Financial market actors as urban policy-makers: the case of real estate investment trusts in Brazil

Focusing on the growth of Real Estate Investment Trusts in Brazil, the paper explores how financializing policy instruments intertwine financial markets and the urban built environment. It studies the career of REITs and questions the role of financial market capital and actors in urban dynamics. The paper uncovers three processes usually considered separately: i) how a network of public and private financial market actors coaxes state bodies into using their regulatory powers and financial resources to transform real estate into an asset class; ii) how the government-run financial market authority and banks lure urban households into liquid real estate through marketing and education campaigns; and iii) how asset managers are “applied economic geographers” insofar as they channel households’ capital into a selected cities and properties. The active role played by financial actors in the design, enhancement and implementation of such a policy instrument leads us to conclude on their role as urban policy-makers.     

ASO-S中文专辑: 序言

先进天基太阳天文台(ASO-S)是我国第一个获得批准立项的太阳空间探测卫星任务.本专辑共包含了14篇文章,着重介绍了卫星平台和有效载荷在研制过程中的一些重要的方面和具体的细节.本中文专辑的14篇文章和ASO-S卫星英文专辑的13篇文章,构成了ASO-S卫星从科学到仪器乃至分析方法较为完整的系统性介绍.     

海洋仪器测试海区综合环境信息监测系统的研发

提出了一种基于海洋仪器测试海区所开发的环境信息监测系统设计方法,通过无线网络获取海区内台站、浮标等观测单元所采集的环境要素数据,实现数据的存储、查询和管理。长时间测试表明,该系统工作稳定,可为仪器设备的海上测试与评价提供基础实测数据。     

中国物探仪器发展博览——地球物理学会60年发展之见证

本文阐述了中国物探仪器应用与研制发展进程中,各个阶段的情况及其特点.同时对今后发展战略和对策提出建议,供各级政府、相关企业、科研单位的决策者和管理者,以及相关的物探科研人员、生产人员参考     

A comparison between mesospheric wind measurements made near Christchurch (44°S, 173°E) using the high resolution doppler imager (HRDI) and a medium frequency (MF) radar

We report on the comparison of winds measured by a medium frequency (MF) radar near Christchurch, New Zealand, and by the high resolution doppler imager (HRDI). Previous comparisons have demonstrated that there can be significant differences in the winds obtained by the two techniques, and our results are no different. However, these data show relatively good agreement in the meridional direction, but large differences in the zonal direction, where the radar is regularly measuring the zonal wind as too easterly. To do the comparison, overpasses from the satellite must be obtained when it is close to the radar site. The radar data are averaged in time around the overpass because we know the radars sample phenomena which have spatial and temporal scales which make them invisible to HRDI. There are a limited number of overpass comparisons which limit our confidence in these results, but a detailed analysis of these data show that the proximity of the overpass is often an important factor in the differences obtained. Other factors examined include the influence of the local time of the overpass, and the amount of radar data averaged around the overpass time.     

Ground clutter cancellation in incoherent radars: solutions for EISCAT Svalbard radar

Incoherent scatter radars measure ionosphere parameters using modified Thomson scatter from free electrons in the target (see e.g. Hagfors, 1997). The integrated cross section of the ionospheric scatterers is extremely small and the measurements can easily be disturbed by signals returned by unwanted targets. Ground clutter signals, entering via the antenna side lobes, can render measurements at the nearest target ranges totally impossible. The EISCAT Svalbard Radar (ESR), which started measurements in 1996, suffers from severe ground clutter and the ionosphere cannot be measured in any simple manner at ranges less than about 120–150 km, depending on the modulation employed. If the target and clutter signals have different, and clearly identifiable, properties then, in principle, there are always ways to eliminate the clutter. In incoherent scatter measurements, differences in the coherence times of the wanted and unwanted signals can be used for clutter cancellation. The clutter cancellation must be applied to all modulations, usually alternating codes in modern experiments, used for shorter ranges. Excellent results have been obtained at the ESR using a simple pulse-to-pulse clutter subtraction method, but there are also other possibilities.     

Stream-scanning laser system, electric sensing counter and settling grain size analysis: a comparison using reference materials and marine sediments

Surface and deep-sea core sediments and two sets of standards were measured by three different techniques — Galai Cis-1 laser system, Coulter Counter TA II, and Micromeritics SediGraph 5000D — in order to compare the Galai results with the other two. The differences between the three types of measuring device turned out to be greater in sediments than in standards, and were attributed to the physical properties, shape, density and composition of the particles (complexity of the matrix). Comparison of moment statistics showed that the Galai determines coarser grain sizes than the Coulter and finer than the SediGraph, particularly as regards analysis of surface sediments. The relationships between Galai and SediGraph were estimated using analysis of variation/residuals within individual intervals. The analysis showed a higher variability of residuals for the coarser fractions (8–16 μm and 16–32 μm) with respect to the finer (2–4 μm and 4–8 μm) fractions. The <2 μm SediGraph fraction, with a cut-off at 0.49 μm, showed good correspondence with the <2.5 μm Galai analysis.     

Two suggested configurations for the Chinese space telescope

China will establish a 2-meter space-based astronomical telescope. Its main science goals are performing a sky survey for research about dark matter and dark energy, and high resolution observations. Some experts suggest that this space telescope should be installed inside the Chinese space station. In accord with this suggestion we put forward our first configuration, i.e., to adopt a coud′e system for this telescope.This coud′e system comes from the Chinese 2.16 m telescope's coud′e system, which includes a relay mirror so that excellent image quality can be obtained. In our second configuration, we suggest that the whole space telescope fly freely as an independent satellite outside the space station. When it needs servicing, for example, changing instruments, refilling refrigerant or propellant, etc., this space telescope can fly near or even dock with the core space station. Although some space stations have had accompanying satellites, the one we propose is a space telescope that will be much larger than other accompanying satellites in terms of weight and volume. On the basis of the second configuration, we also put forward the following idea: the space station can be composed of several large independent modules if necessary.     

The WMAP data and results

The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) science team has released results from the first year of operation at the Earth–Sun L₂ Lagrange point. The maps are consistent with previous observations but have much better sensitivity and angular resolution than the COBE DMR maps, and much better calibration accuracy and sky coverage than ground-based and balloon-borne experiments. The angular power spectra from these ground-based and balloon-borne experiments are consistent within their systematic and statistical uncertainties with the WMAP results. WMAP detected the large angular-scale correlation between the temperature and polarization anisotropies of the CMB caused by electron scattering since the Universe became reionized after the “Dark Ages”, giving a value for the electron scattering optical depth of 0.17 ± 0.04. The simplest ΛCDM model with n=1 and Ω_tot=1 fixed provides an adequate fit to the WMAP data and gives parameters which are consistent with determinations of the Hubble constant and observations of the accelerating Universe using supernovae. The time-ordered data, maps, and power spectra from WMAP can be found at http://lambda.gsfc.nasa.gov along with 13 papers by the WMAP science team describing the results in detail.