An assessment of the bearing capacity of calcareous and silica sands

A spherical cavity expansion model has been used to study the bearing capacity of foundations on calcareous and silica sands. Two constitutive models have been used to represent each sand: an elastoplastic, collapse-softening model, and a computationally simpler, elastic/perfectly plastic material. The predictions of the limit pressures for spherical cavity expansion are compared with laboratory data on the bearing capacities obtained from model footing tests. It is shown that the numerical predictions of the limit pressures correlate well with the experimental values of bearing capacity, particularly at higher effective overburden pressures.     

Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian method for large‐strain consolidation problems

In this paper, an arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) method is generalized to solve consolidation problems involving large deformation. Special issues such as pore‐water pressure convection, permeability and void ratio updates due to rotation and convection, mesh refinement and equilibrium checks are discussed. A simple and effective mesh refinement scheme is presented for the ALE method. The ALE method as well as an updated‐Lagrangian method is then used to solve some classical consolidation problems involving large deformations with different constitutive laws. The results clearly show the advantage and efficiency of the ALE method for these examples. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ethnicity in Eastern Europe: Historical legacies and prospects for cohesion

Eastern Europe lacks cohesion partly arising from a history of ethnic tension. Ways are now being found to overcome historic conflicts over alternative political structures, as the enlargement of membership for European institutions requires greater equality of rights at the same time as support and security is extended. Thus while ethnicity, as a political, social and cultural entity, persists in Eastern Europe as an essential element at the local level, it is now being seen more positively as cultural diversity and thus more compatible with democracy and a positive asset to national well-being. Multi-ethnic states are proving to be viable and some of the most intractable inter-ethnic problems (linked with the Hungarian minorities) are being addressed constructively. Yet there are signs that the southern part of the region is being marginalised regarding foreign investment. Also there is unease that European values are not being embraced unconditionally in parts of the Balkans. Recent military intervention has created fresh problems, committing the West to continued economic and political support to strengthen its stance on democracy and minority rights. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A new scenario framework for climate change research: background,process, and future directions

The scientific community is developing new global, regional, and sectoral scenarios to facilitate interdisciplinary research and assessment to explore the range of possible future climates and related physical changes that could pose risks to human and natural systems; how these changes could interact with social, economic, and environmental development pathways; the degree to which mitigation and adaptation policies can avoid and reduce risks; the costs and benefits of various policy mixes; and the relationship of future climate change adaptation and mitigation policy responses with sustainable development. This paper provides the background to and process of developing the conceptual framework for these scenarios, as described in the three subsequent papers in this Special Issue (Van Vuuren et al., 2013; O’Neill et al., 2013; Kriegler et al., Submitted for publication in this special issue). The paper also discusses research needs to further develop, apply, and revise this framework in an iterative and open-ended process. A key goal of the framework design and its future development is to facilitate the collaboration of climate change researchers from a broad range of perspectives and disciplines to develop policy- and decision-relevant scenarios and explore the challenges and opportunities human and natural systems could face with additional climate change.     

Exploring ecological changes in Cook Inlet beluga whale habitat though traditional and local ecological knowledge of contributing factors for population decline

The Cook Inlet beluga whale, one of five Alaskan stocks, is genetically distinct and geographically isolated from other populations. Historically, Cook Inlet whales were hunted commercially, for sport, and for subsistence uses. The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972 ended commercial and sport hunting; in 1999, subsistence hunting voluntarily ended. In 2008, Cook Inlet beluga whales were listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act after annual aerial surveys indicated the population was not recovering as expected. A combination of natural and anthropogenic factors may be affecting this population’s recovery. This study documented traditional and local ecological knowledge of Alaska Native subsistence hunters and fishers and commercial fishers through participatory research to explore ecological changes in Cook Inlet over time and to identify potential factors impacting this beluga whale population. Study results identified potential environmental and climate change factors including prey competition, health of beluga and their prey, and the presence of killer whales, the majority of which may indicate an ecosystem regime shift in the Cook Inlet region. Human-related factors included fisheries management and related prey reduction, water contamination, and anthropogenic-related noise. These results corroborate identified threats to beluga whales and also identify potential new areas of scientific investigation and management. As such this study demonstrates the value of incorporating traditional and local ecological knowledge into ongoing science and management.     

Inside and outside Italian political culture: Immigrants and diasporic politics in Turin

Immigration has become a leading topic of Italian political discourse and culture over the past decade, but international migrants also play a crucial role in the transformation of political culture at the scale of everyday practices. In the northern Italian industrial city, Turin, migrants from various parts of Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia bring into relief the deconstruction of postwar labor in Italy, and contribute widely to shifting political practices and identities. Contemporary migrants from diverse ethnic backgrounds are discriminated against in similar ways, and are in the historically peculiar position of building diasporic politics. In Turin, first generation migrants have helped lead newcomers toward active participation in local politics, from the shop floors to the labor unions, and to inter-ethnic and feminist associations.     

A Practical Approach to the Estimation of Amplitude and Time-Delay Parameters of a Composite Signal

A method for estimating the amplitude and time-delay parameters for signals that can be represented as a sum of a number of scaled and delayed replicas of a known signal in the presence of nonwhite Gaussian noise is presented. The method is based upon the principles of maximum likelihood (ML) estimation, but at certain key points simplifying assumptions are made that result in a computationally practical estimation scheme. The results are compared with other related results in the literature. Simulation results are presented which support the methods derived.