Beyond public artopia: public art as perceived by its publics

Since the upsurge of public art in the 1980s, geographers have been critically analysing creative practices as drivers of urban development and regeneration. They have commonly framed perceptions of art in urban public space from the perspectives of its producers and planners. Yet, the fundamental purpose of public art is shaped by its publics, which comprise a multifaceted audience. Some scholars have held a brief for examining perceptions of public art through its publics, but let things go at that. This paper attempts to address this under-researched yet important field by presenting a survey of publics’ perceptions of selected public-artwork localities in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Ghent. The publics’ perceptions were generally expressed in platitudes that were neither unreservedly positive nor unreservedly negative. But the distinct localities do show significant differences in publics’ perceived attractiveness of the public-artwork locality. These perceptions are further situated within publics’ cognitive, spatial, aesthetic, social and symbolic proximity to both the public artwork and its site. These empirical details provide insight into publics’ engagement with public art in particular places and thereby provide lessons for public-art-led urban planning. Moreover, this study instigates more solid qualitative research on this specific engagement.     

The creation of governments-in-waiting: The Arab Uprisings and legitimacy in the international system

During the Arab Uprisings from 2010 a series of new interim governments were formed in which processes of international brokerage played a significant role. Some governments were formed only once the old political order had been displaced, but others were established during, and partly as a means to achieve, that displacement amidst continuing armed conflict. It is this second type of case that will be examined in this paper, where the move by major powers to shift recognition to new administrations forms part of the process of delegitimising a national political system that still, at least in part, exists. This paper will look at the multi-site formation of these “governments-in-waiting”, as they seek to bridge the gap between the diaspora and the resident, between the long established parties of exile and the local military commanders. The process of formation also acts as a channel through which external authorities seek – not always successfully – to act as dispensers of legitimation, and thus arbiters of rightful inclusion within structures of government. It will explore how the act of legitimation translates into changing modes of governance in areas that came under the control of the new authorities, their role in facilitating and managing processes of civil and military defection, and, in the some cases, the consequences of prior formation for the establishment of full governments once the ancien régime has finally been overthrown.     

Somaliland: Dynamics of internal legitimacy and (lack of) external sovereignty

Despite its strong legal and historical claims to sovereignty, the Republic of Somaliland remains entirely unrecognized by the international community more than 20 years after it proclaimed independence from Somalia in 1991. Paradoxically, Somaliland’s lack of external legitimacy has, in some ways, facilitated the growth and development of its internal legitimacy. In contrast, Somalia enjoys widespread external recognition from the international community but has very little domestic legitimacy and largely fails to govern effectively the territory it claims. Somaliland’s high degree of domestic legitimacy and its strong desire for external recognition increasingly come into conflict with one another both in the eastern parts of Somaliland and in the continued democratic development of its hybrid domestic political institutions. The safest prediction for Somaliland is continued de facto statehood where its strong internal legitimacy enables it to survive in a hostile external environment but fails to translate into widespread sovereign recognition of its significant domestic accomplishments. Ultimately, though, Somaliland’s ability to deliver the “goods” on economic development and poverty reduction for its citizens will be significantly hampered without external recognition of its domestic achievements.     

永安井水位大幅度异常成因的调查分析

2001年7月18日起,永安井水位出现了持续的大幅度上升的变化过程。经调查落实,这是由于该井附近的另一口并多年来的开采后,于2001年7月18日突然停止抽水,而使地下水的补给量增大,造成地下水大幅度上升。这对研究临近并抽水对地震地下水动态观测井的水位动态影响提供了实例,对区分深井地下水前兆异常与抽水干扰有一定的参考价值。     

基于大数据的基性-超基性岩定量分类及成矿预测研究——以北山地区为例

岩浆岩分类是研究岩浆岩成因及其成矿作用的基础,传统的岩浆岩二维图解分类方法,因仅有个别元素参与分类、岩石矿物学定名无法保证统一性等因素,其分类结果不够精确。本文基于地质大数据研究基本思想、方法,应用多元统计"聚类分析"和"判别分析"的算法,分别构建起"北山地区基性-超基性岩氧化物定量分类系列模型"和"北山地区基性-超基性岩氧化物+微量元素定量分类系列模型"。前者将北山地区406件基性-超基性岩样本,在10个氧化物变量空间分为2大类共9个小类,其中89%的含矿样本分布在占总样本量44%的3个小类中。后者将北山地区266件基性-超基性岩样本,在34个氧化物及微量元素变量空间分为2大类共8个小类,其中98%的含矿样本分布在占总样本量33%的2个小类中,且81%的含矿样本分布在仅占总样本量21%的Ⅰ222分类中,在该分类中含矿样本数占该分类样本的61%,则有理由认为剩余39%的样本所在岩体为找矿的有利岩体。上述二个模型分类结果中含矿样本对定量分类的高度选择性,充分证明所建定量分类系列模型对北山地区基性-超基性岩成矿岩体分类的高度有效性,为北山地区基性-超基性岩成矿岩体预测研究提供了依据。     

莲沱砂岩——南华大冰期前气候转冷的沉积记录

湖北宜昌地区出露的莲沱组中上部细屑岩的化学蚀变指数(CLA)介于60～70之间,表明是在寒冷干燥的气候条件下沉积的。比较莲沱组与板溪群中下部沉积岩的主化学成分和 CIA 值表明,板溪群源区遭受过强烈的化学风化,相应的古气候是温暖湿润的,而莲沱组源区化学风化弱,可见两者形成时的古气候环境明显不同。根据 CIA 值推测,地层层序上莲沱组位于板溪群的中上部,莲沱砂岩的 CIA 研究表明南华大冰期前全球气候已经从温暖湿润转变为寒冷干燥,CIA 值继续降低预示着全球性的冰期到表,不久就发生了"雪球地球"事件。     

大数据思维下的矿产资源评价

以大数据时代的预测思维方法,结合重要矿产资源潜力评价具体工作,探索了矿产资源预测评价的基本理论基础。认为大数据的相关性预测方法和常用的综合信息矿产预测方法是一致的,矿产预测模型理论、多学科信息相关性分析、预测地质求异理论、矿产区域趋势分析方法是矿产资源评价的四项基本理论。总结了在数字化、信息化时代矿产资源预测评价的主要工作流程。建立数字化预测数据平台、根据预测矿产模型进行数据清洗、编制预测要素图件、建立预测模型、圈定预测靶区和成矿远景区、进行资源潜力估算等是预测评价的基本任务与流程。     

大数据思维下的矿产资源评价

以大数据时代的预测思维方法,结合重要矿产资源潜力评价具体工作, 探索了矿产资源预测评价的基本理论基础。认为大数据的相关性预测方法和常用的综合信息矿产预测方法是一致的,矿产预测模型理论、多学科信息相关性分析、预测地质求异理论、矿产区域趋势分析方法是矿产资源评价的四项基本理论。总结了在数字化、信息化时代矿产资源预测评价的主要工作流程。建立数字化预测数据平台、根据预测矿产模型进行数据清洗、编制预测要素图件、建立预测模型、圈定预测靶区和成矿远景区、进行资源潜力估算等是预测评价的基本任务与流程。     

Investigation of solid waste soil as road construction material

The geotechnical properties of solid waste soils for use as sub-base materials in road construction were investigated. A series of field tests and laboratory tests were performed to assess the physical and mechanical properties of the solid waste soils sampled from a landfill site, near to a riverside, which had been reclaimed over the last two decades. The tests showed that geotechnical properties are clearly affected by the magnitude of organic matter content. As the organic matter content increases, the maximum dry unit weight, the shear strength and bearing capacity of ground decrease, while the void ratio and compressibility increase. If the organic matter content is more than about 8% in solid waste soils, it is not suitable for use as a sub-base material in road construction due to the significant decrease of shear strength and bearing capacity.     

Effects of human population growth on the Fraser and Okanagan River systems,Canada: a comparative inquiry

Perhaps nowhere in Canada, if indeed in North America, could two adjacent watershed basins be selected which show such remarkable differences in their historical and recent response to human population growth effects. One — the Fraser — covers some 234,000 km² (about one quarter of the province of British Columbia) and houses nearly two-thirds of its total population. The other — the Okanagan — forms a small part (some 14,000 km²) of the upper Columbia River drainage in Canada. Native Indian populations at maximum before European contact in the late 1700s were about 50,000 in the Fraser basin and probably less than a fifth of that in the Okanagan. Present total resident populations of the Fraser and Okanagan basins, about 2 million and 1\4 million respectively, have greatly different distributions and thereby effects within the watersheds they occupy. In addition seasonal tourist populations have important and differential impacts within the two watersheds. Expression of these effects on water, fisheries and other aquatic resources of the two basins are explored along with possibilities and suggestions for their sustainable development. The latter, despite some glimmers of hope, will not be tenable without major changes in public attitude, in government policy at all levels, and in other measures which to many may seem impossible.     

Issues in public policy evaluation: the case of regional policy

This paper notes the recent growth of public policy evaluation studies and pays particular attention to those policies with avowed spatial objectives. It seeks to establish the general nature of these diverse studies and their relationship to geographical analysis. A case study examining the evaluation of regional policy in the U.K. is used to demonstrate the nature of the issues in public policy evaluation and to explore the role of geography in the rapidly growing domain, known most commonly as ‘policy analysis’.     

地质大数据体系建设的总体框架研究

基于大数据、云计算等现代信息技术与理念,结合地质调查工作实际,系统论述了建设地质大数据体系的总体框架和实现的技术途径。提出了地质大数据体系建设的5项任务组成:建设地质数据采集体系,推进地质数据快速规范采集;建设地质大数据汇聚体系,实现地质数据快速有效汇聚;建设地质数据与信息服务产品体系,丰富地质数据与信息社会化服务产品;建设地质数据与信息服务体系,推进地质数据与信息协同服务;建设地质大数据支撑平台(“地质云”),提升地质数据与信息服务的能力和水平。论述了5项任务的主要内容及其面临的关键技术问题,并简要提出了建设地质大数据体系对其他相关工作的影响和要求。     

地质大数据存储技术

在大数据时代背景下,地质大数据的研究及大数据相关技术为实现地质工作的现代化发展和信息化提供了有效的支撑。而当代大数据发展趋势,就是海量数据的存储及越来越多的事物的数据存在形式。通过梳理大数据处理的关键技术,总结归纳了大数据背景下现有存储技术及数据库的类型。在地质大数据和地质云架构的基础上,讨论适合当前地质大数据的存储技术,地质数据具有多源、多元、异构、时空性、方向性、相关性、随机性、模糊性、非线性等特征。因此,对于存储与管理方式的选择应该是具体问题具体分析,建立多技术支持下的大数据架构,才能满足地质大数据的应用需求。     

地质大数据存储技术

在大数据时代背景下,地质大数据的研究及大数据相关技术为实现地质工作的现代化发展和信息化提供了有效的支撑。而当代大数据发展趋势,就是海量数据的存储及越来越多的事物的数据存在形式。通过梳理大数据处理的关键技术,总结归纳了大数据背景下现有存储技术及数据库的类型。在地质大数据和地质云架构的基础上,讨论适合当前地质大数据的存储技术,地质数据具有多源、多元、异构、时空性、方向性、相关性、随机性、模糊性、非线性等特征。因此,对于存储与管理方式的选择应该是具体问题具体分析,建立多技术支持下的大数据架构,才能满足地质大数据的应用需求。     

A most public of musical performances: the English art of change-ringing

Bells were installed in churches throughout much of the western world to announce upcoming services when there was no other means of transmitting such information over long distances and few people had watches. Their initial raison d’être is now obsolete but bell-ringing has been sustained, and significantly expanded, in England as a particular art-form, dependent on a peculiar technology, associated in large part with the established church there. The nature of the technology has strongly influenced the development of that art-form, whereas the resources that had to be invested in the installation of a ring of bells in a stable tower created a long-lasting geography of the practice.     

Heavy metals pollution in the soils of suburban areas in big cities: a case study

Soil pollution in agricultural areas surrounding big cities is a major environmental problem. Tabriz is the largest city in the northwest of Iran and the fourth largest city in the country. Soil samples were taken from 46 sites in the suburbs of the Tabriz city, and separate samples were taken from control site and analyzed. The results indicated that the mean pH value of the soil samples was 9.29, while the mean EC value was 354.33 μs/cm and the amount of TOC and TOM was 0.99 and 1.7 %, respectively. The mean concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr, Ni, and Zn in the soil were determined to be 1.61, 10.56, 101.25, 87.40, 38.73, and 98.27 mg/kg, respectively (dry weight). The concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr, and Zn), with the exception of Ni, were higher than the concentrations of the same heavy metals at the control site. Despite these elevated concentrations, the concentrations of heavy metals were lower than the toxicity threshold limit of agricultural soils. The values of the pollution index revealed that the metal pollution level was Pb > Cr > Cu > Zn > Cd > Ni, and the mean value of the integrated pollution index was determined to be 1.81, indicating moderate pollution. Nevertheless, there were some sites that were severely polluted by Cr (maximum values of 1,364 mg/kg). It was concluded that city probably has affected the surrounding agricultural area. Application of wastewater (municipal and industrial) as irrigation water, using of sludge as soil fertilizer, and atmospheric perceptions have been considered as main reasons of increased heavy metals concentrations found in the studied area.