Chironomid-based paleosalinity records in southern British Columbia, Canada: a comparison of transfer functions

Chironomid remains from Big Lake, British Columbia were analysed and paleosalinities were estimated using a pre-existing transfer function and several developed using new regression methods. A two component partial-least-squares model (PLS-2) had the highest coefficient of determination (R² _(Jackknifed) = 0.75) and lowest root-mean-squared error-of-prediction (RMSEP). As compared to the pre-existing model, it was also less sensitive to the influence of rare taxa. Nevertheless, the marginally larger R² _(Jackknifed) and lower RMSEP do not clearly identify a single best model. The models were applied to Big, Mahoney and Kilpoola lakes, revealing the sensitivity of paleosalinity inferences to model selection. A synopsis of chironomid-based paleosalinities in British Columbia and their correspondence with other paleoclimatic data are presented and discussed.     

The high wire act: a comparison of British transatlantic foreign policies in the Second World War and the war in Iraq, 2001–2003

Drawing upon ideas from critical geopolitics, this paper compares the role that the British government plays within the contemporary transatlantic alliance with that played by Churchill's government during the Second World War. It argues that the Blair government's approach to foreign policy has parallels with Churchill's – that it should act as a bridge between the US and European governments. From this basis the paper reflects upon geopolitical change since 1945, re-evaluating the reasons for foreign policy failures during the Iraq War. Belying the assumption that these were caused by Blair's failures at diplomacy, it argues that failure was the result of an outdated geopolitical strategy.     

Body mass and water economy in the South American olivaceous field mouse along a latitudinal gradient: Implications for climate change

We compared geographic trends in body mass in a number of populations of the olivaceous field mouse (Abrothrix olivaceus,) along a latitudinal gradient in Chile, and tested the expected neutral tendency resulting from the opposite influences of environmental temperature and aridity across the gradient. Also, we studied water economy through physiological measurements of total evaporative water loss and urine osmolality in individuals from populations inhabiting two contrasting habitats (northern semiarid shrubland and southern temperate rainforest) and acclimated during six months to the same conditions. No change in male body mass with latitude was found across 39 populations. Evaporative water loss in rodents from the semiarid shrubland was significantly lower than that of individuals from the temperate rainforest, and urine osmolality was significantly higher in rodents from the semiarid habitat. We found a better tolerance of water shortage in the rodent population from the xeric habitat, thus suggesting the occurrence of local adaptation to the prevailing habitat conditions. The mechanisms by which rodents regulate their water economy in face of spatial and temporal fluctuations in environmental conditions constitute an essential component of the physiological flexibility that is necessary to cope with challenging climate change scenarios.     

Ground deformation in a viscoelastic medium composed of a layer overlying a half-space: a comparison between point and extended sources

We obtain and compare analytical and numerical solutions for ground displacement caused by an overpressurized magma chamber placed in a linear viscoelastic medium composed of a layer over a half-space. Different parameters such as size, depth and shape of the chamber, crustal rheology and topography are considered and discussed. Numerical solutions for an axisymmetric extended source are computed using a finite element method (FEM). Analytical solutions for a point source are obtained using the dislocation theory and the propagator matrix technique. In both cases, the elastic solutions are used together with the correspondence principle of linear viscoelasticity to obtain the solution in the Laplace transform domain. Viscoelastic solutions in the time domain are derived inverting the Laplace transform using the Prony series method. The differences between the results allow us to constrain the applicability of the point source and the flat surface hypothesis, which are usually implicitly assumed when analytical solutions are derived. The effect of the topography is also considered. The results obtained show that neglecting the topographic effects may, in some cases, introduce an error greater than that implicit in the point-source hypothesis. Therefore, for an adequate modelling and interpretation of the time-dependent displacements, topography must be considered.     

Thermal acclimation and non-shivering thermogenesis in three species of South American rodents: a comparison between arid and mesic habitats

Non-hibernating mammals that live in seasonal and arid environments change their non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) capacity to maintain homeothermy. Metabolic capabilities of animals, such as NST, are considered adaptive plastic traits because they have a broad range of possible phenotypes with different ambient temperatures (i.e. the reaction norm). Consequently, we determined the reaction norm for NST in Octodon degus (Bennett, 1832; m_b=189 g) andPhyllotis darwini (Waterhouse, 1837; m_b=61 g) from the mesic habitat of central Chile, and inPhyllotis xanthopygus (Waterhouse, 1837; m_b=67 g) from the high Andean plains of northern Chile, an arid and seasonal habitat. Octodon degus showed a 22% increase in NST with thermal acclimation, whereas P. xanthopygus showed a 112% increase, and P. darwini showed a 117% increase in NST, being the largest change observed. These results are in agreement with our hypothesis of evolutionary inertia, which states that observed metabolic plasticity in Phyllotis species is consequence of their high Andean origin, in spite of the fact the actual habitat ofP. darwini is the less seasonal central valley of Chile.     

用水计划与水价对华北工业企业用水的影响--以河北省为例

工业是仅次于农业的用水大户,其用水的规模、方式和效率直接影响着华北地区总的用水需求。在对华北地区工业企业问卷调查的基础上,就影响企业效益的主要因素、用水计划对企业用水的影响、水费占总成本的比例、企业对目前和未来水价的看法、企业对提高水价的意愿、企业应对水价上涨的策略、企业对节水的态度和采取的节水措施等问题进行了分析。结果表明:用水计划对限制企业的用水有明显的作用;提高水价也有明显促进企业节水的效应。并选择了两个万元产值耗水量差别大的典型企业,对其13年来的用水情况进行了分析,验证了用水计划和水价对企业用水行为的影响效果。     

不透水地表盖度视角下中美城市群空间结构对比——以“京津冀”与“波士华”为例

将城市不透水地表盖度产品应用于城市群空间结构研究具有重要价值。本文基于多源遥感数据提取了“京津冀”与“波士华”城市群近40年（1972-2011年）亚像元级不透水地表专题信息,构建了城市群空间结构对比分析数据集;并引入引力模型和景观格局理论,利用引力指数、景观格局指数以及空间结构参数等,采用地理信息系统空间分析方法,从城市群与城市两个尺度对城市群空间结构进行了对比研究。结果表明：① “京津冀”城市群不透水地表快速增长,而“波士华”城市群较为稳定;② “京津冀”城市群空间结构经历了城市孤立发展阶段、双核心城市群阶段、城市群组阶段以及城市群网络化阶段,“波士华”城市群空间结构较为稳定,空间结构呈现出“点—轴”带状分布;③ 中国城市不透水地表盖度“高—高”聚集区呈现出典型团块状“摊大饼”形态,而美国城市呈现出一种“多中心集聚、分散成组”的态势;④ “京津冀”城市群生态、生产与生活用地不透水地表面积占比均高于“波士华”城市群。最后,基于两国城市群空间结构的对比结果,从空间布局优化角度对“京津冀”城市群的发展提出了初步建议。