RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN EL HATILLO, NICARAGUA: GENDER, NEOLIBERALISM AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISK

El Hatillo is a rural community in the Sébaco valley in Nicaragua, which suffers from an eroding resource base, high levels of poverty and malnutrition, and a high susceptibility to hazards. Structural adjustment policies have been devastating for small and subsistence farmers and have increased the level of economic, social and environmental marginalisation in rural Nicaragua. This paper explores initiatives to promote sustainable development in Nicaragua in the context of structural adjustment and environmental degradation. Drawing on qualitative research conducted in El Hatillo, it outlines the ways in which women in this community are attempting to address the multiple challenges of rural poverty and environmental risk and considers the potential of these strategies for gender equality.     

Evolutionary aseismic design and retrofit of structures with passive energy dissipation

A new computational framework is developed for the design and retrofit of building structures by considering aseismic design as a complex adaptive process. For the initial phase of the development within this framework, genetic algorithms are employed for the discrete optimization of passively damped structural systems. The passive elements may include metallic plate dampers, viscous fluid dampers and viscoelastic solid dampers. The primary objective is to determine robust designs, including both the non‐linearity of the structural system and the uncertainty of the seismic environment. Within the present paper, this computational design approach is applied to a series of model problems, involving sizing and placement of passive dampers for energy dissipation. In order to facilitate our investigations and provide a baseline for further study, we introduce several simplifications for these initial examples. In particular, we employ deterministic lumped parameter structural models, memoryless fitness function definitions and hypothetical seismic environments. Despite these restrictions, some interesting results are obtained from the simulations and we are able to gain an understanding of the potential for the proposed evolutionary aseismic design methodology. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

中国中西部前陆盆地的地质特征及油气聚集

中国中西部前陆盆地具有十分丰富的油气资源,近年来油气勘探也取得了很大的成果,但总体上来说其地质情况复杂、研究程度较低。世界上典型的前陆盆地一般位于造山带和稳定的克拉通之间的狭长槽地,而在中国中西部则主要为与古特提斯造山带在新特提斯阶段再活动有关的陆内会聚形成的“再生”前陆盆地,因此与世界典型前陆盆地相比中国中西部前陆盆地具有一定的“特殊性”。根据两期前陆的叠合程度差异造成的盆地几何形态、挠曲沉降、地层层序、沉积充填、构造变形特征的特点,将中国中西部前陆盆地归纳为改造型、新生型、叠加型和早衰型四种组合类型的前陆盆地。中西部不同组合类型前陆盆地具有不同的结构特征,决定了不同组合类型前陆盆地成藏特征和油气勘探潜力上的差异。     

北黄海盆地构造几何学研究新进展

北黄海盆地是发育于隆起背景之上的中、新生代沉积盆地。新一轮资源调查研究表明，北黄海中、新生代沉积盆地的基底由古生界沉积岩层和前寒武纪变质岩系等组成，盆地不同程度地发育下构造层（J3-K1）、中构造层（E2-E3）和上构造层（N）；从油气资源和中、新生代地层发育情况出发，将北黄海海域划分为辽东-海洋岛隆起区、北黄海盆地和胶北．刘公岛隆起区等3个一级构造单元，其中北黄海盆地包括6个二级构造单元和24个三级构造单元；盆地褶皱、断裂构造十分发育，褶皱构造可划分为区域挤压型、局部伴生型和披盖型等三类，断裂构造主要可见近EW—NE向、NW向和NNE向三组，其中近EW—NE向和NNE向断裂比较发育，控制着盆地隆、坳分布格局和沉积特征。     

不同结构形式潜堤上的随机波浪运动

潜堤在海岸保护和促潍保淤中具有重要的意义。工程效益和经济投入受到潜堤结构形式和高度的影响。基于RANS方程和流体体积（VOF）方法的模型,计算不同潜堤上的波浪运动。潜堤形式包括矩形结构、梯形结构、半圆结构和槽形结构。模拟了不规则波越堤时波浪的破碎特征、破波类型以及波高的变化。通过分析流场和波高分布的变化,得到潜堤上波能散耗的规律,并且得出最优潜堤结构形式。讨论了相对堤顶高度、破碎点位置、相对堤顸宽度、波陡和潜堤结构形式等对波能耗散的影响。     

四川盆地东缘寒武系盐下油气勘探领域探讨

地球物理资料显示四川盆地东缘齐岳山附近寒武系高台组膏盐岩层下深部存在逆冲构造,其形成过程以及油气地质意义未见深入研究。笔者等综合四川盆地东部石柱地区线束三维和建南地区二维地震反射资料,并结合钻井资料以及区域地质研究成果,从构造继承性的角度探讨四川盆地震旦系灯影组台缘带类型,并分析了川东地区寒武系盐下油气圈闭特征。研究获得如下认识：①川东齐岳山北段构造变形强烈,普遍发育基底卷入构造,构造样式受青白口纪—南华纪裂谷与转换带构造位置的控制。②依据构造继承关系将盆内灯影组台缘带划分为德阳—安岳地区原生型台缘带、万源—达州地区继承型台缘带以及石柱地区继承—改造型台缘带。③依据青白口纪—南华纪裂谷的分布和后期构造作用影响大小,认为沿齐岳山向南至南川一带存在与石柱地区相似的灯影组继承—改造型台缘带,忠县、南川以西存在灯影组继承型台缘带。④研究区新元古界—下寒武统烃源岩、灯影组—龙王庙组滩相白云岩储层与寒武系膏盐岩层系构成完整的生储盖组合。⑤寒武系盐下基底逆冲可形成成排、成带的构造,与灯影组继承—改造型台缘带、龙王庙组滩相白云岩储层配置,形成断层相关的构造—岩性圈闭带,成为川东地区油气规模聚集有利区。研究认为四川盆地东部石柱地区震旦纪—早寒武世早期继承了青白口纪—南华纪裂谷构造特征,燕山期构造反转,高台组盐下形成基底卷入逆冲构造,具备生储盖等基本石油地质条件,具有重要的油气勘探现实意义。     

崎岖地形动植物栖息地生态环境遥感制图与应用

传统制图方法周期长、成本较高,影响了大面积精细动植物栖息地生态环境制图的生产。鉴此,本文采用IKONOS(VHR)图像对香港郊野公园崎岖地形的动植物栖息地生态环境制图进行了研究。由于香港植被的多样性,而且观察的动植物相互作用出现于结构的层面,所以对动植物栖息地的分类应以结构为基础而非以植物为基础。本文利用图像处理技术,运用决策树之多层次地物导向分割分类(MOOSC)方法绘制九种动植物栖息地类型图。MOOSC方法和其他现有的几种分类方法相比,其分类精度高、成本低。     

Control strategies and experimental verifications of the electromagnetic mass damper system for structural vibration control

The electromagnetic mass damper （EMD） control system, as an innovative active control system to reduce structural vibration, offers many advantages over traditional active mass driver/damper （AMD） control systems. In this paper, studies of several EMD control strategies and bench-scale shaking table tests of a two-story model structure are described. First, two structural models corresponding to uncontrolled and Zeroed cases are developed, and parameters of these models are validated through sinusoidal sweep tests to provide a basis for establishing an accurate mathematical model for further studies. Then, a simplified control strategy for the EMD system based on the pole assignment control algorithm is proposed. Moreover, ideal pole locations are derived and validated through a series of shaking table tests. Finally, three benchmark earthquake ground motions and sinusoidal sweep waves are imposed onto the structure to investigate the effectiveness and feasibility of using this type of innovative active control system for structural vibration control. In addition, the robustness of the EMD system is examined. The test results show that the EMD system is an effective and robust system for the control of structural vibrations.     

Study of vibrating foundations considering soil-pile-structure interaction for practical applications

An investigation of soil-pile-structure interaction is carried out, based on a large reciprocating compressor installed on an elevated concrete foundation （table top structure）. A practical method is described for the dynamic analysis, and compared with a 3D finite element （FE） model. Two commercial software packages are used for dynamic analysis considering the soilpile-structure interaction （SPSI）. Stiffness and damping of the pile foundation are generated from a computer program, and then input into the FE model. To examine the SPSI thoroughly, three cases for the soil, piles and superstructure are considered and compared. In the first case, the interaction is fully taken into account, that is, both the superstructure and soil-pile system are flexible. In the second case, the superstructure is flexible but fixed to a rigid base, with no deformation in the base （no SSI）. In the third case, the dynamic soil-pile interaction is taken into account, but the table top structure is assumed to be rigid. From the comparison beteen the results of these three cases some conclusions are made, which could be helpful for engineering practice.     

平顶山市矿业特点及发展对策浅议

本文从当前平顶山市矿业特点及引发的问题出发,着重指出实现矿业经济可持续发展,必须加大矿业结构的调整,并从资源管理方式、资源配置、矿业秩序、地勘工作等方面作了较为详细的论述。