Diagonal brace with ductile knee anchor for aseismic steel frame

A new structural system for earthquake resistant steel structures is investigated in this paper. This new framing system, called the knee-brace-frame (KBF), is a braced frame with diagonal braces connected to ductile knee members. The diagonal braces provide the lateral stiffness, whereas the knee anchors yield in flexure to dissipate energy during severe seismic excitation. To assess the inelastic characteristics of the KBF, a large scale model of a KBF was tested using the pseudodynamic test procedure. The experimental results are compared with analytical results obtained from a DRAIN-2D model. It is found that, with an appropriate design of knee anchors, the KBF can be made to be ductile to dissipate energy during severe seismic excitation.     

A framework for a microscale flood damage assessment and visualization for a building using BIM–GIS integration

Flood damage assessment (FDA) is a key component of risk-based method for flood management. In the current FDA approaches, generally the uniqueness of the building is disregarded in the analysis. Therefore, they are unfit for detailed applications in which case-by-case analysis of building damage is an essential requirement. This limitation is compounded by the use of incomplete and often low-quality data inputs about the building and the assumptions and approximations made regarding the geometry and materials of its components. Such shortcomings may result in incomplete and uncertain outcomes. Considering the benefits and increasing use of three-dimensional (3D) urban modeling and Building Information Model in various urban management processes, in this paper, an integrated framework for utilization of detailed 3D building models for the assessment and 3D visualization of flood damage to building according to its distinct behavior against flood is presented. A proof-of-concept demonstration of the framework in a case study underlined the feasibility of implementation of the framework, which can potentially benefit a variety of users and be used as a complementary approach to the current FDA methods for improving the resilience of the community toward floods and their adverse impacts.     

Copper complexing capacity of seawater: A critical appraisal of the direct ASV method

The break-point in the Cu(II) titration curve obtained by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) is usually attributed to the formation of strong organo-copper complexes. This interpretation is the basis for the direct determination by ASV of the copper complexing capacity of natural waters. The present study suggests, however, that the break in the Cu(II) titration curve in seawater, as determined by ASV, could be due to the formation of a ZnCu intermetallic compound (IC) formed in the mercury during the deposition stage of the ASV procedure.     

侏罗纪末至白垩纪非海相介形类生物地层学:回顾与展望

以非海相介形类为依据而建立的侏罗纪末至白垩纪的生物地层学,尤其是欧洲所谓"Purbeck-Wealden层段"(提塘阶顶部至巴列姆阶/阿普特阶底部)和全球同期沉积层的生物地层学建立已久,但这一生物地层学存有很多问题与局限性。本文对中生代晚期(聚焦于早白垩世)的非海相介形类生物地层学的基本原理、历史、目前进展、存在问题和前景进行了综述。因为介形类的繁殖、扩散与成种机制已有比较成熟的研究,所以介形类的生物地层学的应用潜力被认识已久。然而,全球不同地区中生代晚期的非海相介形类众多的研究积累已构成了一个丰富但常常混乱和矛盾的文献库。这些问题不仅存在于介形类的分类鉴定中,也见于关于古环境和系统发育的解释中。虽然地区性的盆地内的介形类生物地层学研究已产生了好结果,并可能能够用于局部地区的高精度对比。但是在进行地区间(盆地间至全球)的对比时,其实用性广遭怀疑。在过去的二十年间,许多学者采用了将今论古的古生物学研究方法,努力修订和更新中生代晚期的非海相介形类的生物地层学与古环境意义,从而促进了地区间生物地层学研究和对比的发展。古生物学家认识到,对于许多非海相介形类动物来讲,它们的分布和扩散不仅仅局限于单个的水系或较小的地理区域,而是和现生的非海相介形类一样,晚侏罗世至白垩纪的非海相介形类动物和它们的卵可被较大的动物或风长距离搬运,跨越迁移的屏障,进行扩散。鉴于以上事实,地区间的对比必须涉及两大内容:分类学的应用与古环境背景。缺乏适用于地区—全球的稳定和一致的分类学系统是进行正确对比的重要障碍。由于大量地方性分类命名、地方性特有动物的假设、与壳体特征相关的分类和生态型认识的混乱,以及对种内变异尺度的统一认识的缺乏,导致了对生物分异度的过高或过低的估量。非海相白垩纪介形类的地层记录受到诸多因素的影响:分类单元的演化与灭绝、扩散事件、当地的环境变化和地区性至全球的气候变迁。在生物地层学的应用中,我们可以通过不同手段去把握同时代的Cytheroidea,特别是Cypridoidea中具重要地层意义的Cypridea属及其亲近者(即CypridoideaMartin,1940)的分类单元的形态变异度。解释种内变异时需要格外谨慎。区分生物自生(内因)导致的变异(遗传的和形态的变异)和环境(外因)导致的变异(生态表型)是一大难题。比较保守的分类学观念(分类单元很少,但变异极大(分类单元中包含了多种生态表型))有助于不同古环境间的(生物地层)对比。另一方法是运用随着时间的古环境变化及其对介形类组合的组成的影响来进行(生物地层)对比。古生物工作者已在利用受环境控制的周期性介形类组合变化建立对比关系方面进行了大量有意义的尝试,但这些工作仍处在争议中。建立全球生物地层学方法,建立统一而持久的分类概念这一目标可以达到,但不可能在短期内实现。用现代的思想(概念)理解和研究非海相介形类的古生物学和古生物地理学及新资料将有助于修订工作的进展。尽管我们对中生代的非海相介形类的演化和分布的认识还很不全面,但目前我们已取得了可喜的进展。盆地间至大陆间的对比是否可行,早已不是问题。目前和未来的指导原则无疑是发展以介形类为基础,并与其他的年代地层学和地质年代学资料及方案相结合的从地区至全球范围的地层对比系统。因为我们正在迈向一个非海相晚中生代介形类生物地层学的重新解释和应用的新时代,我们必须承认我们还有许多东西需要学习。     

First report of the small bird track Koreanaornis from the Cretaceous of North America: implications for avian ichnotaxonomy and paleoecology

Although body fossils of shorebirds and shorebird-like species are extremely rare from the Cretaceous, rapid increase in the discovery of bird footprint sites provides valuable alternate evidence to help fill gaps in the story of the early evolution of shorebird-like species. Newly discovered bird tracks from the Albian-Cenomanian Dakota Formation in northeastern Utah represent the first report of the ichnogenus Koreanaornis from North America and only the second report of bird tracks from this formation. These tracks are not attributable to Aquatilavipes as previously claimed. Three well-preserved trackways are described and provisionally referred to Koreanaornis cf. hamanensis (Kim). However, a review of the ichnotaxonomy of shorebird ichnites reveals that this ichnotaxon also closely resembles the Miocene ichnospecies Avipeda sirin (Vyalov). This latter comparison points to the need for a thorough evaluation of the similarity between Mesozoic and Cenozoic avian ichnotaxa, which may be over-split in some cases and under-differentiated in others.The new material helps distinguish ichnogenus Koreanaornis from the larger bird track Aquatilavipes, which is more abundant and widespread in North America. In some cases Aquatilavipes has been incorrectly used as a catch-all ichnogenus both in North America and Asia. The Dakota Formation stratigraphy at the tracksite indicates that the track makers lived in a marginal marine paleoenvironment. However, despite the widespread distribution of such facies, often replete with dinosaur tracks, the bird track record of the Dakota Formation, and the Cretaceous of the western USA remains relatively sparse in comparison with other areas such as east Asia.     

Spatial Social Network Analysis of Resource Access in Rural South Africa

Communities in the rural developing world often sit at the margin of market, migration, and technology exchanges. They are arguably becoming more interconnected and networked than ever before. This article seeks to expand on an understanding of natural resource access in the rural developing world by combining social network analysis (SNA) data and geographic position data obtained via Global Positioning System (GPS) and participatory mapping in rural South Africa. This work therefore utilizes a sociospatial framework in understanding natural resource use and access in a community-level analysis. Notably, in our study we find very little association among natural resource use, access, and social position with even the most tolerant measure but enough association so as not to dismiss the relationship completely. We believe that our results can inform investigations of both resource access and social network position and conclude that a subsequent possibilist approach to human–environmental interactions would be an ideal framework for this methodology and potentially for sociospatial studies more widely.     

流域水文模型中的土壤质地转换与饱和导水率Ks值确定

构建于GIS基础之上的分布式水文模型,近年来得到了普遍的应用和较快的发展。土壤质地数据是模型构建的重要参数,但实际运用中,常存在土壤数据多种统计口径并存、与模型运算所需的数据类型不一致等问题,限制了模型的应用和模拟的精度。根据土壤典型剖面值,利用3次样条函数曲线插值得出了模型所需土壤粒径分布。根据粒径组成,使用NeroTheta软件计算出饱和导水率凡值。为构建分布式水文模型数据库,确定主要土壤参数提供了简便有效的方法。     

Vulnerability profiles of forested landscape to climate change in Bengal Duars region,India

This paper assesses village level vulnerability profiles of the forested landscape in Bengal Duars region. Vulnerability of forested landscape is addressed by indicator-based approach with finer details using GIS-based interactive model under present climate. The three integrant of vulnerability are inscribed: exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity, by taking into consideration of twenty-one environmental and socio-economic indicators are identified. Being located in the foothills of Eastern Himalaya sudden variation of slope in Bengal Duars region results in frequent flooding and huge damage to forested landscape. Change of climate, degradation of forest resources and socio-economic backwardness further enhances the degree of vulnerability. It has been detected that 61% of area in Bengal Duars is configured to be vulnerable to climate change. The most vulnerable areas are the forested cover in Jalpaiguri, Baikunthapur, Wildlife-II, Wildlife-III, and Buxa Tiger Reserve East and their surrounding landscape with more climatic variation, disrupted by anthropogenic and non-climatic activities and less access to infrastructural and socioeconomic facilities.