Nature,Affordability, and Privacy as Motivations for Exurban Living

Current demographic trends indicate that the 21st century will be one of exurban growth as more Americans seek out countryside home sites and their accompanying lifestyles. Two of the literature's conventional wisdoms regarding exurban migration motivations are critically examined in this study: (1) exurbanites are seeking home sites in close proximity to natural places, and (2) exurbanites are drawn to countryside areas because of the affordability of such locations. This study uses 34 snowball-sampled, semistructured interviews from Indiana and Illinois exurbanites to examine these two commonly held beliefs. Subjects reported that the natural environment did not primarily motivate their moves. Current home sites were, however, attractive due to their perceived affordability. The main, and remarkable, finding of this study is the strong desire for privacy that drew people to exurbia. The desire for privacy was cited as a main motivator by a large majority of the subjects interviewed.     

Elemental mobility in subduction metamorphism: insight from metamorphic rocks of the Franciscan Complex and the Feather River ultramafic belt,California

The degree of element mobility in subduction metamorphism has generated much debate; some workers advocate considerable mobility during metamorphism, whereas others postulate minimal mobility. We assess this issue by examination of major and trace element concentrations and Pb-, Nd-isotopic data for 39 mafic metavolcanic rocks from the Franciscan subduction complex, related units of coastal California, and the Feather River ultramafic belt of the northern Sierra Nevada, California; these samples span a wide range of metamorphic grade. We conclude that these rocks, despite their metamorphism up to eclogite facies, preserve protolith major and trace elemental compositions and isotopic ratios, with the exception of some mobile large ion lithophile elements such as Ba, Pb, and to a smaller extent La, U, and Sr. Thus subduction metamorphism of these metabasalts occurred in a largely closed system. Lack of light rare earth element enrichment in the rocks demonstrates lack of chemical exchange with subducted metasediments. Relatively low SiO₂ content (<48 wt.%) of many of the metamorphic rocks and the lack of correspondence between silica depletion and metamorphic grade suggests that the silica depletion resulted from seafloor hydrothermal alteration before subduction. In spite of demonstrated mobility of Pb, and possible mobility of Nd, isotopic ratios of Pb and Nd were not modified during subduction metamorphism. In contrast to our results from metabasaltic rocks, our analysis of actinolite-rich rinds from high-grade Franciscan mélange blocks suggests some chemical exchange between metachert and the overlying mantle. The increasing enrichment in Ba and Pb with increasing metamorphic grade suggests that Ba- and Pb-rich fluids interacted more intensely with metabasalt at the higher grades of metamorphism. Comparison of these results with studies of the active Mariana forearc suggests that fluids interacting with the mantle wedge up-dip of the region of magma genesis are derived from subducting sediments overlying the down-going plate.     

Soil quality and human migration in Kenya and Uganda

Soil degradation is widely considered to be a key factor undermining agricultural livelihoods in the developing world and contributing to rural out-migration. To date, however, few quantitative studies have examined the effects of soil characteristics on human migration or other social outcomes for potentially vulnerable households. This study takes advantage of a unique longitudinal survey dataset from Kenya and Uganda containing information on household-level soil properties to investigate the effects of soil quality on population mobility. Random effects multinomial logit models are used to test for effects of soil quality on both temporary and permanent migration while accounting for a variety of potential confounders. The analysis reveals that soil quality significantly reduces migration in Kenya, particularly for temporary labor migration, but marginally increases migration in Uganda. These findings are consistent with several previous studies in showing that adverse environmental conditions tend to increase migration but not universally, contrary to common assumptions about environmentally-induced migration.     

Numerical modeling of cyclic mobility based on fuzzy-set concepts in plasticity theory

In this paper, the application of an efficient, transparent and accurate kinematic-cyclic constitutive model based on the fuzzy-set concepts and incremental plasticity theory is presented to show its capability in modeling cyclic mobility of saturated granular soil. The nature and kinematic mechanism of the membership functions in the fuzzy-set constitutive model are illustrated. The model’s capability of modeling soil dilatancy is investigated. Important features of volume change and pore water pressure build-up related to soil cyclic mobility are captured. The formulation of the proposed model is relatively simple and it can be readily implemented in finite element codes. The enhanced fuzzy-set model is capable of simulating ground motion problems particularly related to cyclic mobility, soil liquefaction, and spreading behavior.     

石家庄污灌区土壤中As元素分布特征

根据石家庄污灌区土壤的平面和垂直剖面土壤样品中As含量数据,制作了As分布图,总结当地As元素分布特征。结果表明:石家庄污灌区内表层和深层土壤中As的分布都受到强烈的外源影响:表层As的分布受到污水排放源位置的控制,深层土壤也受纳了从上层向下迁移的外源As,在表层和深层都形成了若干高值区,各高值区具有独立成因;垂向分布上As主要富集在深部粘土层。     

流动人口的流迁模式与社会保护:从"城市融入"到"社会融入"

基于福建省福州市流动人口问卷调查及流动人口、企业雇主和相关政府部门官员的深入访谈,考察了流动人口流迁模式的复杂性和多元分化及其对他们社会保护的影响.研究结果表明,流动人口的流迁模式呈现在流入地定居、保持流动状态和向流出地回流的三维分化,并由此导致其对社会保护需求在整体上不同于流入地当地居民,在其内部呈现多元分化的局面;...     

The Ordovician chondrite from Brunflo, central Sweden: III. Geochemistry of terrestrial alteration

The fossil H chondrite Brunflo, found in a slab of Ordovician limestone from central Sweden, is pervasively altered to an assemblage dominated by calcite and barite. The meteorite is surrounded by a 15–20 cm wide zone of lighter colors than the unaffected limestone due to dissolution of hematite. Here we present detailed geochemical analyses of two meteorite samples, 14 limestone samples at distances from 0 to 29 cm along two profiles from the meteorite, and a reference sample of Brunflo limestone. Element concentrations in Brunflo and surrounding bleached limestone have been strongly disturbed during two stages of alteration (early oxygenated and deep burial). In the meteorite, the Ni/Co ratio has changed from an initial value of 20 to 0.8 and redox sensitive elements like V, As, Mo, Re and U are strongly enriched. The sulfur isotope composition of barite from Brunflo (δ³⁴S=+35‰) indicates initial loss of meteoritic sulfide, followed by later accumulation of sea water sulfate as barite. During deep burial under more reducing conditions, reduction processes supported by an externally derived reductant possibly derived from alum shale underlying the limestone, were largely responsible for the observed redox phenomena. In spite of massive redistribution of many elements, concentrations of Pt, Ir and Au remain at chondritic levels. The geochemistry and mineralogy of alteration determined for Brunflo are similar to those in “reduction spots” in red beds, where accumulation of a similar suite of elements (except Mo, Re) occurred as a result of isolated reduction activity.     

Unified modeling of flow liquefaction and cyclic mobility

Flow liquefaction and cyclic mobility are two different phenomena that are encountered during strong earthquakes. Flow liquefaction is associated with the contractive behavior of loose granular materials and cyclic mobility is associated with the dilative response of both loose and dense granular materials at low confining stresses. These two types of response pertain to the same material and therefore should be modeled in a consistent manner. Whether a soil in a given state exhibits contractive or dilative behavior is dependent on its dilatancy, d=d_v^p/d_q^p. A form of the dilatancy d=d(η,ψ,C) is proposed, where η=q/p is the stress ratio, and ψ and C denote the internal state variables and the intrinsic properties, respectively. It has been shown that such a state-dependent dilatancy is effective in describing both the contractive and dilative behavior. This allows the soil behavior associated with flow liquefaction and cyclic mobility during earthquakes to be modeled in a unified way.     

The Lanmuchang Tl deposit and its environmental geochemistry

Tl is a dispersed element and it seldom occurs in the form of independent minerals.The world annual production of Tl is about 13 ton, most of which is by-product separated from non-ferrous metal products. Lanmuchang is the only large-size independent Tl deposit in the world. Bio-enrichment and hydrothermal reworking are the two important metallogenic mechanisms of this Tl deposit. Samples of plant and animal organs and villagers’ urine as well as hair and nail (toenail) samples from the Tl mining district were analyzed. Analytical results showed that the contents of Tl, Hg and As are high, suggesting that the residents and villagers in the mining district have been affected by Tl-Hg pollution, and on the other hand, they can serve as the guidelines for ore prospecting. The contents of Tl, Hg, and As in human beings and other organic bodies depend largely on the background values of these metals in rock, ore, soil and water.     

劳动力跨地区流动与地区差距

中国区域间的劳动力流动对地区差距有着重要的影响。但是,劳动力流动对地区差距究竟是起了扩大作用,还是缩小作用,已有的研究并没能形成一致的结论。基于中国的转型背景,认为中国特有的户籍制度及其相应的配套政策构成了劳动力区际流动的制度约束,这种制度约束使不同类型的劳动力流动方式不同。进而分析了劳动力流动方式对地区差距的影响。研究结论表明:转型期中国区域之间劳动力流动,尽管流动方式不同,但都在一定程度上扩大了中国地区差距和城乡差距。