welding. These simulations are conducted by the finite element method, finite differential method and volume of fluid method to describe and analyze the various welding processes.